BCT Editorial – 7/15/08

This page was last updated on July 21, 2008.

Slipping away; Editorial; Beaver County Times; July 15, 2008.

The editorial subtitle is “Surveillance law is another blow against civil liberties.”

This editorial is pretty much a regurgitation of previous Times editorials on this topic, so please read my critique of “Legal technicality” for most of my comments.

Note the editorial’s repeated use of the term “illegal.” As “Legal technicality” told us last year, “two members of a three-judge panel of the Cincinnati-based U.S. Court of Appeals overruled a lower court ruling that held a National Security Agency’s warrantless wiretapping program was unconstitutional.” Whether you agree with the court decision or not, the current court ruling says the program was legal.

Forgive me for being skeptical about the Times concern for civil liberties. Overall, the average family eventually turns over nearly 33% of its income to all levels of government. This is near the all time high of 34% in 2000. Despite this situation, Times editorials constantly tell us we’re selfish for not wanting tax increases. What greater violation of civil liberties is there than confiscating the fruits of a person’s labor?