The Rule of Law

On Wednesday of this week I will be starting my turn at jury duty. I am a strong believer in the rule of law and I feel that everyone has the right to be heard out before they are either set free or convicted of a crime. I believe that everyone no matter what the case deserves the right to a defense for the crime they are accused of and that the decision should be based on the facts in a case.

Now last week President Obama said that he would allow military commissions to be the organization to bring the detainees to trial. We all know that the current system was ruled by the Supreme Court to be unconstitutional. His action has outraged many in this country because they believe as I do that the rule of law should apply to all people and not just Americans. Some but not many people in this country believe that because they are Americans that only they deserve the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

If all men are created equal then we have to give them equal right in our court system. We have determined that torture is unconstitutional because people will say what ever it takes to stop the torture even if it is untrue. How can any information obtain during those torture sessions be used in a court to convict our enemy. President Obama has said that the current system of military commissions are flawed and that he will request time to enact new rights and protects so that the detainees will have the protections that this country and the constitution values most when someone faces a court proceeding.

I will want to know the details of those changes before I say where I am comfortable with the resulting trials. I would want to here what the Supreme Court has to say. If we expect the world to treat our countrymen fairly in their courts then we must hold ourselves to a higher standard when it comes to the rule of law in this country even if the people being tried are not Americans.