It gratifies me to see that the Republicans and the Bush administration have finally abandoned their efforts to undermine civil rights. Instead, they have chosen to cut them down in huge swaths.
In one afternoon, in a series of bills passed in both houses of Congress, Republicans have decided that it is appropriate to set aside the Geneva Convention rules against torture, the writ of habeus corpus, and the prohibition of warrantless search and seizure.
This being modern politics, this major defeat for freedom was followed by more than its share of political posturing. In both the House and the Senate, Republican leaders directly baited the opposition, promising to label anyone who dare vote against the measures pro-terrorists.
First we have Senate Majority Leader John Boehner: "The Democrats' irrational opposition to strong national security policies that help keep our nation secure should be of great concern to the American people. . . . To always have reasons why you just can't vote 'yes,' I think speaks volumes when it comes to which party is better able and more willing to take on the terrorists and defeat them.""
Not to be outdone, Representative Dennis "New Orleans should be bulldozed" Hastert added as he vigorously pounded his chest: "Democrat Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and 159 of her Democrat colleagues voted today in favor of more rights for terrorists. So the same terrorists who plan to harm innocent Americans and their freedom worldwide would be coddled, if we followed the Democrat plan. "
Yes, Dennis, that's right. The Democratic party is trying to encourage terrorist attacks on the United States. Just to clarify a point for your ignorant, addled brain, Democrats are not in favor of giving terrorists more rights. They are in favor of maintaining the rights accused people already have. Rights you are trying to take away.
No, I don't think terrorists are good people. But I would remind the Republican leadership that Saddam Hussein is being tried right now based on the principles you want to set aside. Timothy McVeigh was tried, convicted, and executed without any of his legal rights being abridged. What's good enough for Timothy McVeigh should be good enough for any terrorist.
The Geneva Conventions have been the standard of international law since 1949. Habeas Corpus was codified into British Law in 1679. The Founding Fathers were so concerned about the process of search and seizure that they formulated it into the Fourth Amendment and ratified it in 1791.
These laws have been around for a very long time, and for the most part, no American leadership has had the audacity to tinker with them. (Some have violated their provisions. But attempts to legally modify them have been thankfully rare.) It should not be my responsibility to defend these principles. It should be the responsibility of the Republican leadership to explain with great, great thoroughness why laws that have been accepted without question for decades and centuries are suddenly no longer appropriate for modern living.
I cannot sit quietly while this is happening.
Messieurs Hastert and Boehner dare their opponents in Congress to vote against them and face the wrath of the voters. I will take up that challenge.
I promise that I will never, ever, vote for a candidate for office who has voted for these measures or has publicly supported them. If a politician wants my support and my vote, he had better get to denouncing this, right here, and right now.