by Suspicious Mind

Created on: February 24, 2009

Websters Dictionary defines Kangaroo Court as "a self-appointed or mob-operated tribunal that disregards or parodies existing principles of law or human rights, esp. one in a frontier area or among criminals in prison." Does this not sound exactly like what is happening there? The use of the word "tribunal" is especially ironic. Our officials have already admitted to water boarding these people. Our former Vice President said he allowed it. We prosecuted people for water boarding in Viet Nam, and not one person has asked the question "When did it become legal?" Yes, Guantanamo Bay is a Kangaroo Court, as it certainly disregards human rights, and mocks our system of law. In our system of laws, one is supposed to be proven guilty not the other way around. What this tribunal does is exactly the opposite of the American way of doing things. It is no wonder that the opinion of us is so low across the globe. We are also known in the world for passing some of these prisoners off to countries that we know torture their prisoners.

The fact is, these people have not been charged with war crimes. If they had, they would be in front of a UN war crimes tribunal, not one consisting only of the US military. It is fairly obvious that even if it isn't a Kangaroo Court, it certainly has the appearance of one. Someone with power needs to ask "Why isn't the UN trying these men, instead of US forces?" In the end, the US military ends up being the police, and the judge and the jury. These trials are nothing like an American citizen would get. A snowball on the floor of hell, stands a better chance of making it in this scenario. The defendants have almost no way to defend themselves. These people have to prove their innocence, yet they cannot contact anyone but their lawyer, who cannot talk about most of the facts because of National Security.

Now, to put into perspective the mindset of the founding fathers of our great country, one should be directed first to to the Declaration of Independence. The first few lines of paragraph two, sum up the answer quite well enough. "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

This statement says that all men are created equal, and that God has given men specific rights. It does not say White men, it does not say American men. It does say that these rights speak to themselves, and that they are, or should be common sense. If we as a people are going to accuse these detainees of crimes, then we should try them, allow them to defend themselves, and let the verdict fall where it may. In fact, lets let the UN try them, let them call witnesses and make the US prove them guilty in an unbiased court.

Most agree its time to end Guantanamo, but we should turn them all over to the UN and give them some real American Justice, in the true American way.

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