[FRIAM] federal legislation

[Prof David West]

Generally, I have very little interest in government legislation and certainly do not invest much time or effort in reading or remembering individual legislative acts.

Until today, I had exactly one paper copy of a house bill — H.R. 4079, short title: National Drug and Crime Emergency Act — in my files.

That bill would have declared a five year emergency during which:

 - "concentration camps, ala the internment camps for citizens of Japanese ancestry, including tents, for the expected surge in inmates and including use of surplus military bases for such camps.

  - prohibition of courts hearing any cruel and unusual cases based on overcrowding

  - five year mandatory, no release, sentences for any drug crime including possession, increasing for more severe offenses

  - mandatory work by all federal prisoners along with seizure of any federal benefits/moneys ordinarily due to the prisoner

  - all evidence in drug cases could not be withheld on 4th amendment grounds

  - suspension of Habeus Corpus (compliments of Strom Thurman for which the section is named)

  - payment of financial incentives to citizens reporting suspected drug activity with higher incentives if convictions result

  - and FEMA was going to be the administering agency for the "emergency"

This year, I am printing and filing HR 1 to my folder of "remarkable" proposed legislation; for what I perceive to be equally absurd and illegal/unconstitutional provisions — all for an "emergency" that has no basis in reality (again in my opinion).

davew