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I
don't agree to the point that 'our concern needs to be how we will handle
similar events in the future'. One of my concerns is how we will deal with these
events now.
Please
don't think that this means that I am endorsing Kangaroo courts. Indeed, I have
serious concerns about 'due process' issues (not that I'm even qualified to
define what either of those terms mean).
Rich
Pflughoeft
The problem I have with your definition of war is
that I don't know where you will draw the line. Our concern needs to be
how will we handle similar events in the future. The constitution states
that only the Congress can declare war. There is also the principle that
we can defend ourselves from attack without an official declaration. We
have a history of loosely defining "war" or trying to conduct a war without
calling it a war. We have also conducted wars on drugs, poverty, and
many other things. I think that the temptation to call things a war
comes from the feeling that calling something a war will mobilize public
opinion in favor of the policy that congress and administrations wish to adopt
to tackle the problem.
That would be harmless if it did not implicate
other constitutional protections. We have in the past and are now
contemplating the conduct of secret trials using secret evidence. Maybe
it won't actually happen, but the devil is in the details.
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Wednesday, November 28, 2001 9:42
PM
Subject: RE: [Winona] Military
Tribunals
While I appreciate the concern that many have
expressed regarding this issue, I'm not convinced that
everyone believes it to be ridiculous to consider the acts of
terrorism against our country to be an act of war.
I
realize that there are 'legal definitions' to which I am probably ignorant.
What I do know is that our country is faced with coordinated and
sophisticated attacks at our citizens. Attacks meant to kill thousands at a
time. Perhaps millions. Maybe this doesn't meet everyone's definition of
war. It does meet mine.
Rich Pflughoeft
-Snip-
It is a stretch of logic to declare that the
United States is in a state of Armed Conflict. It is ridiculous to
declare that an act of terrorism is an act of war.
[Rich
Pflughoeft] -
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