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Originally Posted by Seaver
Really?
A man who joined the side we're at war with isn't a traitor?
An American who knowingly and willingly decided to aid said enemy and carry out a plan to kill as many innocent Americans as possible isn't a traitor?
Say what you want, he's a traitor.
And your argument about freedom of the press being bought? Welcome to freedom. People are allowed to sell add space. People are allowed to put in PR publications (upwards to 80% of a newspaper is PR publications). Now that the government you hate does it the 1st amendment doesnt exist? please.
Now I go back to my origional statement. Those same things that people attack us for are what make us great.
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If you support an extra-constitutional power for our president, aka chief law enforcement officer of the country, to preside as prosecutor, while sitting as the arraigning magistrate over a citizen of the U.S. who is arrested on U.S. soil, a president who determines whether the arrested citizen is allowed to retain his constitutionally guaranteed rights to appear before a judge who determines the merit of the government's case against him, and the right to representation by an attorney, a right to hear the charges and to review the evidence that the state intends to use against him, and the right to a timely trial by jury in open court.....<b>....or NOT....</b>, even one time....then you are advocating a threat to the future of each of our relationships with our government, greater than any terrorist threat could possibly portend.
By his attempt to abridge the rights of each citizen, by attacking one citizen, Padilla, in such a subversive and obnoxious way, Bush has violated his oath of ofiice, "to protect and preserve the constitution of the United States".
No terrorist, including Padilla or any foreigner, has attacked all of us on such an elementary level. Bush has turned our perogative to grant, or not to grant him and his government new powers at the expense of our "natural" rights, on it's ass.
There is not greater concept of freedom than this...<b>the right of every citizen</b> to face our accuser, and the right to appear before a judge to hear the charges, to then tell the judge our side of the matter, and if need be, granted a timely trial by the judge who makes the impartial decision as to the validity of the government's charges against us.
By doing what he did to Padilla for three years, Bush seized power illegally, and took away the best reason for any of us to fight to preserve his version of justice in the United States, and he's given all of us a reason to fight to the death to restore "one nation, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all."
We pledge allegiance to the flag, and to the republic for which it stands....
It sez what it <b>STANDS</b> for..what we've fought and died for...<b>"with Liberty and Justice for all".</b>. it doesn't say, "except for Jose Padilla", and it doesn't mention that Bush or Ashcroft get to intervene.
This is the largest blight on the reputation of the United States as a nation of "law", and the greatest attack against individual rights. It will only go unpunished if enough of you let it.
The Rosenbergs in the '50's were accused of giving the Soviets the secrets of how to make nuclear weapons, and even in the time of Sen. Joe McCarthy, president Truman had enough respect for the American people and for the people under his command who had died for our freedoms in WWII, to not commit the crime of taking away the Rosenberg's legal rights.
They were arrested in summer 1950 and tried in the spring of 1951.
http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/proj...b/ROS_ACCT.HTM
The only thing different today are the attitudes and the commitment to the oat of office of the elected officials in power now. They have held Padilla without his rights for three years, and now they are not charging him with the heinous crimes that justified depriving him of his legal rights.
They are called "legal" rights, because it is illegal to attempt to take them away. The president broke the law, and he threatened my freedom, and yours.