Politics

Are We Truly Paying Enough Attention…

…to the havoc that could potentially be wreaked by the Military Commissions Act of 2006?
This video clip from MSNBC from a couple of weeks ago has me not only concerned and scared, but also feeling a bit sad. How many potentially dynamic and vibrant voices will silence themselves now, because of the threat of being labeled an “enemy combatant”? How many potentially revolutionary forces for change have we already lost becuase someone was afraid to voice their viewpoint in public?
The law apparently already:

“…allows CIA agents to torture prisoners, ends access to federal courts for individuals the president designates as “enemy combatants” and sets up tribunals that deny due process to defendants accused of terrorism. The new law also “legalizes” the CIA’s secret prisons, allows indefinite imprisonment without charge and considers individuals in its control guilty until proven innocent.”

Classified evidence? An eradication of habeas corpus? Now the government is seeking to allow only four face-to-face meetings between a prisoner and her or his defense? What is this?
Asking the question as a media critique: is this truly being given the attention it deserves?

4 thoughts on “Are We Truly Paying Enough Attention…

  1. “How many potentially dynamic and vibrant voices will silence themselves now, because of the threat of being labeled an “enemy combatant”? How many potentially revolutionary forces for change have we already lost becuase someone was afraid to voice their viewpoint in public?”
    I strongly disagree with this Act, and thing it goes against due process as out forth in the Constitution, but do you really think this is targeting the average citizen? Or even the citizen that breaks the law as a form of protest? Isn’t it just possible that this Act is targeting some really REALLY bad people?

  2. Isn’t it just possible that this Act is targeting some really REALLY bad people?
    By intent, perhaps, Jason. But one of the lessons of government is that if you give the government the power to do things without due process, it will turn it against its political enemies, and not only the “really REALLY bad people.” That’s the premise habeas corpus was established on, oh, almost 800 years ago. And also the entire premise Madison and co. based the US Constitution on.
    So, no, this is not being given the attention it deserves. But at least it’s getting more attention than the recent revision of the Insurrection Act to allow the President to declare martial law.

  3. write your congressman about this. and write their opponents, just in case.
    b’ezrat hashem, we can convince them to write a new bill that will put a fence around our due process system

  4. Am I the only one to have noticed that this law applies to ALIENS? Can anyone tell me what protections aliens have under the Constitution?

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