Reading the front section of the Hartford Courant this morning was a particularly painful experience. It seems that Americans have no regard for the rights of individuals; that we allow the president and the congress to take away these rights without protest. The president just signed the law that he had proposed essentially taking away every right that non citizen detainees might have under common law, under the Geneva Convention, or under any basic standards of human dignity. Every member of congress who voted to allow such an egregious attack of human freedom should be voted out of office. The principle of Habeas Corpus has been an established part of British law since 1215 (remember the Magna Carta from your civics class) and is guaranteed in the US Constitution, but is now denied to non US citizens, while torture is allowed.

A second headline caught my eye and made me sick. Former Rep. Gerry Studds who died recently left behind a spouse who is ineligible to receive his rather substantial death benefit. The former congressman was legally married in the state of Massachusetts, but his spouse was of the same sex as the former congressman and thus ineligible to receive his benefits under federal law.

One of the cars which is regularly parked in the Church parking lot (not mine) has a bumper sticker saying "Worst US President Ever" a sentiment with which a majority of us seem to agree (a recent poll showed that a majority of those polled thought the present president was the worst in their lifetime). But what of the congress that passed this idiotic Defense of Marriage Act? Another reason to vote against the whole bunch of scoundrels except for the minority who have bravely stood up for human rights in the face of both opposition to or indifference concerning such rights. Shame on us who have tolerated this assault on our freedom.

The founders of this country rose up against King George and his minions, it is time we did the same against President George and all those who support his dangerous policies!