You may have never observed the anniversary of the First Amendment before, but this year, take a moment to remember that our right to freedom of expression is found in those 45 words.

Now, take a look at the National Defense Authorization Act for the fiscal year 2012. After passing in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, this bill is one step away from becoming a law. 

Though the National Defense Authorization Act has been approved for the past 48 years as a piece of legislation outlining the budget for the United States Department of Defense, a few sections of this year’s bill contain language that grants our military the power to detain anyone suspicious of terrorist activity. These potential suspects, including American citizens, would not receive a trial and could be held indefinitely.

Now, I understand that terrorists are a very real threat in modern times, but are we willing to suspend all notion of “innocent until proven guilty?” Are we willing to give our government the power to imprison people based on undefined, “suspicious” activity?