Question Details	Asked By	Asked On
Yeah, it's me again...	excon	02/04/05
Hello experts: I think we can be divided into two camps, here on the political board. There are those who support the Constitution unequivocally (and basic human rights for everyone), (that’s me), and there are those who think that our present situation requires a suspension (if only temporarily) of basic human rights (that’s you). I believe what I do, not because I sympathize with how our government treats bad guys, but because I worry that, if we let them do it to the bad guys, then they’ll do it to the good guys. (Or continue to do it, but that’s another argument.) My position stems from the belief that the present assault on the Constitution is not new. In spite of those assaults, that document has withstood the test of time and still stands erect (with minor changes) today. I’m proud of that record and who we are (were). Today, however, I’m in fear for our cherished traditions of due process and equal rights. A government with the power to spirit people away and declare that's the end of the matter is exactly the kind of government that we always claimed to oppose. For us to become that kind of government is unbelievably scary. Your president, along with his new Attorney General, is fighting for nothing less than the death of due process for anyone it rounds up, no matter how arbitrarily it did so, in its enemy combatant sweeps. Such tyrannical powers should offend anyone who cares about such old-fashioned notions as the rule of law, checks and balances, and constitutional guarantees. I know, you’re gonna give me a list of reasons why “these people” shouldn’t be entitled to the same rights and protections you enjoy. Just l ike every time the Constitution was assaulted. And some of you will deny that what we are doing goes against anything. That’s bothersome. But, what bothers me the most, is that I seem to be the only voice for the Constitution here on these boards. excon
Clarification/Follow-up by excon on 02/04/05 10:02 am: Oh, yeah. I forgot to mention those of you will argue that they must be guilty of something or else they wouldn't have been rounded up, right? Maybe - but, how would that be determined without any process? excon
Answered By		Answered On
LTgolf		02/04/05
Hey Ex Unless I miss my guess we are at war with terrorists. I think its pretty difficult to spot a terrorist untill they actually commit an act, and of course its to late then. I think our government has some valid reasons for containing these people and those reasons are not based on what those people look like or what nationality they are. We all support the Constitution and basic human rights but some take advantage of this document and stretch it like a rubber band. I dont think the authorities hound innocent people, but they certainly do keep an eye on suspicious people, as they should. If we live our lives by the rule of law we give no reason to be contained, but if we try to stretch the law to suit our own needs then we are looked at with a strict eye. I cant speak for you, but I know that when you and I were envolved in a war back in the sixties, I certainly never read the Miranda rights to any VC or NVA, and I doubt that you did either. We are removed from this one so its easy to pick apart the authorities just as most of the stateside people did to us back then. I dont have a problem with detaining suspected terrorists, I do have a problem with letting them go free because we need to be politically correct. Leon

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