Occupation Protest House Rep. Howard Berman’s Office

Occupy Los Angeles joined Occupy San Fernando today, thanks to Facebook, to protest Rep. Howered Berman(D)  of California’s 28th district. He serves as a congressman who is supposed to represent the people. He, along with most of the other members of congress, voted to pass the NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT of 2012.

 In case you missed it, The National Defense Authorization Act is a bill passed by our congress and signed into law that funds our Military. This is how we fund the bullets and band aides that our troops need to fight the wars we are in. On average, other than the fact that we are funding immoral wars that hurt America rather than make us safe, the NDAA isn’t that controversial. The problem is this current NDAA bill has language in it that gives the military way more power then it’s supposed to have, according to the U.S Constitution. The current bill allows the United States Military to apprehend and detain, indefinitely, American citizens on American soil.

Yes, you read it right, gives the Military the right to apprehend Americans without due process until “hostilities” cease. According to the time frame, according to President Obama himself, the detention could last as long as 10 years. 10 years without charges, without a lawyer, without a phone call, for American citizens in America.

He was part of a group who tried to get the wording out. He was in a coalition of other House members along with 38 Senators that tried to get the verbiage out of the bill. After they failed to get the verbiage out he voted for the bill anyways. His reasoning for voting for a bill that violates our Bill of Rights is that it was coupled with the rest of the bill that funded the bullets and band aides that our troops need. The fact is that our military isn’t running out of stuff and bullets at all. Our military has an overabundance of ammo and artillery, which has been left in Iraq. Congressman Berman’s two aids came out to address our crowed. They made a statement on behalf of Congressman Berman. 

You be the judge whether it answers any questions what’s so ever!

We stayed for a bit after to make our point that we aren’t satisfied. It sounded as if they said a lot about nothing. Again they try to play both sides of the fence. If the 38 Senators had stuck to their guns and not voted for NDAA 2012 they could have killed it before it even went up for a vote the first time, 93-38=57. Not to mention, only 93 senators voted, the Senators who did vote for it did not have the votes to override a filibuster.  The filibuster could have gotten rid of the bill altogether. If the other 7 had voted, at least we would know where they stand. The bill is on President Obama’s desk right now awaiting his signature, which is going to come. 

Tomorrow’s action is going to be as Congressman Sherman’s office. For more information on further actions protesting the Congressman around LA that voted for the bill please check out Occupy San Fernando’s Facebook at,

https://www.facebook.com/OccupySanFernandoValley?ref=ts&sk=wall

By Joshua Taylor

www.AmericanEthics.org