The US Gulag; Guantanamo“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” How does a nation that professes these inalienable rights, justify the indefinite suspension of due process to anyone, even an enemy combatant? Are they not endowed with these rights, or since their Creator goes by the name of Allah are their rights somehow subordinate? In last week’s interview posted by The Corvallist, she aked: Q) How should we handle detainees suspected of terrorist involvement? What should be done regarding Guantanamo Bay? Smith) “If we are the champions of democracy and human dignity, we need to extend a good measure of those rights to the detainees. They deserve due process; perhaps not all constitutional protections, but certainly not relegation to the gulag until they fade from public memory. That’s not consistent with the ideals this country should stand for.” We need the Bush administration, any administration, to stand for the principles of justice regardless of public paranoia or political expedience. Rudimentary legal rights should extend to prisoners and US citizens as well. If a special court is set up for securing warrants for domestic wiretaps, it seems clearly implied that warrants are an intended prerequisite for domestic surveillance. If we surrender our constitutional liberties, even for good reasons, we risk losing precious freedoms and gaining a secure, but oppressive, police state. Michael btw. Russ Feingold’s attempted censure of President Bush was a cheap stunt and has detracted from meaningful discussion of this issue.Previous: How Would Seantor Frist Play in Oregon? -- Next: Pat Robertson, Model of Christian Tolerance? |
Favorite Posts:
Other Blogs:Links:
Feeds - SFP updates for your homepage:Previous Posts: |
