Saturday, September 16, 2006

Support Ghraham and McCain

Briefly, here is a quote from an article on Saturday,

"Bush's proposed bill also would allow enemy combatants to be tried by military tribunals without having access to classified information used against them by prosecutors. But the Senate Armed Services Committee instead backed a rival bill by McCain that would make it more difficult to make classified information off-limits to the accused."

This is the deal folks, the reason why it is so important for the administration's proposal to be defeated is because if these tribunals are established,all the government would have to do is declare you an "enemy combatant" and your right to due process, guaranteed by the constitution, goes out the window.

Don't think it could happpen? Suppose you were in a feud with your neighbor and he called Homeland Security and told them that you were building bombs in your basement and that you were known for radical speech. At this point the government could label you a "terroist" and put you in jail with no recourse, no lawyer, no due process...indefinitely.


The sixth amendment to the Constitution guarantees us the right to confront our accusers and the evidence against us:

Amendment VI.

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence

I've already laid out a scenario that is not beyond possiblility. If we allow this administration to skirt the sixth amendment, then we are no better off than people in Communist China. Think about it...

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