In a 6-3 decision, the United States Supreme Court has said it will not rule on the constitutionality of the anti-terrorism law that allows Bush to incarcerate prisoners indefinitely and without a trial at Guantanamo.
The court says these 385 prisoners, most of whom have been imprisoned and tortured for over five years, do NOT have the right to appeal their imprisonment in the U.S. court system. What was the legal reasoning behind this denial of basic human rights? It was pretty flimsy in my opinion.
The Court said they did not have juristiction because Guantanamo was not U.S. soil. That's an odd statement, because all other embassy and military bases everywhere in the world are considered U.S. soil as long as they are occupied and controlled by the United States. What makes Guantanamo so different?
There is only one thing that makes Guantanamo different. It's because Bush and Cheney have decided they don't want these 385 human beings to have any rights. In the over 5 years of illegal imprisonment and torture, there has been only one trial. Last week, Australian David Hicks pled guilty after realizing that was the only way he would ever get to leave. He received a 9 month sentence to be served in Australia.
This is the very definition of denial of human rights. If we have evidence of the guilt of these 385, we should give them a fair trial. If we don't, we should release them.
As for Guantanamo not being U.S. soil - whose soil is it? Is it Cuba's? If so, that would make the 385 prisoners subject to the court system of Cuba (and the U.S. military should evacuate Cuba's soil. I can assure you that would make Cuba very happy.) But it is not Cuban soil, and Bush will not allow Cuban courts to intervene.
That is because as long as we have a base there, it is really considered U.S. soil. Bush knows it, and so does the Supreme Court. They just needed some excuse, however flimsy, to deny basic human rights to the 385.
The rest of the world is watching, and it is becoming obvious to them that the United States has turned its back on the Constitution and basic human rights. Why should anyone trust us after this?
I'm not trying to defend the actions of the prisoners. Some of them are pretty bad people. But EVERYONE deserves a fair trial! That is a basic tenet of a free country. If your government can deny a fair trial to ANYONE, then you don't live in a free country.
Our forefathers knew this - that's why they gave us a Constitution and a Bill of Rights. But Bush doesn't care as long as he gets his own way. However, the Supreme Court should know better.
This is a shameful day for America - the day the Supreme Court stopped believing in basic human rights.
The court says these 385 prisoners, most of whom have been imprisoned and tortured for over five years, do NOT have the right to appeal their imprisonment in the U.S. court system. What was the legal reasoning behind this denial of basic human rights? It was pretty flimsy in my opinion.
The Court said they did not have juristiction because Guantanamo was not U.S. soil. That's an odd statement, because all other embassy and military bases everywhere in the world are considered U.S. soil as long as they are occupied and controlled by the United States. What makes Guantanamo so different?
There is only one thing that makes Guantanamo different. It's because Bush and Cheney have decided they don't want these 385 human beings to have any rights. In the over 5 years of illegal imprisonment and torture, there has been only one trial. Last week, Australian David Hicks pled guilty after realizing that was the only way he would ever get to leave. He received a 9 month sentence to be served in Australia.
This is the very definition of denial of human rights. If we have evidence of the guilt of these 385, we should give them a fair trial. If we don't, we should release them.
As for Guantanamo not being U.S. soil - whose soil is it? Is it Cuba's? If so, that would make the 385 prisoners subject to the court system of Cuba (and the U.S. military should evacuate Cuba's soil. I can assure you that would make Cuba very happy.) But it is not Cuban soil, and Bush will not allow Cuban courts to intervene.
That is because as long as we have a base there, it is really considered U.S. soil. Bush knows it, and so does the Supreme Court. They just needed some excuse, however flimsy, to deny basic human rights to the 385.
The rest of the world is watching, and it is becoming obvious to them that the United States has turned its back on the Constitution and basic human rights. Why should anyone trust us after this?
I'm not trying to defend the actions of the prisoners. Some of them are pretty bad people. But EVERYONE deserves a fair trial! That is a basic tenet of a free country. If your government can deny a fair trial to ANYONE, then you don't live in a free country.
Our forefathers knew this - that's why they gave us a Constitution and a Bill of Rights. But Bush doesn't care as long as he gets his own way. However, the Supreme Court should know better.
This is a shameful day for America - the day the Supreme Court stopped believing in basic human rights.
The picture above is courtesy of Mask of Anarchy.
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