Blasphemy against/of the USA?
By Rev. Hyungjin Sean Moon, Sanctuary Church, Newfoundland
One man. One order. One dead American. His name was Anwar Awlaki, a US citizen. In 2011 he was droned dead with no charge or trial. Just death. Two weeks later, in Yemen, his son’s lifeless body lay flowing with streams of blood as a Predator drone hummed off into the dark.
The Fifth Amendment in the Bill of Rights states: “No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury.” The Sixth Amendment states: “In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial by an impartial jury.” Though almost everyone will disagree with the assassinated Awlaki’s political views, he was, nevertheless, a US citizen. He had the right to due process and was supposed to be considered innocent until proven guilty, not summarily gunned down in the night with a killing “Robocop.”
This is now the potential murder nightmare that ANY American may fall prey to. Any of us. According to Section 1021 of the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA):
2) A person who was a part of or substantially supported al-Qaeda, the Taliban, or associated forces that are engaged in hostilities against the United States or its coalition partners, including any person who has committed a belligerent act or has directly supported such hostilities in aid of such enemy forces.(c) Disposition Under Law of War- The disposition of a person under the law of war as described in subsection (a) may include the following:(1) Detention under the law of war without trial until the end of the hostilities authorized by the Authorization for Use of Military Force” [Emphasis mine.]
Can you clearly understand this? It’s written vaguely on purpose so it can be applied to anyone. Look at the portions I emphasized. What is an “associated force”? The United States supported the Taliban in Afghanistan against the Russians in the ’80s and ’90s. Does that mean all Americans are citizens of a country that supported the Taliban and thus is an “associated force”?
What about “coalition partners”? Iran was a coalition partner of the US, but now is not. Does that mean anyone who supported the US when Iran was a coalition partner and still supports the US when Iran is no longer a coalition partner, including the federal government, is part of the “associated forces” against the US or its “coalition partners”?
When power becomes centralized, it loses all morality. It becomes a beast unto itself and ALWAYS seeks to feed its insatiable, ravenous hunger for more power and control.
What about “belligerent act”? How is “belligerent act” defined? Is saying something against the federal government under the protection of the First Amendment a belligerent act? Maybe. Is disapproving of Congress’ performance and making a sign expressing such a sentiment a belligerent act? Who knows? It’s entirely subjective. Perhaps merely writing this article is grounds for “detention under the law of war without trial until the end of the hostilities.”
This is what makes the NDAA so mortifying. It designates the USA as a battleground governed by the Laws of War. It grants the president — one flawed, imperfect human being — the power to subjectively decide to indefinitely detain any American until the “end of hostilities” — which means forever. When does the War on Terror end? Never. When does terror or extreme fear end? Never. You can’t make fear go away by waging a “war” on it just like you can’t make sadness go away by waging a “war on sadness.” So if the president is authorized to indefinitely detain any American until the “end of hostilities,” that simply means you can be made to DISAPPEAR FOREVER.
My parents fled Communist North Korea as refugees, eventually coming to the US in the ’70s.
The NDAA, passed by Congress every year for 53 years, started out as a law that simply authorized military funding. In 2012, though, Congress threw a needle into the haystack. That year, the NDAA was used to expand the 2001 AUMF (Authorization for Use of Military Force) beyond the people tied to the 9/11 attacks to all citizens of the United States of America. The language of this 2012 law was vague, and it was meant to be, in order to create a justification to effectively ravage the Constitution and the inalienable rights that are granted to ALL peoples of the world by the Creator.
My parents fled Communist North Korea as refugees, eventually coming to the US in the ’70s. I have people in my congregation who went through torture in Cambodia during the Pol Pot genocide and others in Iran for opposing the state. When power becomes centralized, it loses all morality. It becomes a beast unto itself and ALWAYS seeks to feed its insatiable, ravenous hunger for more power and control.
America is not immune to this corruption. We are already an oligarchy (BBC NEWS “Study: US is an oligarchy, not a democracy”), and are fast heading down the track toward totalitarianism. All Americans should be frightened and terrified that we, the citizens, are targets of terrorism under such a blasphemous law. This fear should awaken the power of God within us to stand up and fight this unconstitutional act that is criminally erasing the Bill of Rights which, though written by human hand, were revealed by God the Creator.
Some states, including Pennsylvania, are talking about passing the Liberty Preservation Act, which ostensibly bans the NDAA. The Oathkeepers and PANDA organizations stand opposed to this law because it basically states that the state police will not aid federal agents in carrying out criminal, unconstitutional acts under the NDAA. It would merely direct Pennsylvania Troopers to STAND DOWN, not STAND UP to protect Pennsylvania citizens from illegally being made to disappear.
That’s why our church has partnered with PANDA (People Against the NDAA). We are building coalitions in five Pennsylvania counties to demand that local commissioners pass the RCGR (Restoring Constitutional Governance Resolution), which states that the US Constitution is the supreme law of the land and that our counties are not battlegrounds and therefore the laws of war do NOT apply in them.
We, the People, are made in the image and likeness of God, and, as God is perfectly free, so, too, are we perfectly free. With that freedom comes our responsibility and duty to stand up for our own liberty. America, STAND UP and take back your towns, cities, states and country! God bless us all.
