The Union and Confederate Lawyers Duke It Out in Court
The short answer is... No. It is illegal for the federal government of the United States to kill a citizen without trial and conviction.
Tell it to the thousands dead in civil war cemeteries all over the eastern United States. As far as I know there wasn’t any attempt to arrest and prosecute rebels. They were simply shot and killed. Were they not?
“The short answer is... No. It is illegal for the federal government of the United States to kill a citizen without trial and conviction.”
I heard Krauthammer today cite the legal argument on the other side that we killed plenty of citizens during the civil war because the union never recognized the confederacy, still considered confederates US citizens who were “insurgents”.
Sez who?
The President, when waging war, is free to attack any enemy abroad. If Congress thinks that he has waged war against American citizens without cause, it can impeach him. I'm sure Ron Paul is willing to introduce articles of impeachment, against B.O. for killing this guy. Perhaps Dennis Kucinich will support the resolution. The House can vote on it, and it will lose 433-2. That is due process.
The key word in the question was “legally”. ColdSteelTalon has the correct answer to that question. Should the question have had the word “justified” in place of legally, then the answer would have been no.
The key word in the question was “legally”. ColdSteelTalon has the correct answer to that question. Should the question have had the word “justified” in place of legally, then the answer would have been yes.
The Union and Confederate Lawyers Duke It Out in Court
Even a citizen can’t attempt acts of war against America and expect criminal due process. The Constitution is not a suicide pact.
Yes. We did kill him, therefore we can.
Was is lawful? Probably, given United States Codes.
Was it just? He was waging war against us, and had forfeited rights based on point #2. I believe it was just.
Would I do it? ...... It would suck, but yes. I would wade into that hog pen and use my carver to do that. Fortunately, the US Govt has higher tech than I'm willing to develop/use.
/johnny
The federal government killed scores of people in 1993 at Waco, TX. None of them had a trial or conviction. Just one example.
So if an American took up with the Japanese or German militaries during WWII, we’d need a trial trial and conviction before shooting them?
The constitutional answer is yes. The President is the Commander-in-Chief of the military and has the power to wage war. This mutt was an illegal combatant, siding with the countries enemies and was fair game.
Sorry of you don’t like this, but there are many Supreme Court cases that support this. And the Constitution does as well.
Hope this helps;