The waves of unity and division experienced in this one thread is making me feel queesy. I get motion sickness easily.
- Everyone comes together in shock (or just jaded disgust) over the attack.
- Quickly, people become divided by the speculation and conspiracy theories.
- Everyone agrees that the news coverage sucks.
- People are at odds about some of the tactics the police use.
- The group pulls together in the final moments of the chase and cheer when the final suspect is apprehended.
- Now we have no less than 5 or 6 debates all resulting from the way the suspect is being handled.
Anyways, to address a small number of the concerns raised so far: The original authors of the constitution realized the folly of being held to immutable laws. That is why they included the amendment process in addition to the ability to draft new laws. So not even the constitution is immune from change. Under no circumstance should the constitution be ignored. If it proves itself to be an artifact that impedes progress, we have only ourselves to blame for not keeping it relevant and healthily up to date.
As for due process with the bombing suspect. I completely understand the need to extract information from the suspect to try and determine if there are other devices, other plots, other groups, other threats. However, this need for information should always be seen as a
temporarymeasure to ensure the safety of the public, before relinquishing this control and entering the judicial process. That is the key difference between suspension of Miranda rights and enemy combatant status, time.
The enemy combatant status is troubling regardless of circumstance. It creates a limbo in which people are simply lost to the eyes of justice. There can be nothing resembling justice for those hurt by the individuals held in this way. Justice requires a finality, a closure to a situation. It requires that a person is proven to be the perpetrator of evil their victims suspect them to be, and then condemned for such acts.
Enemy combatant status requires nothing except a judgement call that an individual needs to be detained. That's it. No evidence required. There are individuals that have lost years of their lives to this system, eventually proven to be absolutely innocent, and then set free. That right there should be enough to abolish the whole concept and prove, that whatever benefits gained from indefinite detention, are crushed by the massive human rights violation of wrongful incarceration without trial.
We do not choose when or where we might be attacked next. The only thing we can truly dictate is how we react. Our reactions to dire circumstance reflects who we are at a fundamental level. The reactions of everyone who ran into danger to help save lives and mitigate tragedy; shows a society filled with people who still care about each other. The actions of the Boston PD and the cooperation by the citizens of Boston and the outlying communities in apprehending the suspects; shows dedication to justice and the desire to send a strong message to anyone else who might think that such actions can shake us. And the millions of other stories of people helping each other through yet another bad situation that don't share the spotlight because those involved would probably shun the attention anyways; shows that even if something isn't covered by the media, it can still be remarkable.
I would hate to see all of those positive reactions overshadowed by a short sighted and mindless denial of justice. By our actions, and reactions, will the world will know what kind of country we still are. Hopefully the next few months continue to show them something we can all be proud of.
