The Supreme Court declares the treatment of detainees as unConstitutional, so the Congress passes a law to make it Constitutional, and Bushie gleefully signed it today. Of all the disturbing parts of this, here is the one part that bothers me the most:
The law protects detainees from blatant abuses during questioning _ such as rape, torture and "cruel and inhuman" treatment _ but does not require that any of them be granted legal counsel. Also, it specifically bars detainees from filing habeas corpus petitions challenging their detentions in federal courts. Bush said the process is "fair, lawful and necessary."
So, we've arrested and detained these guys, but yet they have no right to an attorney, which has been enshrined in ou jurisprudence since the early 60's. And it explicitly denies the detainees the right to claim they're being held illegally, like perhaps they're not the person the government claims they are and maybe they're being held by mistake. Oh, but what am I suggesting, we all KNOW the intelligence agencies of the US government NEVER make any mistakes, don't we?
HOw can we claim the moral high ground by denying those in our custody the basic legal rights that everyone else has under our legal system? Oh I know what some will say, "Hey, these are just terrorists. They're not deserving of the same rights as American citizens!"
Two problems I see with that line of thinking: Just because the government SAYS they're terrorists doesn't mean they are. ANd with no right to habeus corpus, they have no way making the government PROVE they ARE terrorists.
And two, isn't that line of thinking dangerous? How big of a leap would it be for someone to take that a step further and say, "oh they'er Arabs, they don't deserve the same rights!" or "Oh those Jews, they don't deserve the same rights." or "Oh those gays they dont' deserve the same rights." or "Oh those Hispanics, they don't deserve the same rights."
Hopefully, this law will be challenged in court and some level headed judge who believes the government should follow the COnsitution of the United States will rule it un-Constitutional!
POLT = listening to "Rapture" by IIO
The Lord is looking for spiritual fruits, not religious nuts.
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3 comments:
Whatever happened to being innocent UNTIL proven guilty. If bushie had his way everyone who dares speak out against his policies will be called terrorists by asociation. I'm afraid Lincoln's worst fears are being realized: Government of the people, for the people and by the people is vanishing from the face of the earth!
just makin us look bad 2 the rest of the world and he does a good job at that!
This won't end until he's out. 01.20.09.
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