by T. M. Beeker

Created on: September 01, 2007

If these suspects are American citizens then our Constitution is very clear on what has to happen to ensure justice. Otherwise if this poor slob has been extradited or caught by American authorities and sent to the US or Gitmo tough luck our Constitution does not apply.

Now, some would tout international legal norms. Great but only useful if those organizations that created these norms does something to enforce them. See we have a 55 mile an hour speed limit but most police give you a few miles an hour over the limit as a cushion. Strictly speaking they are not enforcing the law but let's face it, thanks to them we can get where we are going with a sensible enforcement of laws.

So what exactly is the beef? Rights violated? Of course but these found guilty actually enjoy greater due process and justice than those killed by them. Saddam Hussein was treated infinitely better by the current legal and political system than he would have been under his own regime.

Laws cannot be black and white as much as we would like them to be sometimes. The gray areas are where laws meet the human condition.

Human rights are something that many tout but few understand. Is there a universal set of human rights? Sure the United Nations created, ratified, and heck even tries (failing often) to enforce them. Should the United States respect such a creation? In my view no. As citizens we enjoy much greater protection under the law than many in other nations do. So I would take issue with holding terrorist suspects without charges if they are citizens. If they are not then too bad. Should have been smarter, getting caught by Americans and then being extradited really sucks. Guess next time you will be smarter.

I learned very quickly in the Marines one hard and fast rule; stupid is fatal. Stupid does not stop at the doorway of rights, justice, or fairness. It will kill not only you but also those innocents unlucky to be around at your moment of stupidity. If the violation of 'universal human rights' occurs and the person's own nation does not cry foul then it seems pretty academic your on your own.

Yes, very harsh and not exactly fair. Rest assured when Mommy said life is fair, she was speaking in the abstract and only trying to cheer you up. Life is not fair for us good or bad, guilty or innocent, smart or dumb. If you do something or are part of something that leads American forces to believe you might be a terrorist know that justice and fair play are not concerns. Take your chances and see what happens. Perhaps if terrorist see America willing to act instead of endlessly talk they will think twice before flying an airplane into a building filled with innocent people who deserved a fair chance at a life. In the words of most Marine NCO's 'Sucks but there it is...'

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