Dear Mr. President,
I can't begin to tell you how much I appreciate the importance you've placed on transparency in government. Having an administration I can trust to be open and honest about their conduct is even more important to me than having an administration that agrees with me. In fact, 6 of the 10 form letters I've received from your office have included sections on the importance of transparency in government. The whitehouse.gov website is easier to navigate and full of more relevant content than it's ever been. Thank you for your efforts to these ends.
As some one who clearly appreciates the difficulties of balancing the need to protect the powers of the executive with gaining the trust of the people who empowered you in the first place, I hope that this logic can be extrapolated to other sectors of administration policy. National security is important, and some secrecy will always be required in order to protect ourselves, but, especially when it comes to the detention, treatment, and trials of our enemies, I hope we move toward greater openness with the public. Our reputation as a place that respects the rights of all, even those who hate us, must be restored. It is the true promise of America; upholding these principles in full public scrutiny is the only way to defy those who would scare us back into darkness.
Respectfully yours,
Kelsey
Showing posts with label jury trials. Show all posts
Showing posts with label jury trials. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Monday, March 15, 2010
Day 74
UPDATE: Carly Fiorina of the Demon Sheep fame is at it again, with a new ad featuring Senator Barbara Boxer's head as a giant, California-attacking blimp.
Dear Mr. President,
The news of the murders in Juarez were deeply upsetting. Fighting the corruption and violence of Drug trafficking is an important part of treating America's drug problem. I see firsthand the effects of addiction on the urban poor, the homeless and often mentally ill population that migrate through all parts of the city, from my neighborhood to my downtown bookstore. Drug addictions lead to theft, assault and other crimes. But I have friends who routinely use drugs, as well, some in responsible, non-harmful ways. Certainly it is hard to get past the moral implications of the system they support when they buy drugs- they may pay a dealer, but, somewhere, a drug lord is the one making the profit.
My own life has been affected by drugs in many ways. In Boise, I saw the dangerous affects of methamphetamine on a co-worker and neighbor who started a fire in our building one night. While sober, he was a soft-spoken man, grateful for the second chance offered to him by his job and new apartment. When he was using, however, he became violent and paranoid, so convinced that I had slighted him that he came after me with a gun. I was saved by the protection of my boss and the intervention of our neighbors, but it was the first time I understood the dangers of addiction. My young nephew's father also struggles with addiction, stealing from his employers and choosing heroin over his own children. We haven't seen or heard from him in over a year, and, because of his choices, his son will grow up knowing another father entirely. The number of shoplifters I have caught, in Seattle and in DC, who stole books and movies to sell for drug money demonstrate the desperation addiction causes and the violence this can result in.
So how can I reconcile the "recreational" use of drugs by my friends with the dangers and downsides? I think the easiest way to take power away from the drug cartels is to reform the way Americans consume drugs. I think marijuana needs to be legalized, so that it can be domestically produced, taxed, and regulated. The effects of marijuana are less harmful than tobacco an alcohol abuse, and the greatest harm is caused by its illegality, not its use. I think the argument that it can be a gateway drug actually supports legalization- a marijuana user today has already decided to do so in the face of the law, and so trying other illegal drugs does not require much additional risk. If marijuana were legal, I'd imagine that users would be less likely to take the risk of moving on to illegal drugs. A user today already has a dealer, a connection even by proxy to the world of illegal drugs. Allowing them to go through legal sources would cut down on the prevalence of illegal dealers, limiting sources for other drugs. I don't know any one who chooses not to use pot because it is illegal. Many people, (like myself) choose not to use it for reasons unrelated to the law. Personally I find it pretty disgusting, and that isn't going to change if it becomes legal.
We can't win the "war on drugs" while we fund both sides, just as we can't win the war on terror by perpetuating the oppressive practices that fuel recruiting efforts and anti-American sentiments. We may be better-armed, better-trained and better-funded, but so long as we have to win and the other side just has to stay alive, we'll never be able to stop fighting. (An aside, and perhaps worth an entirely separate letter, but if we can try Jesus Vicente Zambada-Niebla in Federal court, why can't we try terror suspects? Zambada-Niebla is surely as much an enemy combatant as Khalid Sheikh Mohammad, and no one is claiming he should be denied due process.) We must accept that we cannot win within the current paradigm, and changing the system is the only way to make real progress at addressing the terrible effects of the drug trade on our country and the world.
Respectfully yours,
Kelsey
Dear Mr. President,
The news of the murders in Juarez were deeply upsetting. Fighting the corruption and violence of Drug trafficking is an important part of treating America's drug problem. I see firsthand the effects of addiction on the urban poor, the homeless and often mentally ill population that migrate through all parts of the city, from my neighborhood to my downtown bookstore. Drug addictions lead to theft, assault and other crimes. But I have friends who routinely use drugs, as well, some in responsible, non-harmful ways. Certainly it is hard to get past the moral implications of the system they support when they buy drugs- they may pay a dealer, but, somewhere, a drug lord is the one making the profit.
