Boaters', we're a nation strong. We need you. You need you.
Below is a link to the library of congress website where you can view the entire Military Commissions Act (passed Oct. 18th, 2006)
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/.../~c109AO53cM::
If you peruse it, youll notice that (in section 7, habeas corpus matters) NO PERSON may petition a US court for a writ of habeas corpus on behalf of any alien or enemy combatant detained by the US.
Of course, at first, that might sound reasonable. Until you remember that habeas corpus (which roughly translated from latin means show me the body) is one of the oldest laws in existence, since the 1400s (long before America), and simply requires that a detainee be brought in front of a judge to assure that hes alive, and that he (and others) be told WHY he is being held
Thats all. Thats it. Thats all it requires. And we are so scared of these so-called terrorists (which are really nothing more than a loosely organized street gang) that we cant even do that. Then
you realize that enemy combatant is defined in this bill as:
a person who, before, on, or after the date of the enactment of the Military Commissions Act of 2006, has been determined to be an unlawful enemy combatant by a Combatant Status Review Tribunal or another competent tribunal established under the authority of the President or the Secretary of Defense.
You will notice that NOWHERE in this bill are regular American citizens excepted from this new law
And thats because
It applies to you too.
A secret Combatant Status Review Tribunal OR (even worse) another competent tribunal established under the authority of the President or the Secretary of Defense (secret because we arent even allowed to know why youve been detained, much less what theyre going to do to you next, and no lawyers, no media, no anyone is allowed into these proceedings, even for AMERICAN CITIZENS) gets to decide whether or not you are an enemy combatant
Whether or not YOU deserve to know why YOU are being held.
Once you are deemed an enemy combatant the real fun begins. Your so-called representatives (more than half of whom are felons, by the way) told us that this bill eliminates torture. Can you tell Im laughing right now? Or is it crying? Because the bill defines torture as:
`(A) TORTURE- The act of a person who commits, or conspires or attempts to commit, an act specifically intended to inflict severe physical or mental pain or suffering (other than pain or suffering incidental to lawful sanctions)
Its now legal to abuse you up until the point of severe physical or mental pain at which point they stop, right? Remember, they havent even told you WHY youre there yet. And of course, no one is allowed in the room to witness whether or not that rule is being followed. And notice that it has to be specifically intended to inflict that severe pain
What if its specifically intended to get information? Can you then go above and beyond severe? And lets not forget that the reason it had to be defined in the bill is because anything you say while they abuse you up to the point of substantial risk of death (see below) CAN BE USED AGAINST YOU IN A TRIBUNAL OR AN AMERICAN COURT.
Heres how severe physical pain is defined in this bill.
`(D) the term `serious physical pain or suffering' shall be applied for purposes of paragraph (1)(B) as meaning bodily injury that involves--
`(i) a substantial risk of death;
`(ii) extreme physical pain;
`(iii) a burn or physical disfigurement of a serious nature (other than cuts, abrasions, or bruises); or
`(iv) significant loss or impairment of the function of a bodily member, organ, or mental faculty;
So, theyll stop short of disfiguring your bodily member
Phew
But who defines extreme physical pain? Remember, this applies to you now, too.
But, wait. The comedy just keeps coming!
INTERPRETATION BY THE PRESIDENT-
The President has the authority for the United States to interpret the meaning and application of the Geneva Conventions
So much for setting a good example. So much for hoping all the other countries who signed that same treaty would treat OUR soldiers according to its rules. So much for America as we were taught about it in history class. The free country.
So
What the hell? Why not just keep sipping our wine by the fire? If weve got nothing to hide, whats the problem, right?
Wrong. To all of you who pretend this bill will protect you from terrorists, I pity you. It protects your government FROM YOU. Thomas Jefferson would slap you. And come to think of it, Im probably going to end up slapping you as well. George Washington might shoot you. You stopped being involved. You stopped being informed. Now youre being enslaved. But, hey, at least you get to watch whatever TV shows you want in the meantime, right?
Linear Mode
