|
If by chance you should stumble upon this, I do hope you will take the time to read it. I would usually make the futile effort to send this in, but I have come to understand from so many attempts that no one (important) really reads the e-mails or comments; they are simply brushed aside.
Four years ago, you made the decision to approve the Iraq invasion. True, the Republicans did set you up for the fall by demanding a vote before the elections, but you still should have done the right thing. At that time you were under the impression that you might continue to control the Senate, and so a number of you voted for the Iraq war; that you might be re-elected. Of course, history teaches us that you were not re-elected as a majority, but instead became a minority once again.
You didn't deserve to be in the majority; what happened was justice. Hopefully, four years later you have learned your lesson: vote your conscience, even if it appears to have terrible political consequences. You may loose this election, but you have to ask yourselves just one question; do you want to win if you must sell your soul?
It doesn't matter what religion you believe in, or none at all, it is fundamentally immoral and un-American to execute someone without allowing them see the evidence against them. We would be outraged if that were to happen to an American, and rightfully so. Civilized people do not conduct their judicial affairs with such inhumanity. We as Americans are supposed to be better than that.
There is a reason we are fighting al-Qaeda, because they do not believe in such civilized practices. The Republicans in the House and the Senate have attempted to justify voting for this because the enemy does not conduct it affairs in such a way; in fact I believe most agree they do not even hold trials before executing their prisoners. That is why we are fighting them; they do not believe in due process or in the concept of liberty which demands it.
While we have been told repeatedly (in various ways) that it is unacceptable to think we can actually become more like our enemy, it is acceptable and in fact it is correct to believe that. The frightening reality is that our actions and our principles really are the only thing separating us from the terrorists. Should we alter either in a direction toward our enemy, we may indeed become as evil as our enemy. We are not inherently better than the terrorists in al-Qaeda, but our principles are.
We can be and shall remain a better people than those of al-Qaeda if we are true to our principles. We must only remember the lesson of the 2002 election: If America dies in the process of winning, can we call it a victory?
|
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
