Monday, April 22, 2013

I Believe In America

UPDATE:
Angelia reminds us of Thomas Paine's opinion on the subject.
He that would make his own liberty secure, must guard even his enemy from opposition; for if he violates this duty he establishes a precedent that will reach himself. ~Thomas Paine

Ok, someone just thought "Hey, that's what Bonasera says in the opening of "The Godfather"!"  Yeah, stick with me here, it's not trivia night at your local pub.

America is not a religion or an ethnicity.  America is an ideal.  And I believe in that ideal.  An ideal is not something mankind is capable of achieving, but only working every day toward it.  The guiding principles of America are laid out in the Constitution.  Following that guidance is a constant balancing act for individuals and for America as a whole.

We talk about the common good.  And sometimes it seems that the common good would be best served with a wink and a nod at this document that was signed more than 225 years ago.  Especially when emotions are running high.

We are only humans and weak at that.  But there are three hundred million of us, give or take.  So when emotions run high and some people are weak, there are always going to be some of us to stay calm enough to hold to our ideal.

Now, if this were just me, just Maggie, sitting in a room with the Tsarnaev brothers, I'd be beating one nearly to death and kicking the corpse of the other while I waited for the first to recover so I could beat him again.

But it's not, is it?  It's me, an American citizen, upholding a principle.  Believing in America more than indulging my desire for vengeance.

And it's not easy until you remember this - if you let go of the Constitution for that moment of vengeance....what did you avenge?

So when people say "No Miranda rights for a terrorist!"  I say "Due process for American citizens." (and I get a little snippy and think it's a Miranda *warning*, not a Miranda *right*, but whateva).

And when people point out that Tsarnaev was born somewhere else; hasn't lived here that long; hasn't been a citizen that long.  I say "And your point is?????"

And when someone says the word Gitmo in this conversation, I think "Boy!  You need to sit down and think hard.  Quietly, in a corner, before you speak again.  Because clearly you are overwrought."
There's a reason she's blindfolded.  It doesn't always work.  But you never give up trying.

And on a separate note - to those who say that law enforcement overreacted in shutting down Boston, Cambridge, Watertown, the T, etc. - faaack you!

7 comments:

Ken Adams said...

I'm with you, Maggie. I want to perform bloody and horrific acts upon this scumbag, but if I allow the government to perform them upon this citizen then what's to stop them from doing the same to me?

Simple solution - revoke his citizenship through due process of law, THEN turn him over to us.

BostonMaggie said...

As it stands right now, there are no grounds to revoke his citizenship.

The closest thing that fits is "the person becomes a member of, or affiliated with, the Communist party, other totalitarian party, or terrorist organization within five years of his or her naturalization"

We are in that time frame, but I have heard no mention of his affiliation/membership with any group on the watch list.

http://www.uscis.gov/policymanual/HTML/PolicyManual-Volume12-PartL-Chapter2.html#S-B-2

Yer Marine said...

You guys say " faaack you!" to everybody all the time, anyway.

Due process is sacrosanct. I am tired in the extreme of this idea that it is inconvenient and can be dispensed with. McCain and Graham, Holder before him, Napolitano, Janet Reno, all the way back to Thornburgh who really kicked us down this slope.

A word to them: I support and defend the Constitution, not any of you clowns, irrespective of political affiliation. Verstehen sie?

John said...

Very well said. I completely agree....and thoroughly enjoyed your take down of that windbag Graham.

Oh and GFY!

From a displaced Dot Boy!

BostonMaggie said...

A GFY from an OFD!

OldAFSarge said...

Give 'em Hell Maggie. I stand with you!

Anonymous said...

So, I guess if you could, you would tell the idiot Bill Maher to Faaack off, because of "police state" comment, yes? :)
I was proud of Boston's local law. They did exactly what they should have and everyone else have a nice hot cup of STFU.
You are spot on and much more level-headed than this crazy ginny-wop irish person~
Cheers!