The Third Amendment -- going, going ... ?
Nice work, Blackwater.
The Third Amendment says that "No soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.''
Apart from the Founders' fondness for a weird scattershot use of commas [evidence that ''well-ordered'' militia thing], which would grieve the punctilious-about-punctuation heart of my elementary-school teacher Mrs. Sedeen, this amendment has been, as the new ''in'' word says, a bit of a legal outlier.
Thankfully, our history hasn't generated major Supreme Court wrangling over the government trying to billet Sergeant York in private houses; the biggest military incursion in private homes in modern memory is probably G.I. Joe.
But with Blackwater trying to set up a counterterrorism training facility along the Mexican border, San Diego has appealed to a federal court to stop it.
It doesn't precisely fit the language of the Third Amendment -- mercenaries won't be camping in the gazebo -- but it does go to the broader meaning of ''house'' and by extrapolation of ''home:'' does it include our neighborhoods? Our cities?
The Blackwater business is slick on two counts. With the government privatizing military functions, the feds could plausibly argue, "Heck, they're not soldiers. They don't wear the nation's uniform, and they're too well-paid to be soldiers.'' And as for that "time of war'' thing, aren't we always at war these days?''
Blackwater employees not being ''soldiers,'' they don't have some of the advantages of the uniform -- but don't seem to bear any of the limitations or encumbrances, either. National security beats full house, straight flush, royal flush, you name it. Remember the border fence going through in spite of hell, high water, property rights and environmental damage?
Nice try, San Diego, but don't expect any more support from the courts than the folks in the path of that border fence got. After all, there's a war on.
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Do you find yourself looking over your shoulder, wondering if your mommy is entering the room?
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http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/09/22/opinion/main878822.shtml
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Hmmmmm, anyone here remember any of their employees carrying HUGE guns to work?
Killing any civilians?
Blackwater is an evil and twisted organization who is going to be guarding your street one of these days.
Try ordering your "happy meal" with a cappuccino then.....
Please explain exactly how Blackwater is "evil and twisted". According to whom?
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A company owned by Blackwater got a permit from the city to modify a facility in a business park for occupational training, thus hiding the fact that it was BLACKWATER that was really applying for the permit.
The code for zoning in this business park permits occupational training which they listed on their permit. What they didn't disclose was that among other things, they planned to install a shooting range.
They lied on the permit in order to meet the code requirements for zoning in that area.
Is "mercenary" a legitimate occupational training for a business park? They say they're training the local military. Well....is a military training facility appropriate for a business park?
Why is a military training facility NOT appropriate for a business park? Who says?
How is a shooting range, whether recreational or training, NOT appropriate for a business park? Who says?
Why is it an evasion, or a lie, for the company which you claim is owned by Blackwater, to apply for the permit? Who says?
You've laid out nothing which is either offensive, illegal, or immoral! Or, did you forget some of your points?
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And NO, a firing range does NOT belong in a business park! A firing range requires way too much room, and since business parks are a medium to high density area, they DON'T have the room!
I fail to see how the Third Amendment, which applies to privately owned homes, in any way applies to this case, and you haven't made the case for your argument!
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Why is it so hard for you to grasp the consequences of allowing any armed, mercenary force, not bound by federal law, to exist on American soil? Didn't your momma teach you right from wrong?
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