Enemy combatants

[hpcatx]

It is a tough call, but he is a US citizen. At what point do we say you do or do not receive the Bill of Rights? They made the decision for criminal court so that is out.

Thank you! We are a country of laws and, no matter how horrific the crime, the accused are entitled to certain rights. We may measure our freedom by how we treat our accused. This crime was perpetrated on US soil by an American citizen. Not matter how quick we are to judge, we have procedures in place -- the same sets of procedures we call upon to stop the gun grabbers. If we are so sure this suspect should die for his alleged crimes, surely we can put aside our mob mentality for a bit and properly convict him in a court of law. We owe that much to the dead and wounded and any number of his criminal actions from last week should be enough to warrant the death penalty. Just because we now allow US citizens to be designated enemy combatants doesn't mean it is truly constitutional. Our decisions need not be conflicted, nor should the details of individual cases dictate our approach. The cry that exegent circumstances demand extraordinary measures will be the downfall of our country. How quickly we become complacent when it is not our own liberties which are affected.

[K.Mooneyham]

thanks
I was really freaking about how they the WH was so nonchalant about the whole thing
he was even given a public defender today and said he had no money???
either way i guess we will be paying for this turkey to live and get a trial. I am all for your rights, but he pretty much crapped on those, but still he has them.

should have never been taken alive

and poor attorney that just got saddled with his defense.

the guy is a terrorist,

No money? Didn't these scum drive a Mercedes? They don't give those out for free, last time I checked.

[suthdj]

Ok, so what is the end result if he is tried by military or civilian court both can result in death, right. I don't want this to be a start to doing it to any American they want to call a terrorist after all how many of us can be labeled.....think about it. Now I would also charge him with treason and when convicted strip him of his citizenship.

[tallmike]

I am amazed at how strongly we all argue for strict adherence to one portion of the constitution but we are willing to ignore it completely for someone we disagree with.

Don't be so quick to throw out the constitution.

[rotor]

He is an American citizen. That ends the debate on what to do now. The question that we should be asking is how did he become an American citizen and how did his brother, when asked by a foreign government to investigate him, get by an investigation? Also of course is why did nobody that knew the deceased brother report him as according to todays Wall Street Journal, there were obvious signs that he was becoming radicalized. He frequently demonstrated this in his local mosque but nobody thought to notify FBI or whatever agency one would notify. Very disturbibg reading todays WSJ article.

[powerboatr]

He was provided with THREE federal public defenders according to msn and fox news

he had an expensive car..so why does he get a freebie?

on a lighter note the wife of the dead murderous coward was not available for interview by the fbi
now get this she met her hubby in a NIGHTCLUB some three years ago and then converted
so this guy is not a true muslim, alcohol and those joints are not kosher so to speak with alah

how do you get to be on a federal jury trial? i would think it would be a task to find impartial jurors

and the video of the bombing and this turkey should be played everyday along with the twin towers and pentagon massacre

islam is such a peace loving religion and we have to be tolerate of their evil...MY bolagna sandwhich

I heard barry will be visit west tomorrow, oh boy

[Skiprr]

Islam is such a peace loving religion and we have to be tolerate of their evil...MY bolagna sandwhich

A reminder of how this country was formed:

My ancestors were Quakers from Wales who migrated to the New World circa 1735. They fled the UK due to the severe religious oppression in England.

The First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America reads:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

My next-door neighbor is a second-generation American, is a Muslim, is a physician, and is a prepper...along with his wife and three kids. In our cul de sac he, a Harris County Constable, and I are the ones prepared to try to take care of our neighborhood in the event of a catastrophe.

I respect the First Amendment as much as I do the Second.

[TexasGal]

If we want our government to stand up for our rights under the Constitution, but not for his rights under the same document, then just what does it mean to be a US citizen? No matter what he has done (and I am just as upset as the next person), he is still a US citizen with the right to a trial. The right to hear the evidence against him. To be tried, convicted, and sentenced. If there is ample evidence he did what he is accused of, then there should be no problem getting him convicted. If we cry for his rights to be ignored, then what happens to ours? The hitch I see is just who wants to sit on a jury that gives the death sentence to terrorist. Courageous persons would be needed.

[anygunanywhere]

It is a tough call, but he is a US citizen. At what point do we say you do or do not receive the Bill of Rights? They made the decision for criminal court so that is out.

Not tough for me....he lost ALL rights when he set that bomb off.

So when TPTB declare all firearms as weapons of mass destruction and with a stroke of the pen make us all enemy combatants (domestic terrorists) I assume that you will be okay with TPTB also declaring that you no longer have rights.

Very slippery slope.

Anygunanywhere

[jimlongley]

It is a tough call, but he is a US citizen. At what point do we say you do or do not receive the Bill of Rights? They made the decision for criminal court so that is out.

Not tough for me....he lost ALL rights when he set that bomb off.

But first, according to our Bill of Rights, we have to prove that he set the bomb off, and then he loses the rights.

[Purplehood]

It is a tough call, but he is a US citizen. At what point do we say you do or do not receive the Bill of Rights? They made the decision for criminal court so that is out.

Not tough for me....he lost ALL rights when he set that bomb off.

So how would you handle someone born and raised in the USA?

[Beiruty]

It is a tough call, but he is a US citizen. At what point do we say you do or do not receive the Bill of Rights? They made the decision for criminal court so that is out.

Not tough for me....he lost ALL rights when he set that bomb off.

But first, according to our Bill of Rights, we have to prove that he set the bomb off, and then he loses the rights.

Not accurate what joecat wants.

Those convicts serving life sentences in prison for whatever heinous crime they committed are deprived from the physical liberty of their mobility, but never lost their human rights.

[jimlongley]

I am amazed at how strongly we all argue for strict adherence to one portion of the constitution but we are willing to ignore it completely for someone we disagree with.

Don't be so quick to throw out the constitution.

Not all, as much as I dislike it, I swore to uphold and defend his right to a fair trail equally with your right to say that (not that it was offensive or wrong) and my right to keep and bear arms.

[jimlongley]

It is a tough call, but he is a US citizen. At what point do we say you do or do not receive the Bill of Rights? They made the decision for criminal court so that is out.

Not tough for me....he lost ALL rights when he set that bomb off.

But first, according to our Bill of Rights, we have to prove that he set the bomb off, and then he loses the rights.

Not accurate what joecat wants.

Those convicts serving life sentences in prison for whatever heinous crime they committed are deprived from the physical liberty of their mobility, but never lost their human rights.

Unfortunately that is a recent change in philosophy and it should be changed back. If you are an enemy, foreign or domestic, upon conviction you lose multitudes of rights: Free Speech; Bear Arms; etc; the whole list, back the way it was and should be.

But I stand by my statement. He does not lose ANY rights at the act, only at the conviction for the act.

It is a tough call, but he is a US citizen. At what point do we say you do or do not receive the Bill of Rights? They made the decision for criminal court so that is out.

Not tough for me....he lost ALL rights when he set that bomb off.

So how would you handle someone born and raised in the USA?

Just the same way. Timothy McVeigh proved he didn't want to be a citizen, so grant him his wish, after conviction, and Hassan is worse, HE should be declared an enemy combatant, a saboteur, and an enemy agent and stood against a wall and shot, upon conviction.

[Robert*PPS]

Man, I'm glad to see how many folks on here recognize the fact that the bomber, being a US citizen, has a right to due process. It's easy to let emotion dictate what rights should be infringed in special situations such as this. Much like emotion dictated the talk (and act) of infringing the second amendment rights of US citizens after the extraordinary situation of Newtown.