Freedom? Laws? Treason?

Are you free? If you live in America, do you truly believe that you are free?

What's treason? Seriously, can you think of something that meets the criteria for treason? I'm not talking about simplistic things, but REAL treason. What would someone have to do, in your mind, to be tried for treason. Keep in mind, the punishment for treason is death.

I'm not talking about impeachment or the like. I'm talking about REAL treason. How about the guy who threw a hand grenade in the tent of soldiers while he was a solider. Is that treason? What about spies who give away military secrets, whether employed by the CIA or the New York Times? Is that treason?

Oran's Law Dictionary says it is

"...[a]...citizen's actions to help a foreign government overthrow, make war against, or seriously injure the [parent nation]."

Does it have to be a foreign government? Dictionary.com says:

1. the offense of acting to overthrow one's government or to harm or kill its sovereign.
2. a violation of allegiance to one's sovereign or to one's state.
3. the betrayal of a trust or confidence; breach of faith; treachery.

I suspect that in today's society that treason is simply not possible. Seriously. The last person convicted of treason in the United States was way back in 1952 -- a seriously different era. Treason is still against the law:

Whoever, owing allegiance to the United States, levies war against them or adheres to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort within the United States or elsewhere, is guilty of treason and shall suffer death, or shall be imprisoned not less than five years and fined under this title but not less than $10,000; and shall be incapable of holding any office under the United States.

But note that is says "against" the United States. In other words, it would be utterly and completely impossible for any government official to be guilty of treason, wouldn't it? If the US Government were to suddenly declare martial law, anyone who disobeyed martial law would be guilty of treason -- members of the government would not.

So again I ask, can you think of anything that actually could rise to the level of treason where a person today would be tried and killed for it today? I cannot.

Posted by: Ogre at 02:56 PM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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