Bowman Acts: Difference between revisions

Initially conceived of and drafted by U.S. Senator [[James Bowman]] (with assistance from several other individuals), over a period of time between 1982 and 1985, the '''Bowman Acts''' are a series of legislative articles, approved and signed into law secretly by many of the nations of the world, which provide a legal framework for the day-to-day dealings, operations, and other concerns in relation with metahuman and extra-terrestrial interests and development on Earth (or Earth-247, as cataloged in the [[Daria Multiverse]].) The initial signing by world powers of the Acts was on July 8; as a result, [[Bowman Day]] is considered an unofficial holiday for many in the metahuman community, and many metahumans gather in the New York area for celebrations.

 

 

Another known section of the ''Acts'' is Article Two of the Bowman Act of 1982; it calls for and defines a 'mutual-defense treaty', in which all signatory nations have promised to provide information, materials and intelligence/military forces (as needed) for the purpose of defending the entire planet from imminent threats of natures specifically stated in the ''Acts''. ) Other known statutes in the ''Acts'' are the specific regulations dealing with the use of mystical and telepathic citizens and their abilities by private companies/corporations and the governments of ''Bowman Act''-signatory countries, the conduct of mystical and telepathic citizens within their home societies and the specific laws and penalties involved with the illegal/unsanctioned usage of their abilities (the infamous ''Article Ten'' of the Bowman Act of 1982). An equally controversial (yet lesser-known) provision is ''Article Eleven'' of the Bowman Act of 1982, which sets up the framework for metahuman conscription provisions for involuntary federal/national service in both the civilian (including the intelligence services of the nation where the metahuman citizen hails from) and military sectors. (It must be noted that since this was ratified, no nation has attempted to use this for its stated purpose - primarily because doing so would require notification of the oversight committee (see below), and because attempting to do so would be seen as an overt act of military aggression by that nation.

 

Article Three of the ''Bowman Act of 1983'' provides protocols in order to handle the international problem of transient metahuman children with active abilities (identified as '[[Ferals]]'). Because of the very real and ongoing possibility that such children may pose an active threat to the communities they exist within (due to simply acting out in order to survive) or expose the existence of metahuman beings to the general population, Article Three possesses a provision that instructs any signatory country to allocate resources to assist 'Ferals' when located, and provide them with appropriate physical, emotional, medical and remedial educational care and resources so at to lessen the possibilities that they will become potential threats. This provision also allows specific provisions for the relocation of such children, if deemed necessary for the best interests of the 'Feral', to a First World signatory nation that has appropriate means for such care and education; the wishes of the 'Ferals' involved (regardless of age) must be taken into consideration in such cases.

 

One of the more potentially sinister parts of the Acts is ''Article Twenty-Five'' of the 1982 Bowman Act, which allows (in a case of extreme emergency or eminent threat) for a metahuman citizen or citizens to be declared a ward of the government of said citizen's nation, allowing for that citizen to be remanded to the state, who will be responsible for the physical custody and care of said citizen '' 'until such time as said citizen(s) are no longer demonstrated to be a danger to themselves or the society in which it is hoped that they may be able to someday re-enter.' '' Because of the clear violation of legal rights that application of Article Twenty-Five entails, any citizen who is detained under such status is immediately subject to both overview by the Bowman Oversight Committee, and given 'special detainee status' by the International Red Cross (both of whom must receive written notification of Article Twenty-Five activation status '''and''' return written confirmation of such action within twelve hours for every specific citizen detained under such circumstances. Failure to comply will be considered a clear violation of international law and dealt with by extremely harsh measures (as agreed upon by all signatory nation-stated upon acceptance of the Acts).

 

Equally as controversial is the following article - ''Article Twenty-Six'', which provides the exact same protocols as ''Article Twenty-Five'', but towards non-powered citizens of signatory nations and citizens of non-signatory nations who are seen as being a direct threat to international security through the overt threat of revealing information covered by the ''Acts''. As with ''Article Twenty-Five'', ''Article Twenty-Six'' provides incarceration and containment protocols, as well as means of nullifying that citizen's means of legal recourse, until such time as that citizen is not seen as a danger to the state or to him/herself. ''Article Twenty-Seven'' provides blanket coverage and language as voiced in the previous two articles, but in relation to any and all beings that are not covered by the previous articles.

 

A curious statistic noted is that all countries that have hosted the Olympic Games since its resurgence in the modern era are also signatories to the ''Bowman Acts''. It is also considered tradition that any country that hosts the Games becomes a signatory beforehand. On two occasions, nations that were believed certain to host the Games lost to other nations; it is believed (by those aware of the connection) that this occurred because they refused to sign. Also, several nations who were seen as having slim chances of winning their bids were 'rewarded' with advancement into final rounds of consideration by recognizing the Acts (it is widely believed that this is the reason That [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rio_de_Janeiro_bid_for_the_2016_Summer_Olympics Brazil won host city status for the 2016 Olympic Summer Games]).