RIGHTS AND WRONGS
Regardless of whether one supports the majority or the dissenting opinion in this week's Supreme Court decision on the Guantanamo Bay prison case, it's important to keep the bigger picture in perspective. This was underlined well by the last paragraph in today's New York Times op-ed on the subject, provocatively titled "Justice 5, Brutality 4":
"There is an enormous gulf between the substance and tone of the majority opinion, with its rich appreciation of the liberties that the founders wrote into the Constitution, and the what-is-all-the-fuss-about dissent.
It is sobering to think that habeas hangs by a single vote in the Supreme Court of the United States — a reminder that the composition of the court could depend on the outcome of this year’s presidential election. The ruling is a major victory for civil liberties — but a timely reminder of how fragile they are."
Amid all the debates around this Presidential election, it's easy to forget that one of the biggest things at stake in the next election is the fate of at least two seats on the Supreme Court in the coming years. The partisans on either side of course have never forgotten this for a second. But it's important for us moderates, the so-called "Silent Majority", to also sit up and take notice. And decide what's really important for the country in the long-term.
As far as the case itself is concerned, I've gone through decision and tried to understand both the majority and dissenting opinions, not to mention the reactions by both the President and McCain, who not surprisingly have expressed solid support for the dissenting opinion. I'm far from an expert in these matters, and frankly struggle, like most citizens, to understand the legal complexities of a case like this, as interpreted by either side.
But as a centrist, moderate American first and McCain supporter second, I'm afraid I have to agree with the majority opinion in this case. They made a tough decision through a tangle of bad choices. And our country is likely better off for it in the long-term.
Comments