A clear and present danger: Ashcroft scheme simply chilling

HoustonChronicle.com ^ | Aug. 16, 2002, 7:49PM | Turley is a professor of constitutional law at George Washington University, in Washington, D.C.

[William Terrell]

Tin foil hats anyone?

Have you read the Constitution? One wears a tinfoil hat for believing 1) Ashcroft will not hold his office for life, and 2) any policies he instigates will not be rescinded when he leaves that office?

[MissAmericanPie]

I can understand, and agree with, detaining a citizen and stripping him of his rights IF he is found armed on a battle field fighting for the enemy. It is another matter to just jerk Americans off the street, strip them of their citizenship protections and holding them forever.

If there is a charge against them, with evidence to back it up, press charges and let the legal system deal with it. Maybe even pass a law that they can't get bail period until they have their day in court. But a day in court they are entitled to.

If they are so terribly worried about the kind of people they have allowed into the country, and granted citizenship to, then stop importing more of the same. No one in America will hold still for government endangering all our rights in the name of holding those that are dangerous against all our constitutional laws. They made this mess, now let them work within our system to clean it up.

[Theyknow]

They are all the same, if you argue anything sencable they attack personally. Which board?

[hgro]

Darn! I was hoping the camps were for lawyers.

[Theyknow]

Amen!

[donozark]

No comparison to Weaver case. I've met Randy Weaver. Not aware he was plotting to overthrow USA. Regardless, other than a "no-show" all else ruled entrapment.

Padilla, on the other hand, is a convicted murderer. A drug-dealer and a gang member. Screw him.

[dogbyte12]

you are missing the point. The government under a Hillary Clinton administration can claim Weaver was trying to overthrow the government and hold him without due process.

The Ashcroft justice department is claiming that they get to decide who is an enemy combatant and the courts have no juristiction. Put this tool in the hands of Janet Reno and what do you have? The tin foil crowd would be right. Militia members would be put in camps.

[RJCogburn]

Here is the smell test for a law when your party is in power. Would you like the other side to use it?

So simple, so clear, so obvious. Why don't some people get it?

[DugwayDuke]

"Will you say the same when President H Rodham starts interning gun owners, tax protesters and members of the pro-life movement?"

Do you actually think "President H. Rodham" would care what "powers this new Imperial administration decides to grant itself"? President Rodham will sieze whatever powers she decides she needs regardless of what we do now. You see, you assume that "President H. Rodham" will be bound by precedent. If "President H. Rodham" were to be bound by the law, you wouldn't have much to fear, would you? So quit trying to scare the kids and old folks with this fairy tale.

[BellStar]

Sort of like a "Short term Tax"!

[Recovering_Democrat]

Do some investigating about civil liberties being suspended during the Civil War and World War II. You'll find the current AG is bending over backwards to not take the steps Abraham Lincoln and FDR took, even though those two men DID do some questionable things, and the questionable practices were stopped once the hostilities cessated. Much ado about little, imo.

[Korth]

It seems to me that people who are supporting Ashcroft on this are forgetting that the whole point of having trials is to determine whether or not a person who is accused of a crime (any crime) is really guilty as charged. Allowing government to lock people in camps without their ever having been convicted of any wrongdoing means that a great many people who are innocent of the crimes of which they have been accused will nevertheless suffer, since without a trial there will be no way for them to contest the accusations which have been made against them.

[Recovering_Democrat]

wow, dark republican been here since August 14, eh?

me smells alot of nastiness here, said JarJar Binks.

Get the DU out.

[BellStar]

You my friend get the prize! Yours is the most informed view I have read on this thread including my own!!!!!!!!!!

[pepsi_junkie]

I have grave reservations about Ashcroft's prosecution of his portion of the war on terrorism. He has thrown US citizens in jail indefintely with no formal charges brought, no trial held, no indication of what the evidence is. All we know is Ashcroft swears to us he's a bad guy who was about to do something bad. Well for my nickel that's not good enough. I do not want a homegrown gestapo forming in America, and when we dispense with all due process the way is clear for one to emerge. Like it or not, Ashcroft has to adhere to the rule of law as articulated in the constitution, and that stands firmly against the concept of what he's done to Padilla (IMHO) and certainly against the establishment of camps for others.

That said, one question. The article is premised on the idea that Ashcroft has a plan in the works to create concentration camps "as revealed last month". Excuse me, I dont recall any such revelation. Perhaps I'm missing something. Either I missed a big story (could happen, I readily admit) or this article is constructed around a faulty premise and represents a transparent attempt to smear Ashcroft as a nazi using a lie as evidence. Which is it?

[donozark]

Clinton covered the statues also. Rented drapes at $8K per pop. Just imagine if THAT slug or Reno had been in same photo as these art decco statues. Much ado about nothing.

[jodorowsky]

What will constitute cessation of hostilities in the War On Terror?

[El Sordo]

So if you're in a race, and you know your opponent will cheat, it shouldn't bother you to give them a large head start?

[donozark]

Now you are comparing Reno to Ashcroft. No comparison. I know the man, and he ain't Janet Reno! Padilla is a piece of shit. He should have been executed for murder years ago. He is a recidivist. An habitual offender.

You/I/we only know what the media and gov tells us about this character. Perhaps they have more on him than we know. Perhaps as more of his "buddies" are rounded up, they will gather more intel that can be released to the public. Time will tell. In the mean time? My $ is on Ashcroft.