I was unfortunately too slow in responding to the ACLU’s call against the Military Commissions Act, but the passage of the misguided bill seemed important enough to comment on ex post facto.
Senator Barack Obama,
Senator Richard Durbin,Thank you for vote against S. 3930, the Military Commissions Act of 2006. I am deeply troubled that this law has passed both houses of Congress, but I am grateful that, as my representative, you voted against its passage.
I believe that this legislation is deeply un-American. I am particularly disturbed that this law weakens our support for universal human rights. This bill represents a deeply nationalistic worldview in which only U.S. citizens deserve human rights, a view anathema to our country’s foundational belief that “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights”. By passing this bill, we have taken another step backward from our international leadership on human rights issues and have ceded the high ground in challenging the human rights abuses of other nations.
Some would argue that you and I are un-American for wanting to extend privileges to those who want to destroy our country. After all, we are only talking about limiting due process for “unlawful enemy combatants.” To this I would make a two-fold reply. First, the administration has wide leeway in who it calls an “unlawful enemy combatant.” According to Amnesty International, many detainees have not been directly implicated in any terrorist or other criminal action. Second, we would not treat the worst serial rapist, child molester, or axe murderer this way if s/he was a U.S. citizen. We would not hold someone under suspicion in secret for arbitrary periods of time, deny them access to independent counsel, deny them access to any evidence against them, deny them appeals to higher courts.
In fact it is this impartial standard, this rule of law, this insistence on individual rights that makes this country one worth defending. I certainly want to see the U.S. vigorously defended against terrorism. However, we cannot allow our national identity to be violated in that effort.
Thank you once again for voting against this bill. I urge you to take action to see it repealed and to bring the U.S. in line with international law.
Representative Mark Kirk,
I am extremely disappointed to find that you voted for H.R. 6166, the Military Commissions Act of 2006 and am deeply troubled that this law has passed both houses of Congress.
I believe that this legislation is deeply un-American. I am particularly disturbed that this law weakens our support for universal human rights. This bill represents a deeply nationalistic worldview in which only U.S. citizens deserve human rights, a view anathema to our country’s foundational belief that “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights”. By passing this bill, we have taken another step backward from our international leadership on human rights issues and have ceded the high ground in challenging the human rights abuses of other nations.
Some would argue that I am un-American for wanting to extend privileges to those who want to destroy our country. After all, we are only talking about limiting due process for “unlawful enemy combatants.” To this I would make a two-fold reply. First, the administration has wide leeway in who it calls an “unlawful enemy combatant.” According to Amnesty International, many detainees have not been directly implicated in any terrorist or other criminal action. Second, we would not treat the worst serial rapist, child molester, or axe murderer this way if s/he was a U.S. citizen. We would not hold someone under suspicion in secret for arbitrary periods of time, deny them access to independent counsel, deny them access to any evidence against them, deny them appeals to higher courts.
In fact it is this impartial standard, this rule of law, this insistence on individual rights that makes this country one worth defending. I certainly want to see the U.S. vigorously defended against terrorism. However, we cannot allow our national identity to be violated in that effort.
You will not receive my vote on November 7th.