Civil liberties violated again

In yet another attack on civil liberties, President George W. Bush issued a military order last Tuesday that allows noncitizens accused of crimes of terror to be tried by a military tribunal. According to Bush's order, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is to be responsible for deciding all rules of such trials, including who to appoint to the military commission and whether to keep any or all of the procedures secret.\nThis new law allows for the executive branch of the government to be the judge and the jury. The tribunal can even sentence people to death -- but with a mere two-thirds vote as opposed to the unanimous vote that would be required in a civilian trial. \nThe tribunal can also decide for itself what evidence in admissible and what is not. \nJournalists do not have the right to cover the tribunal hearings, and they are not matters of the public record. Basically, the tribunal will have no accountability to the American public and gets to create its own rules. The tribunal's ruling is final, and there can be no appeal. \nThis is absolutely unnecessary and unfair.\nIn an act of terror, Timothy McVeigh bombed a federal building in Oklahoma City. McVeigh was tried in the court of law, found guilty and sentenced to death. The traditional system served justice in an open and honest way. Why does Bush not have faith in the judicial system to deal with terrorism now? \nIn support of the proposal, Vice President Dick Cheney said Wednesday that terrorists "don't deserve the same guarantees and safeguards" of the American judicial system.\nEveryone deserves a fair trial, citizen or not, no matter what crime he or she is accused of. \nAs Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-New York, whose district includes the part of Manhattan where the World Trade towers were attacked, told CNN, "The Constitution says no person -- doesn't say 'no citizen' -- no person shall be denied life, liberty or property without due process of law. Every person is guaranteed a right of trial by jury for an infamous or otherwise capital crime. It doesn't say 'citizen.'" \nPlease, President Bush, do not take away any more of our civil liberties. There is no sunset provision for this military order, and there is no telling if it will be abused. If we are really fighting for justice in the world, we cannot afford to ignore it in our own system.\nStaff vote: Unanimous