Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, government edition: Trying to remember America's love affair with freedom
So long Habeas Corpus.
The travesty that any citizen of this country can be declared an enemy combatant at the whim of the President and imprisoned indefinitely without charges is second only to the Democrat's inexplicable silence on the issue. The whole thing is an embarassment for the United States.
At least "They" can't hate us for our freedom if we aren't free.
posted by Chris Dykstra @ 11:22 PM |
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5 Comments:
You should actually read the Military Commissions Act (10 USC 948) before commenting - authority, jurisdiction, and procedure.
frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=109_cong_bills&docid=f:s3930enr.txt.pdf
Time For Citizen Signing Statements?
Over the past five years, the Bush administration has frequently employed presidential "signing statements" to set forth its interpretation of laws passed by Congress. These statements have been used with particular vigor to articulate the President's position regarding the interpretation of laws that he believes to be unconstitutional. Recently, signing statements were used to dispute provisions of the PATRIOT Act renewal legislation. In those provisions, Congress instructed the executive branch to report on the employment of certain search and seizure powers, so that Congress would retain oversight of their use. Using a signing statement, the President declared his intention to opt out of these reporting requirements - claiming that the mandates violated the separation of powers doctrine, and infringed upon his "inherent" authority.
President Bush has employed this rhetorical device hundreds of times, with the aim of setting out his particular vision of the Constitution, and emboldening court challenges to laws he disagrees with. At this point, one might ask, "If the president can play at this game, then what about Joe six-pack?" When faced with a law that he finds to be unconstitutional, what rhetorical options does the average citizen have? Put another way - has the time come for the citizen signing statement?
Maybe so. Try the one below:
"Today, the President has signed into law S 3930, the Military Commissions Act of 2006, which selectively suspends the Writ of Habeas Corpus, without the Constitutional threshold of rebellion or invasion having first been met.
This citizen will construe subchapter 7 - section 7, suspending Habeas Corpus, in a manner consistent with the original understanding of the Constitution, effectively nullifying that provision."
Feel free to sign, and send to Washington.
engineer-- I read it. What's your point? I read it.
Matt - brilliant idea!
more about the president's new power to lock some away for life without recourse.
it's fucking outrageous. i am fucking outraged. and so, i must use cuss words.
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