Adventures in My Mind
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Oct 20, 2006
Beginning of the end of America
Special Comment from Keith Olbermann.
The right of Habeus Corpus has been suspended - for everyone - by the Millitary Commissions Act (MCA).
This is without a doubt the most damaging piece of legislation that has been passed in the history of this nation. It is an hysterical overreaction by this president and his cohorts in Congress. Not only does it strip the single most important tool criminal defendents have in this country, it brings us a giant step closer to being exactly like those that would seek to do us harm. Do you think that Iranians, Saudi Arabians, Iraqis, or Afghans under the Taliban were protected by Habeas Corpus? What about North Korea? Or China? Insert your favorite totalitarian government around the world and ask the same question. The answer, of course, is no. And now that list includes the United States of F****** America.
Wikipedia defines Habeas Corpus as:In common law countries, habeas corpus ... Latin for "you [should] have the body", is the name of a legal instrument or writ by means of which detainees can seek release from unlawful imprisonment. A writ of habeas corpus is a court order addressed to a prison official (or other custodian) ordering that a detainee be brought to the court so it can be determined whether or not that person is imprisoned lawfully and whether or not he or she should be released from custody. The writ of habeas corpus in common law countries is an important instrument for the safeguarding of individual freedom against arbitrary state action.Simply put it means that everyone who is held as an alleged criminal must be charged and given their day in court to determine whether or not they are being held legally or at the whim of those in power. The MCA has now removed this protection for anyone in this country who is ruled an enemy combatant.
Q: And just what defines an enemy combatant?
A: Anything that the executive branch says it does.
Does that make you feel safer? Do you sleep better knowing that your rights have been whittled down by leaders so lazy in their pursuits of true criminals that they cast such a wide net as to capture innocent bystanders? Do you think that all of the groups to which you belong, all the funds to which you donate, or all of the people with whom you associate are so far removed from the so-called War on Terror that you will never get caught on this slippery slope? Do you think that this president or succeeding adminstrations will always use this unprecedented power for good and never as a tool of retribution or political fiat? You're a damn fool if you do!
The president was very clear in the weeks leading up to this week's signing that he and his administration were simply seeking all of the tools necessary to fight the War on Terror. Obviously this included despotism. Now they have it, with a near perfect party split on the votes.
Nevermind teen sex scandals, corruption charges, ethics violations, mismanaged wars, ballooning deficits, or other such malfeasance fostered by the Republican majority; the gutting of Habeas Corpus is really the only reason necessary to remove these hypocritical sycophants and power-hungry miscreants from office.
The shame in removing this seminal freedom while fighting an enemy that supposedly hates us because of such freedoms is an irony so deep and obvious that even the most jaded or fear-adled among us cannot escape it.
Again, I can only implore you to turn out on November 7 and vote against each and every member of Congress who voted for this tragic legislation.
See what your representatives did in The House and The Senate.
0 Comments | Link to this post posted by Teddy 2:01 PM
