The Sixth Amendment: A Casualty of NSA/DEA Statism

Let us pause and bow our heads in memory of the recently-assassinated Sixth Amendment.

In relevant part:

...to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor,...

...When Edward Snowden alleged that he, as a low level IT technician, could access communications by virtually anyone simply by asking there was a howling from the general direction of Fort Meade, MD that this was not true. Because FISA Courts. Because The Constitution. Subsequent reporting by Glenn Greenwald (or one of his sock puppets. it is really hard to tell… ) indicates that Snowden was more right than wrong.

Reuters....detailed how the Special Operative Division – a unit within the DEA comprising representatives of two dozen agencies including the FBI, CIA, NSA, Internal Revenue Service and the Department of Homeland Security – passes tips from wiretaps, informants and a database of telephone records to field agents to investigate and arrest criminals. Reuters reports that, although such cases rarely involve national security issues, the DEA agents using the tips are trained to “recreate” the source of the criminal investigation to conceal its true origin from defense lawyers, prosecutors and judges.

One is reminded of a passage familiar to most:  "Witnesses??  We have no need of witnesses!!"

....followed by a summary non-judicial execution.

Sorta like the line from the Disney song:  "...it could happen to you..." except the song was not about the end of the US Constitution done by a bunch of skinhead power-mad vest-wearing full-auto bearing enemies of the Republic.

UPDATE:  Speaking of summary executions, do NOT visit Delaware.