"We cannot allow our government to consider itself above the law."

[lebkuchen]

Here's a letter published in today's Stars & Stripes. I will add it to The List of others like it, found here:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/12/18/45138/421

Bias works both ways

Max Boot leaves out some facts, which makes his entire column questionable (“Pulitzers for baring U.S. secrets show media bias,” May 2).

Boot draws an analogy comparing a World War II report of code-breaking to recent Pulitzer Prize-winning articles. The WWII report was wrong and dangerous, revealing that we had advanced knowledge of our enemy’s capabilities.

However, comparing this report to these articles is also wrong. The difference is this: These articles covered criminal activity by our government.

The first article Boot mentioned covered our covert prisons in Eastern Europe. It is a criminal act to export prisoners to countries where they may be tortured.

The second article Boot mentioned reported the existence of a program to intercept communications between terrorists and their domestic contacts. Again, this is a criminal act.

The law was written so that the executive branch would have broad powers in eavesdropping on suspected terrorists. It only had to get the always-given approval, often after the fact, from a secret branch of the judiciary.

However, President Bush decided that was an inconvenience, and chose to break the law. This easily rises to the level of “high crimes and misdemeanors.”

Later in his column, Boot states that he wants journalists to cover the war on terror as a fight between good and evil. I’m not suggesting that we as a country are evil, but we cannot allow ourselves to continue down the path that this administration has led us.

We cannot allow our government to consider itself above the law.

In order for us to win the “hearts and minds” of others, our actions must be beyond reproach. This, I believe, is much closer to what the American people want than what Boot believes.

Sgt. 1st Class Donald E. Porter (retired)
Camp Arifjan, Kuwait

http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=125&article=37159

[proud2BlibKansan]

1. Wow great letter

One question - why would a retired sergeant be in Kuwait?

[lebkuchen]

2. He could be a contractor.

Other than that, I don't know.