The Anger of Compassion

Free Societies Do Not Just "Happen..."

...but they can be pissed away.

Good points made by Tim Lynch:

The Sept. 9 court ruling concerning Jose Padilla, an American citizen locked up in a military prison in South Carolina for three years, is a case in point. The ruling should send shockwaves through the American public since the decision seriously undermines constitutional rights.

A federal appellate court ruled that constitutional rules that apply to the police do not apply to military personnel. That is a sensible proposition when the military is conducting operations in a war zone like Iraq, or in a disaster zone like New Orleans, but it is an alarming idea when the U.S. military is given carte blanche.

Nobody in government should ever be given carte blanche. Ever. Even if such an idea didn't violate our Constitutional principles -- which it clearly does -- just consider to whom such trust would be given, and whether or not you care for that idea.

Richard Nixon? Please. Well, he did try, didn't he: "If the President does it, it's not illegal." Oh yeah, I'd love to trust him.

Jimmy Carter? Outstanding: the President who spent his time in the Oval Office schedulinguse of the White House tennis courts, who thought we could invade Iran with...wait, how many helicopters was that? Dream on.

George Bush the First, he of "Read my lips" infamy? Get real.

Bill Clinton? It is to laugh. Remember how his minions treated his female accusers? Remember, too, that he didn't want to trust you to find your own doctor, or to own a weapon which looked as if it could fire full auto. Score this guy a miss.

And George Bush? Right. This guy won't even trust you to buy your own prescription drugs from Canada or Mexico, so why should you trust him?

Let's not forget the also-rans, either: McGovern. Mondale. Dole. Gore. Kerry.

/Shudder.

If you want to trust any of these goons, go right ahead. But don't involve me.

Bush often speaks about his desire to bring freedom to the people of Iraq, but some of his policies are undermining freedom here at home. Make no mistake. The Padilla precedent constitutes a break in our constitutional levee, which protects liberty by restraining government power. We should not wait until our constitutional levees collapse to appreciate the danger that the "laws of war" pose to freedom in America. Free societies do not just "happen." They must be deliberately created and deliberately maintained.

(Hat tip: Diana Hsieh

Posted by Craig Ceely at October 4, 2005 01:27 PM