The Armstrong-Indiana-Clarion Drug and Alcohol Commission is pleased to announce the request for applications for the 2012 Bernie Smith Memorial Scholarship. Students in the Class of 2012 from Armstrong, Indiana and Clarion County schools are all eligible for this $1,000 scholarship to go toward post-secondary education. Candidates must be nominated by their Student Assistance Program Team and must exemplify the mission of the Commission by their way of involvement, leadership and accomplishments in their high school careers.
For more information, contact Kami Anderson at the Armstrong-Indiana-Clarion Drug and Alcohol Commission at 724-354-2746 or visit your high school guidance office.
The State Department issues reports yearly on individual rights in other countries. Many countries such as Iran have been criticized for denying fair public trials. Other countries have been condemned for the use of secret evidence and torture. Although we pass judgment on other countries, we remain confident that our country is “The Land of the Free”. In the decade since 11 September 2001, the United States has comprehensively reduced civil liberties in the name of an expanded security state. The most recent example of this of these reductions was the National Defense Authorization Act, signed by President Obama on December 31, 2011. This act authorizes the indefinite detention of citizens without due process that was clearly outlined in the Constitution. While each new power has been embraced by Washington, together they form what could be considered an authoritarian government. Americans often site our nation as the symbol of freedom in the world while dismissing other nations such as Cuba and China as categorically “unfree”. We may be only half right. While other countries do lack basic individual rights the United States now has more in common with such regimes than anyone might like to think. These other countries also have constitutions that guarantee freedoms and rights. But their governments have broad discretion in denying those rights and few real avenues for challenges by citizens. The new powers in the following list could be troubling: Assassination of U S. citizens — Indefinite detention — Arbitrary justice –Warrant-less searches — Secret evidence – -Ignoring war crimes — The secret foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court — Immunity from judicial review — Continual monitoring of citizens These new laws have come with an infusion of money which allows widespread usage at the state and federal levels. Some politicians say that these increased powers are merely a response to the times we live in. Senator Lindsey Graham stated: “free speech is a great idea, but we’re in a war.” Other politicians rationalize that, while the powers may exist, it really comes down to how they are used. This is a common response by liberals who cannot bring themselves to denounce Obama as they did Bush. Congress has insisted that they have left the use of these powers where they belong, in the executive branch. And in signing the defense authorization bill, Obama said he does not intend to use the latest power to indefinitely imprison citizens. If a president can take away your freedom or your life on his own authority, all rights become little more than a discretionary grant subject to executive will. The framers of our constitution lived under autocratic rule and understood this danger better than we do. James Madison famously warned that we needed a system that did not depend on the good intentions or motivations of our rulers. Since 9/11 we have created the very government Madison waned of. Dishonesty from politicians from all levels of government is nothing new to Americans. The real question is whether we are lying to ourselves when we call this country the “Land of the Free” Remember: All that is necessary for evil to succeed is for good men and women to stand by and do nothing. THIS IS A CALL TO ACTION
(This commentary is a product of the WTYM 1380 AM show “30 Minutes on the Pony Farm”. The show is hosted by Jack Bennett every Monday at 12:30 PM. Be sure to tune in! Talk to Jack Bennett about your views by calling 724-543-1380 during his show.)
Armstrong School District | KP NewsDesk January 26, 2012 | 
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