Losing Our Freedom

In their never ending campaign to make the constitution irrelevant, our government is putting yet another nail in the coffin of our freedom, with almost no mention in the press. Using the dubious procedure of a voice vote in a lame duck session - which gives every single legislator the ability to deny his vote,if and when the voters turn against this benighted law - the House has already passed, and the Senate is about to pass, the National All Schedules Prescription Electronic Reporting Act, or NASPER, H.R. 3015.

This act will give to the government easy access to the medical records of any citizen who takes any controlled substance. While pain medications are the stated target of this new law, antidepressant and other drugs used in the treatment of mental distress and illness, not to mention medically authorized marijuana, are all included. The act provides that any doctor prescribing, and any provider dispensing any of these medicines must report, within one week, the name, address, and telephone number of the patient receiving these substances. Normal constitutionally mandated controls on search and seizure are thus not applicable. No judge need issue a warrant, nor must any law enforcement person show probable cause, not even reasonable suspicion, that any law has been violated. Mere curiosity on the part of law enforcement would appear to be allowed, under the language of the statute.
by Michael Gersh - Zero Base Thinking Blog

This is just part of a story that Michael Gersh wrote in his blog, Zero Base Thinking. I didn't know that this was going on and I'm shocked. He writes a lengthy article on the issue and all of the details and pressure points involved.

I think that we as Americans will have far fewer rights by the time we start actually getting interested in politics, putting pressure on our representatives, and getting involved. I think that things like this are just symptoms of a bigger problem. We are electing the most popular guy to office then putting him on a train for Washington D.C. and saying, "Have a good time. See ya when you get back."

The percentage of people who actually know what their representatives are doing in Washington D.C. on their behalf is alarmingly low, but things won't change till things get too bad.