Re-establishing the Law

(10 am. – promoted by ek hornbeck)

I say re-establishing because there is presently no rule of law.  I mean that literally.  I don’t know what rules now in our country, but it is not the law.  There are people with power and other people who have no power and are therefore subject to the authoritarian political and police structure we now have in place.

There is no law which covers all equally.  Nor are there any laws now which protect all equally.  At this moment, if those in authority wish, they can act against us in a way where we are not protected by the law — but they are, of course … they are.  If we whistle blow they will have the protection of all the lawyers they wish and no doubt many judges.

There are many arguments from my fellow liberals who oppose prosecuting those who have committed torture by their authority, if not at their own hands.  The political argument is especially revolting, but I am not writing about that tonight.

The argument I’m referring to is viewing this struggle as motivated by revenge.

Let me be clear.  I believe that if the real truth comes out and the majority of American citizens (not to mention the rest of the world) are fully informed as to what has been done by human beings to other human beings, there will be feelings of revenge aplenty.  That will no doubt be the first reaction from many folks, along with denial, defensiveness, hostility, compassion, you name it — many emotions but all great in strength.

To me, that is the very reason there should be a fair trial, that those prosecuted be presumed innocent until proven guilty.

I love Frankenstein movies, and there are times I could have seen myself joining the torch bearing crowd, but not in this instance.  There’s something I need even more in this instance, when it comes to torturing, to committing the ultimate tyranny over another human being, the very kind of behavior that caused the American Revolution, the fight against tyranny.

See, if we just allow this moment to pass, we only draw out our own pain.  The effect of actions this egregious are not going to vanish in a lovely mist if ignored.  One of the grave consequences of ignoring this is that the heaviest responsibility for continuing the fight will stay with the few who are already weary, who already need expansion and fellowship, not more burdens to carry.

But mark my words, justice will be done.  It can be ignored, faced with half-measures, although perhaps very intelligent and well meant half-measures.  It is not up to those in power to tell me as a citizen what is and is not justice.

That’s what our Constitution is for.  The laws that are supposed to be equal for all, that we are all equal under the law.

If that is just a lie, then I’d like to find that out.

If it is not, then a fair trial under the justice system outlined in our Constitution, is the only way to avoid revenge, but more importantly, avoiding further torture for those who have already been tortured.

To me, this is not about President Obama (and yes, it feels very good to write that).  It’s about me.  And it’s about my fellow citizens.  It’s about my own rights and powers under the law.

So here I am.  This is one response to one of the many obstacles I am seeing when it comes to honestly persuading our fellow citizens that this is not something to fear or fight, that the exercise of the laws of this land, the re-establishment of what we instinctively value in our Constitution, is a good thing, to have a fair trial is a good thing, to say “you are innocent until proven guilty,” something too many human beings were never told, is a good thing.