Talk about the Constitutional question of the day!
It has been a legal question, a quagmire, from the moment that his name was added to the CIA list….. the first time an American was a target for death by his own country. OK, albeit a country that he HATED, that he was intenet to commit jihad, that he successfully rallied support from within the US to commit acts of terrorism within the borders of the US.
Yet, Anwar Al-Awlaki was an American citizen. Born in New Mexico to Yemini parents, he was educated here as well. The 5th Amendment guarantees us due process under the law. Placing national security above all else, the acts that Al-Awlaki is suspected to be a part of were treasonous, but he did not receive a trial in our courts; he was not found guilty by a jury of his peers; he wasn’t even tried in abstentia!
So I ask, as we strive to retain every shred of the preciousness of the liberties afforded us by the US Constitution, do the ends justify the means in the Al-Awlaki matter by not providing him his constitutional due process rights?
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September 30, 2011 at 12:52 pm
gumply
Sure he should have been tried on the spot and hung from the closest yard iron. That would have been when we had him in the airport many years ago but let him go on the word of an FBI agent. As usual we are our own worse enemy.
Since the liar in cheat is falling in the poles enough to make even him nervous the only thing he can do is kill terrorists so he will get a bump for a second or two.
The only good thing is we wont put any more bad guys in gitmo for the two perverts holder and obummer to cry over not giving due process of the law to the fanatics.
So much for the communists.
September 30, 2011 at 12:53 pm
gumply
I forgot to add treason is treason and punishable by death.
September 30, 2011 at 4:22 pm
Stothes
Anytime our government subverts the Constitution it sets a very dangerous precedent.
September 30, 2011 at 4:58 pm
JAMES
The government in general, and this WH in particular, try to push the envelope. In this case, they decided Al=Awlaki was dangerous enough to deny him his due process constitutional rights, yet, they are insisting–even demanding– that we bring “non” citizens to our courts, consider them innocent until proven guilty, and afford them EVERY right that a US Citizen would get in our courts. It is a quandry.
October 2, 2011 at 2:35 pm
gumply
James that is what happens when you have a sociopath pscyo in charge of the country.
October 2, 2011 at 2:34 pm
gumply
Nice try. The government didn’t subvert the constitution as the terrorist forfeited his citizenship when he decided to be an enemy combatant.
October 2, 2011 at 4:06 am
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