General Ashcroft's Detention Camps: Time to Call for His Resignation

Village Voice ^ | September 4 - September 10, 2002 | Nat Hentoff

[AppyPappy]

The tin foil has come full circle.

[trebb]

I'd much rather trust my freedom to Ashcroft, Bush, Cheney and company than to the sort of folks who decry that some people must be inconvenienced for the good of the many instead of the other way around. They don't seem to understand that THEY are a large part of the problem...

[Burkeman1]

Actually, ever since General Ashcroft pushed the U.S. Patriot Act through an overwhelmingly supine Congress soon after September 11, he has subverted more elements of the Bill of Rights than any attorney general in American history.

Really? Lets forget about the Japanese interment and Wilson's imprisoning of socialist and antiwar leaders for opposing WWI- and Abe lincoln's dictator state. Instead, let's ignore the fact that we have radical cells of immigrants (non ctizens) and citizens alike that want to kill hundreds of thousands if not millions of civilian Americans.

The new Steven Spielberg-Tom Cruise movie, Minority Report, shows the government, some years hence, imprisoning "pre-criminals" before they engage in, or even think of, terrorism. That may not be just fiction, folks.

Nat? Stop it. You are making a fool out of yourself.

[rdb3]

...and Abe lincoln's dictator state.

Which was still far better than the dictator state of the South for black people.

You can't have it both ways.

Now, can we return to the 21st century, please?

[ladtx]

Since when does a confirmed lefty (hard-line socialist, perhaps even commie) suddenly become so concerned about the subversion of the Bill of Rights? Where is his outrage about the attacks on the 2d amendment that have been occurring over the past few years. Where was he when the Weavers were attacked in Idaho and babies were burned in Waco. Methinks this smacks a little of political opportunism more than a true regard for the Bill of Rights. Your words ring hollow comrade.

[Drammach]

I'd much rather trust my freedom to Ashcroft, Bush, Cheney and company than to the sort of folks who decry that some people must be inconvenienced for the good of the many instead of the other way around. They don't seem to understand that THEY are a large part of the problem...

I personally don't trust MY freedom to anyone but myself.
I don't trust Bush, Ashcroft, et al, any more than I did Clinton, Clinton, Reno etc..

I'll "trust" the Federal government when it's back under the control of the States and the People, and not until then.
And, even That Trust will be "qualified", and with reservations.

[joyful1]

You're right! It's wrong the way Secretary Ashcroft is treating these terrorist prisoners!

It's time American treats these goons the same way Japan treated our captured boys during WWII. Why are we being so nice to these terrorists!!

[dead]

Since when does a confirmed lefty (hard-line socialist, perhaps even commie) suddenly become so concerned about the subversion of the Bill of Rights?

Nat Hentoff became “suddenly so concerned” about the Bill of Rights about fifty or more years ago.

I guess you haven’t been reading.

[Moby Grape]

Well said!!!!

[Lysander]

I'd much rather trust my freedom to Ashcroft, Bush, Cheney and company....

Freedoms not protected for everyone are not held by anyone.

I would hope that free citizens would take more responsibility for thinking through and setting policy than trusting to the professional politicians as they declare a "War on Terrorism."

[Hugin]

Actually, ever since General Ashcroft pushed the U.S. Patriot Act through an overwhelmingly supine Congress soon...

I love the way Hentoff makes the Congress (inlcuding the Democrat controlled Senate) who are soley responisible for passing legislation mere pawns, and Ashcroft, who is only responsible for enforcing it gets the "blame" for a law Hentoff disagrees with. Since when did Daschle, Joe Biden, et. al. start taking orders from Ashcroft? If he doesn't like the Patriot Act, complain about the authors, don't use it to demonize John Ashcroft.

[Moby Grape]

Is anyone else troubled by the fact that some of the same people who think Castro ain't such a bad fellow are the same ones accusing Ashcroft of civil rights violations?

[steve50]

I think you're on to something there. If the federal and state governments are limited to Constitutionally granted powers they deserve a limited amount of trust, until then they deserve none.

[dead]

Are you referring to Hentoff?

[dark_lord]

Regardless of whether the original author is a "commie" or not, the fundamental problem is that we don't have a clear definitions of "enemy combatant". While many folks on this forum tend to think highly of Ashcroft, remember that what is accepted today becomes policy and in the future exists as precedent.
Would most folks on this forum like to see another AJ in a DemocRAT administration making decisions on who is and who is not an "enemy combatant" in a "war on terrorism"?
Gee, here are some hypothetical decisions:
Anyone protesting an abortion clinic is a "terrorist" and thus clearly an enemy combatant.
Anyone with more than X rounds of ammunition in their possession is a "terrorist" and clearly an enemy combatant..
Anyone who has posted anti-government verbage (and they define what is anti-government) is "aiding and abetting" terrorists and thus can be defined as an enemy combatant.
The fact is Ashcroft is bending our civil liberties. Don't think you will get them back when you have an AJ you don't like. Imagine Janet Reno with the additional powers of the Patriot Act and the new Homeland Security Agency.

[Moby Grape]

No, the Village Voice.

[dead]

The Village Voice did not write this article. Nat Hentoff did.

[HaveGunWillTravel]

Lincoln did totally outrageous stuff. He may have freed the blacks, but he tyrannized everyone. Threw congressmen in jail, shut down the press, etc. Blacks may have won, but free men lost. While the declaration of independance says that men derive their rights from their creator, under Lincoln's amended constitution, blacks now derive their rights from the government. They have simply changed masters. This is the present.

As far as Ashcroft is concerned, the reason the Dems aren't crying very loud about shredding the bill of rights is that they have wanted it shredded for a while. It was the dems against the civil rights act and it was the dems against emancipation. I don't think they have a big problem with camps.

[William McKinley]

The left is getting particularly looney of late. It's kinda fun reading their hysterics.