From Yahoo News: U.S. Judge: Guantanamo Suspects Have Rights
I've been waiting for this for quite some time because I've been more then a little bit disgusted at how we are treating the prisoners there. I've always thought that it was wierd that we gave the Nazis a fair trial, but the Taliban/al-Qaeda prisoners are simply going to be locked up forever. Sorry, but that just isn't right. It reminds me of a Soviet gulag. Justice is not gained behind closed doors. Even the worst of the worst deserve a fair trial or we are no worse than the scum who attacked us on 9/11.
Luckily, the future generation is looking out for our civil liberties.
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I guess you mean that last bit with a large dose of sarcasm. I was saddened and disappointed by that story. To my mind, it doesn't bode well for our future.
I completely agree with the rest of your post, btw.
Yep - it was sarcastic. And scary at the same time. I plan on teaching my children that they can respect authority (parents, teachers, etc) and still be able to think for themselves.
Ray, I quite agree. It's a hot topic here in Australia right now, as an arabic Australian citizen returns to Australia after being incarcerated in Guantanamo Bay for 3 years. He was arrested by US forces in Pakistan, and accused of working with al-Quaeda. He was sent by the US to Egypt to be interrogated in their charming manner, then flown to Cuba as the guest of the US Government.
After 3 years he's been released without charge, on the condition that the Australian government restrict his movements (something they'll have trouble doing under our constitution).
Now he's released, there is a hubbub brewing because of his alleged mistreatment by the US military, and because of the lack of spine on the part of the Australian government, who ought to have been insisting that Habib was either charged and brought to trial or released.
I think it's outrageous how the US thinks it can lecture the world about freedom and democracy, yet have all these prisoners held without trial, without even being charged, and without the protection of the Geneva Convention as prisoners of war.
In this matter, the US Military is behaving like the thugs they tell us they are pledged to eradicate.
I live in Washington, DC the only capital of a democracy in the world to not give its citizens representation in its national legislature.
For us that means no Senators, no Representatives and there are more DC residents than residents of Wyoming.
Due to that I don't think my country has any right to lecture others on democracy considering we don't even provide it to all our citizens.
Sam,
I agreee.
You forgot to mention that DC is the only city in the US that needs its budget approved by Congress.
Yep. It is hard to maintain "moral superiority" when we behave in such a manner.