January 20, 2009 will mark the end of one administration and the beginning of another and with that momentous event, a transition of powers that have never been assumed or held by any president in United States history, will be passed to President-elect Barack Hussein Obama. These powers will include Patriot Act 2, with its warrentless wiretapping and surveillance laws, the suspension of habeas corpus in the War on Terror, the policy of backroom wheelings and dealings, croynism and a complete disregard of the Constitution and checks and balances, aided by Congress's ineffectiveness over the last eight years. This arsenal of criminal policy and unconstitutional laws will be at the behest of a brand new administration.
In speeches across America, President-elect Obama promised to uphold the Constitution and bring back the moral authority of the United States on the worldwide stage, but that can only be done by renouncing the policies of the previous administration and adhering to the rule of transparency. President-elect Obama's first order of business should be to close Guantanamo Bay and strike down Patriot Act 2. By closing Gitmo he would be showing not only America but the world at large that his administration stands by the United States' commitments and promises. Promises that are law.
A transparent government is necessary for order, justice and democracy in a society. President Bush's administration may have fulfilled the letter of the law by disclosing certain information, however they failed to fulfill the intent. By instituting the Patriot Act, and subsequently Patriot Act 2, his administration showed a complete disregard for the Constitution and the needs of the American people. President Bush further destroyed the confidence of the American people in the administration by pardoning individuals in his administration guilty of illegal firings, name-dropping, illegal search and seizure, torture in violation of the Geneva Code of Convention and conflict of interest. President-elect Obama must not make those same mistakes.
In order to insure peace and prosperity President-elect Obama must reaffirm the separation of powers and to avoid cronyism hold cabinet members, administration staff, and members of Congress to constitutional standards. After closing Guantanamo Bay and striking down Patriot Act 2, he must make it a firm policy to never overstep the bounds of presidential authority, which can only be accomplished by allowing the sun to shine on all his policy making decisions, which he has said would be his number one priority.
The American people are aware that certain information must be protected in order to ensure the safety of this great nation, but we the people should know what the standard is for how those decisions are made and those decisions should never violate our freedoms. We have a constitutionally mandated right to know how our government conducts its business and furthermore we have a right to say when the government has failed to conduct that business properly. That cannot be accomplished without complete transparency.
President-elect Obama must stop all secret rendition, and spying on the American people. He must be willing to uphold the rule of law by allowing the press to shine a spotlight on his policies and administration. He must suspend all acts of torture and allow the prosecution of the people responsible for these human rights violations. Obama must put a stop to this war without boundaries. He must not pardon individuals whose testimony may lead to the criminal prosecution of anyone in his administration, including himself. He must read through Bush's policies of the last eight years and veto anything that doesn't uphold the standards of the constitution. But, he can not do it alone.
The founding fathers created the three branches of government, to insure that no one person ruled the United States. America needs the strength of Congress and their willingness to uphold the law, without regard to partisan sentiments. We need an efficient Congress to ensure the welfare of the state and to bring about a government without shadows.
President-elect Obama is on the right track with his weekly radio addresses, taking a cue from President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, but more can be done, nothing that doesn't severely impact our national security should be discussed behind closed doors, not if he wishes to uphold his promise to the American people. Policy that takes away from the moral authority of America should be struck down and the rule of law upheld. The policy of transparency must extend to all branches of government in order to ensure justice, peace, and the continuation of our great nation.