We now have new laws that have been created solely for terrorism and homeland defense, laws which infringe upon our civil liberties to an extent that made the real patriots among us nervous. But we were assured that the government’s ability to use these laws would not be abused, and it would only be a tool against terrorism.

Yeah, right. As expected, the laws are now being more broadly applied to cases that obviously have nothing to do with terrorism. Not that this wasn’t completely expected.

And not that more blatant, political abuse hasn’t popped up before. But the idea that now any criminal we don’t like can be called a “terrorist” is too far an encroachment of definitions; this is more than just the camel’s nose under the tent. This is a clear and unmistakable step in the direction of taking the rights-endangering laws which were supposed to be used only against terrorists, and applying them to the general population for whatever purpose prosecutors feel they want to use them for (and let’s not forget that local politics probably plays a big part here). And that is unacceptable.

We know what terrorism is. So let’s end the farce.