Indiana legislators disagree, vote in favor
By MICHAEL RESCHKE michael.reschke@newsandtribune.com
As a resident of Southern Indiana and an American citizen, if you’re accused of a crime you have the right to a trial, right?
Well, some believe a bill that has passed the U.S. House and Senate will allow the United States government to pick up anyone, anywhere and detain them.
The National Defense Authorization Act has been criticized by Human Rights Watch and the American Civil Liberties Union, among other groups, because they believe the language regarding detainment is unclear and will therefore allow U.S. citizens suspected of terrorist activities to be held indefinitely without trial. Spokespeople for Indiana Republican Sens. Richard Lugar and Dan Coats, along with Rep. Todd Young, R-Ind. — who all voted in favor of the bill — have said the language is clear and exempts U.S. citizens from the detainment provisions of the bill.