How Terrorists Win
During the Democratic debate on CNN, they flashed a question—I’m paraphrasing from memory—“What is more important, backing an ally in the war on terror or sticking to democratic ideals?” This is an inane question. If we don’t stick to our democratic ideals, we are no better than terrorists. We cannot back dictators and purport to support democracy. We cannot defend evil and say we stand for the right.
When we deny people their basic rights, such as habeas corpus, the right to be confronted by an accuser, to a swift trial, to be represented by counsel, et cetera, how are we any better than a monarchy? When we torture, illegally detain and use extraordinary rendition, the terrorists have won because we have sunk to their level. When we threaten and invade other countries preemptively, the terrorists are us. When we forget our ideals, when we forget what truly makes a great nation, we just become another rogue nation.
Do we change the terrorists or do they change us? What makes us different? We can’t afford health care for our children, but we can afford trillions to kill civilians in Iraq and perhaps Iran, and then what? When we look back at the internment of Japanese citizens during World War II as a nation, we feel revulsion and shame. How do we think we will feel when we look back on these past few years? Without human rights and our ideals we have no security and nothing worth defending.
Jaffrey Harp
Easthampton
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Bush Panders to Saudis (Again)
Have you seen pictures of President Bush being led along by the hand by the Saudi Arabian king? Some people will do anything for power or money. There are other people who stand up for what is right.
Senator Clinton is speaking against the sentence handed down by the barbaric and archaic court in Saudi Arabia to a rape victim. She was sentenced to 200 lashes and a six-month jail term. George Bush turns a blind eye to the bleeding and crumpled body. Because she is a woman? Bush is joined in silence by [Rudy] Giuliani, Mitt Romney, [John] McCain and even Sen. [Barack] Obama. Like any politician hungry for power, Obama presents his views so they can be interpreted many ways.
This woman did not deserve jail time nor whipping. It would have been a small matter for President Bush to ask the King of Saudi Arabia to be merciful. But since 9/11, when a band of Saudi Arabians attacked the United States, George Bush has presented a weak hand to Saudi Arabia. Afraid the price of oil will go up.
Alfred Brock
Wayne, Mich.
