Tuesday, September 26, 2006

It's not the Pledge of Convienience

Attn: George Bush and Company

I know y'all think the whole torture issue is resolved with the "compromise" you've hammered out with "the Rebellion", but as long as there is a rest of the world and a court system, it really isnt. You see, you've forgotten something that any school child knows...

I pledge allegiance
to the flag
of the United States of America,
and to the Republic,
for which it stands;
one nation, under God, indivisible,
with Liberty and Justice for All


Remember this little phrase?

"Innocent until proven guilty".

This includes murders, rapists, child molestors and, yes, terrorists. You dont have to like it, I certainly dont, but it's not there for the protection of criminals, it's there to protect those who are not criminals from being treated as such. It is there because the forefathers, who had just battled to escape from one system of tyranny, knew full well that the only thing stopping their own system from going the same way was rule of law, and the will of the people. You've done a pretty good job of subverting the will of the people, or at least the loud ones with media access, but it's going to take a bit more work on the legal part. Here's why:
No bill of attainder or ex post facto Law shall be passed.
—US Constitution, Article I
Have a nice day!

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dave,
I'm not sure I really have a clue about all the circumstances around the detainees. If they were fighting against us then do they deserve the same rights as someone born here? Do they deserve the same rights as say a soldier from France? Its hard for me to feel bad for those folks, or to feel like they deserve anything. I saw the video where they cut the head off that reporter, did he have rights? I'm not suggesting that we cut off heads I'm just saying whats good for the goose si good for the gander, doesn't evry school child know that too?
Those folks want to kill the infidels at all costs, even their own life, hard for me to be for them getting the same rights as a legitimate soldier or a citizen of the US.
Just my take
jsull28fl@yaho

daveawayfromhome said...

Try the Golden Rule, then.

If you give tit for tat, in what manner are you a better person? Answer: you're not, you're just as bad, only you feel more righteous (probably not, actually, most evil is committed by people who believe they are right).

As for "sawing heads off", I wasnt aware that we had those people in custody. If we did, we give them a FAIR trial, in which they can see the evidence against them and are not required to testify against themselves, as is the American ideal.

Indeed, "what's good for the goose is good for the gander". You think your civil rights are pretty good, correct? Then why would you deny them to anyone else?

The "circumstances around the detainees" are irrelevant, except in as much as it constitutes evidence. Evidence to be used in a trial, with an independent defense, an impartial, objective judge, and a law-abiding prosecution. To do anything else is to spit on the Constitution, and on every person who has died defending its ideals.

Anonymous said...

Well I was more putting it out there than really arguing it, I like your takes and your comments because you think, unlike some, they just hate instantly anything non-dnc.
Why extend rights to folks who are or are assumed to be terrorists? They extend our boys no rights, none, ever. they gut like a fich, reporters, nuns, kids.....Now don't get me wrong I'm not for gassing them but I don't think we have alot of innocents in custody. I am for a fair trial, and a fairly speedy one, but I am also for a very very harsh punishment is proved guilty.
j

daveawayfromhome said...

You: "Why extend rights to folks who are or are assumed to be terrorists? "

Me: "If you give tit for tat, in what manner are you a better person?"

I'm not going to say it again. You are either a moral person, and extend your moral behavior to all, or you are NOT a moral person. The behavior of others does not change whether or not you behave morally.

Feel free to kill them, torture them, whatever. We are mere animals, after all. But after that, dont climb up on a pedestal and declare yourself better. You will not be.
An American who advocates torture, secret evidence in trials, an absence of habeas corpus, and coerced confessions is no American at all.

None of this, incidentally, has anything to do with a punishment phase after a fair trial, though again, NO cruel and unusual punishment, including whatever the convicted person may have prefered to do to others. It is wrong, and it is unAmerican, and if the people of this nation cannot see this, then we are truly lost.

Anonymous said...

oh
i hope i didnt portray myself as someoine who takes the high ground.
I remember 9-11-01
i'm for the total destruction of anyone even remotely involved, no matter the cost. I will absolutely sleep tonight either way, I wont miss a snore
the emperial muslems are for killing everyone who doesnt agree with them, they believe they will take over the world, at any cost. I hope their cost is high, yeah i surely do. No high ground here, none at all. Morals are for the religious right, those fanatics. Let the republicans have morals, I want none of it.
jsull

daveawayfromhome said...

You obviously have no idea what you are talking about. Morality is what civilization is built on. Morality and rule of law. Dont think that religion is required for morality, because it is not. Morality is what seperates us from the animals, and you have just proven yourself to be a barbarian.

"I remember 9-11-01
i'm for the total destruction of anyone even remotely involved, no matter the cost."


The cost is your soul. You've sold it to the fear-mongers on both sides. You've also sold out our Fore-Fathers. I hope your 40 pieces give you comfort in the long night to come.

Anonymous said...

Dave,
I don't think you and I are that far apart. I carry the water for no one, ever. I think after reading my posts on all the sites we both post on you will agree with that statement. We need a total change. All independant. Both parties are married to specific groups. In the future even the Dems will be married to the majority. I like your blog because you think, some just are against me because I don't drink the cool-aid.

Dude IDGAF about anybody who would cut my throat. They have established the norm, they let noone live. I have no feal of my soul being wasted. I swear to Darwin I'll always come down on americas side. Always. The problem with the Dems as a whole is that they champuion freaks, far far lefters, the reps dont do that. The reps don't champion (damn I cant get his name in my head) the preacher or any way righties but the left always puts up the far left freaks. If the dems would get away from Carter, Moore, Jackson, all the racial haters and the way lefties they could conect with the folks. IDGAF who or what party wins, it really won't affect me, the only politicion I know on a personal level is a blue dog dem and a good guy.
Anyway
if the Dems wanna win they should call me and I'll splain it to them!!!!!
ole j

daveawayfromhome said...

"I carry the water for no one, ever."

No, we dont think alike at all. As little as I personally like a crowd, I'm very aware that I belong to a society, as do all successful humans. We are a herd animal. We carry water for others, others carry water for us. We carry the weakest along for the ride because we know that someday, someone from their line may turn out to be very strong indeed. We are the animal that looks ahead.

If you think for even one moment that you "go it alone", you are sadly deluded. No one goes it alone, unless perhaps they live far away from people, self-sufficiently. Nearly every item in your house was made by someone else. This is possible because we live in a society.

If the Dems got away from Carter, Moore, et al, then they'd be Republicans. Democrats, on the whole, care about People, whereas Republicans care more about Rules. I dont despise Conservative fiscal policies, I despise Republican social policies, because they are either dictatorial, or exclusive, or both. Republicans are social accountants, and can see nothing beyond their ledger books. God knows Democrats are flawed, and the party would probably be better off to wipe the slate clean and start from scratch, but at least when Liberals make a mistake, they make it because they care about people. Republicans have shown repeatedly that their number one priority is Money. I'm not sure that People, all People, even make the top five for them.