-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- On 23 Aug 1997, Firebeard wrote:
Jim Choate writes:
JC> And any soldier who fires on Americans is clearly going against JC> prima facia evidence that the framers intended for American JC> military force to NEVER be used against American citizens on JC> American soil.
Being a Pennsylvania native, I refer you to the 'Whiskey Rebellion', 1791-4, western Pennsylvania. Mr Washington, one of those framers, sent American troops (militia, under federal control) against American citizens on American soil. And I don't recall Mr Washington being impeached for violating the Constitution (although Jefferson did resign as Secretary of State, in part, over this).
The militia is different from the military force. The U.S. Constitution explicitly states in Article I, Section 8, that the militia may be called forth (by the federal government) to enforce federal law. The army and other military forces, however, were not given this power and were not intended to be permanent establishments, either. The reason for the establishment of the militia was to provide for a permanent defense force avoiding the dangers to liberty of a standing army. The army was never intended to be used for law enforcement and could only be used against American citizens in a time of rebellion, such as the Civil War. Over a hundred years ago, the Posse Comitatus Act was passed which forbid the military from arresting or questioning American citizens. Mark -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: 2.6.3i Charset: noconv iQEVAwUBM/9JHCzIPc7jvyFpAQF8mggAvCcdMuMFRpJzXndcT9PBLllscU5nUrWa 9tmfiqc8TGyunCgvBV0Ti+nYgO04Y36SQae087YRMxkydrSPbgJ8Mm2UMOPoPkv8 oVToNKWiKMOP22u0xXwRM0l7tEmsHgMjB0pxxDFj+ADYLi4ooMx35yl7qbUT7Edb AEWT/Aq/pNrF5qa05ikCp61fp7bO6dyMFywfms/qOlpmm33/gAJoq4/II0hSazDL kPF8bYpQ5JG4ABYFm/s5ilKOsmG5A5X/vRSojPi/HUaQkdBVpZVSE1sMLtIpGAdE u6vV+VuS7lareaM/586oVV1jJ0i2HAAXd74LSUdrZgriLTeXvHLbPw== =9W+H -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----