|
Science
fiction writers often talk about something they call 'parallel universes'. In
their opinion what we experience here on Earth is mirrored in reverse in some
other time and or space compendium (I think this is the right word).
Sometimes I think the members of our elected congress are the present day examples
of that parallel reverse universe somewhere out in space.
For example,
last week or so the FBI raided the offices of a Louisiana congressman, named William
Jefferson. Now, I'm not a big fan of the FBI, but in this case they had a legal
search warrant and some pretty creditable evidence to support their plea for a
warrant. Namely the confessions of a couple of the congressman's aides who were
in the midst of plea bargaining to get their sentences reduced for bribery charges.
According
to the story, Congressman Jefferson had received the sum of $100,000 from someone
wanting some political favors. This transaction was videotaped by the FBI. $90,000
of the $100,000 was found (serial numbers matching) in the congressman's freezer
at his apartment. Based upon this information the search warrant was issued to
allow the FBI to search the congressman's office.
Nothing
wrong so far..right ? Wrong…
Both sides of the aisle are up in arms over
this alleged breach of the Constitution which supposedly protects the members
of congress from harassment from the executive branch of government. I suppose
this was put into place to protect the congress from being placed in jail when
a vote was coming up.
But in this case the good congressman wasn't arrested
or held up from any important legislative business, just a search of his office
and the confiscation of some documents and possible proof of his involvement in
the bribery matter.
Several members of congress are enraged that they
weren't told of the search prior to it being executed. Congressman Jefferson has
reportedly said he is upset they didn't tell him they were coming.
I'm
sorry, but don't you think maybe some of the evidence might disappear if you knew
the feds were going to be knocking on your door at 5pm. Get real, if some drug
dealer had 50 pounds or kilos or whatever they package their stuff in, and the
same sense of fairness applied to drug dealers. Do you think if the DEA or whoever
called the bad guys and said something like…."We'd like to search your house,
office and apartment at 5PM today, can you be available so we can talk to you?"
Do you really think they'd find anything? I don't think so. Isn't one of the prime
reasons for a search warrant the element of surprise?
Anyway,
in the interest of fairness, the President has locked up the evidence for some
days to come in the hopes that all will work out and he can get on with the business
of leading the nation. Lord knows we need to get on with the business of this
nation.
Meanwhile Congressman Jefferson has vowed that he is innocent
of any wrongdoing and that the 83 page affidavit used to support the petition
for the search warrant is all politically motivated. I think Ken Lay said something
similar along those lines as well.
I don't know about you, but I am getting
somewhat tired of "them versus us". We seem to have morphed into a "do as I say, not as I do" form of government. The rules that we have to adhere to don't
apply to our elected officials. If the FBI wanted to search your house or mine,
do you think we would get a courtesy call telling us they are on the way? I don't
think so.
As some well known congressional pundit said the other day…"We
make the laws, we don't expect to live under them…"
These words warn the
cockles of your heart don't they? I know I get a warm fuzzy feeling when I hear
that kind of an attitude.
Perhaps there really is a parallel universe,
we're in one side, reality and the congress is living in the other side.
Lost in space.
© Peary Perry
Letters
From North America
- June 1, 2006 column
Syndicated weekly in 80 newspapers
Comments go to
www.pearyperry.com |
