Several brilliantly written articles ago I had a friend who shared a link to my site on her Facebook page. Because I was tagged I was able to view the conversations back and forth between her and one of her friends. In the conversation my friend’s friend referred to me, your humble narrator, as a woman not once, but twice. Me? As a woman? When my friend corrected her as to my gender she said something to the effect of, “Well, his writing and his site are very feminine.” Gasp. GASP!!! Feminine? Moi? I was so offended I was tempted to climb on my Vespa, drive to her residence and smack her with my whimsical floral print tote. But I decided to take the high road and forgive her (despite my best “sherlocking” I was unable to find out where she lived).
So, in an attempt to MAN this article up a little bit, I will try farting several times while typing it. Please don’t be offended.
Several days ago I was driving to work and did something I haven’t done in months. I listened to Glenn Beck. It was obvious, as I listened, that Glenn was upset because 19-year-old suspected Boston Bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev hadn’t been read his Miranda warning yet.
Since the time of my listening, the Obama administration has made the decision NOT to try this guy as a military combatant. Tsarnaey has been read his rights and has stopped talking. The administration sent Press Secretary and apologist Jay Carney out with this statement:
“He will not be treated as an enemy combatant. We will prosecute this terrorist through our civilian system of justice… So this is absolutely the right way to go and the appropriate way to go. And when it comes to United States citizens, it is against the law to try them in military commissions.”
So it appears both Glenn Beck and the Obama administration are in agreement.
I’m not sure I agree.
I can see Beck’s point of view. I agree with putting restraints on the Government. That is the point of the Bill of Rights. And I’m not calling Carney a liar (this time), but he is completely wrong.
Let me explain. Six months after the bombing of Pearl Harbor (1942) the Supreme Court upheld the use of military tribunals for eight German spies captured on US soil, two of whom were United States citizens. In this case Ex parte Quirin the court found that where suspected enemies have entered (or after entry) engaged in acts of belligerency against the United States, military tribunals were appropriate. The Supreme Court unanimously decided Quirin in less than twenty-four hours. Three days after the Court’s decision a military tribunal found the saboteurs guilty. Five days after that, six of the eight were executed including Herbert Hans Haupt, a US citizen. Only the two who ratted out the plot to the FBI were given prison sentences.
Because I’m the stupidest person I know, I hate to be the one who has to point out the blatantly obvious (especially when just the obvious will do). We are at war. We have been at war since thousands of Americans were attacked and killed, without warning, on September 11, 2001. In case some of you were unaware of this fact President George Bush told us (in one of his best speeches ever) we were at war in a joint session of Congress shortly after 9/11. “On September the 11th, enemies of freedom committed an act of war against our country.”
In other words, you cute little buggers, the President does have the authority to have those suspected of belligerence against the United States tried in military tribunals, even if they are citizens of the United States. Because we live in a land of checks and balances, if Congress has an issue with this, the Constitution gives it two choices. It can cut off funding, or impeach the President. It is not against the law as Carney and Beck suggest.
Quick side note: Is it just me or has everyone noticed there has been a huge absence of polls regarding the use of military tribunals? What’s up with that? As Americans, we are inundated with polls on every imaginable topic, but on this, silence. As a rule of thumb whenever polls are NOT being taken on a particular subject your walls of defense should go up. Somewhere there is a big, fat, commie rat.
Do I think this 19 year old is the mastermind behind the Boston Bombings? NO. Do I think we could have gotten more information from the guy had the Justice Department not stopped the investigation? Yes. Will we be able to get intelligence of other radicalized Muslims from this guy, now? I doubt it. Do I think he should be put to death for his role in the bombings? Absolutely. In the current judicial system it could take YEARS before this guy is brought to justice. I guarantee in the coming months we are going to have to hear about this young man’s feelings being hurt because a teacher or fellow student couldn’t pronounce his name, or some bull crap like that. Reporter Bob Woodward has already said the Boston bombings were “not that big of an event,” as if we need to have 5000 die to set the new watermark. We are already having to endure crap like this headline: “Budget Cuts Could Delay ‘Boston Bomber’ Trial” Makes me crazy!!! It is stupid, stupid, stupid.
I’m not sure if the President is afraid of trying this guy with the military, or is this just one more example of the pussification of America. Our enemies already view us as a paper tiger. Putting this scared little, baby faced, 19-year-old (guilty as sin) boy to death swiftly will show the world we take care of our own, and more than likely deter future acts of terrorism. Let’s pull up our big boy pants and make some hard decisions.
LIFEZILLA: A doughnut a day keeps the ads away.
Danny. It’s definitely something to think about. There have also been however times that the president has been able to “suspend the law” but its legality was never challenged, or it was challenged years later and over turned.
I am not saying I think you are right or wrong… candidly I am still thinking about it. But the executive branch of this government has eradicated American Indians, moved them to unwanted U.S. territories, and interred Japanese Americans all on either illegal and unjustified grounds.
I for one don’t like it when we are asked to sacrifice our rights or our rule of law in the name of perceived safety or “catching the bad guys”. I guess my point is, it’s another of those slippery slopes that has numerous potentially negative implications either way you choose.
I used to think I was tired of always choosing the “lesser of two evils” as we often do in politics. But I have been slowly coming to the conclusion that in most instances that choice was an illusion. In this case the choice is real and so therefore it must be thought through with deliberate wisdom.
…but since there doesn’t appear to be much of that left in D.C. we’ll have to figure it out after we’ve jumped. This is the new normal. I call it the “do somethings”. Most people would have us do something rather than nothing, even if that something is horribly wrong. I see the same behavior oddly enough all the time in IT. It’s better to try anything (no matter how stupid) immediately than to stop and think, determine the correct course of action, and quickly develop a plan of implementation.
My personal opinion on this topic is that we should have taken more time to think it through. Rash action will always come back to bite us in the butt. Meanwhile the Dzokar can be detained under several scenarios without being read his rights or officially arrested. I mean, it’s not like the dude is going anywhere anyway.
I smell an even greater media circus a-comin’ down the pike. Just wait til the trial starts for this kid. Killing him right away would be very satisifying to most patriotic Americans- especially those citizens who endured the nightmare in Boston. However, we’re a capitalistic society. The national media wants to (and will) drag this one out as long as possible a la OJ or Casey Anthony. Network big wigs & corporate sponsors can’t wait I’m sure. It’s better ratings than “must see TV.” That’s how we roll in this country. Yes, any way you label this guy, I believe justice will eventually be served …We just have to wait 1st til all the pundits ‘talk it to death’ & all the profits from ratings are copiously made. Then they’ll finally hand down the obvious verdict: GUILTY mf!!!!! Life in Prison, Guantonamo, Firing squad, Be-heading, lethal injection. Take your pick. One things for sure: He won’t be making & detonating bombs anymore. And That, above all, is most important!
Nice to have you back, Danny. I’ve missed your blog posts.