My own life has been affected by drugs in many ways. In Boise, I saw the dangerous affects of methamphetamine on a co-worker and neighbor who started a fire in our building one night. While sober, he was a soft-spoken man, grateful for the second chance offered to him by his job and new apartment. When he was using, however, he became violent and paranoid, so convinced that I had slighted him that he came after me with a gun. I was saved by the protection of my boss and the intervention of our neighbors, but it was the first time I understood the dangers of addiction. My young nephew's father also struggles with addiction, stealing from his employers and choosing heroin over his own children. We haven't seen or heard from him in over a year, and, because of his choices, his son will grow up knowing another father entirely. The number of shoplifters I have caught, in Seattle and in DC, who stole books and movies to sell for drug money demonstrate the desperation addiction causes and the violence this can result in.
So how can I reconcile the "recreational" use of drugs by my friends with the dangers and downsides? I think the easiest way to take power away from the drug cartels is to reform the way Americans consume drugs. I think marijuana needs to be legalized, so that it can be domestically produced, taxed, and regulated. The effects of marijuana are less harmful than tobacco an alcohol abuse, and the greatest harm is caused by its illegality, not its use. I think the argument that it can be a gateway drug actually supports legalization- a marijuana user today has already decided to do so in the face of the law, and so trying other illegal drugs does not require much additional risk. If marijuana were legal, I'd imagine that users would be less likely to take the risk of moving on to illegal drugs. A user today already has a dealer, a connection even by proxy to the world of illegal drugs. Allowing them to go through legal sources would cut down on the prevalence of illegal dealers, limiting sources for other drugs. I don't know any one who chooses not to use pot because it is illegal. Many people, (like myself) choose not to use it for reasons unrelated to the law. Personally I find it pretty disgusting, and that isn't going to change if it becomes legal.
We can't win the "war on drugs" while we fund both sides, just as we can't win the war on terror by perpetuating the oppressive practices that fuel recruiting efforts and anti-American sentiments. We may be better-armed, better-trained and better-funded, but so long as we have to win and the other side just has to stay alive, we'll never be able to stop fighting. (An aside, and perhaps worth an entirely separate letter, but if we can try Jesus Vicente Zambada-Niebla in Federal court, why can't we try terror suspects? Zambada-Niebla is surely as much an enemy combatant as Khalid Sheikh Mohammad, and no one is claiming he should be denied due process.) We must accept that we cannot win within the current paradigm, and changing the system is the only way to make real progress at addressing the terrible effects of the drug trade on our country and the world.
Respectfully yours,
Kelsey
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Day 70 - For you, Liberalviewer
Dear Mr. President,
While it has lately become a rallying cry for the right to oppose jury trials for terror suspects, I'm writing today to ask you to respect the constitution- a document I know you revered even before you swore to uphold and protect it as President- and ensure that all suspected criminals are given the due process our constitution outlines. The constitution is not a suicide pact, but nor was it written for easy, peaceful times. It was written to see us through trying times such as these, to remind us that the value of our idealism is greater than our fear. The rights codified within it were not to protect the innocent, but the guilty, as well as the credibility and integrity of the system itself. Denying even the worst criminals their rights jeopardizes the soundness of the entire legal system, and is a risk I beg you not take.
Trials are slow, trials are expensive, trials can be frustrating. But the swift, secret justice being called for is not justice at all. I would rather bear the expense, the risk, and the wait, to ensure that the constitutional rights of all involved were respected. Do not bend to political pressure from those looking for vengeance or for the impossible illusion of safety. These trials must be held in the light of day, subject to public scrutiny, and must respect the letter & spirit of the law. I believe we can and should protect the constitution above all else- even our personal safety. This may sound extreme, but I think that, in a world as unpredictable and dangerous as ours, we cannot ever truly guarantee our safety. We can take precautions, we can foster awareness, and we can prosecute and punish criminals to the full extent of the law; but we can never become safer by giving up our rights to proper legal procedure and protection for all. Please, sir, do not allow this essential American institution to be suspended for any one, regardless of their crimes.
Respectfully yours,
Kelsey
While it has lately become a rallying cry for the right to oppose jury trials for terror suspects, I'm writing today to ask you to respect the constitution- a document I know you revered even before you swore to uphold and protect it as President- and ensure that all suspected criminals are given the due process our constitution outlines. The constitution is not a suicide pact, but nor was it written for easy, peaceful times. It was written to see us through trying times such as these, to remind us that the value of our idealism is greater than our fear. The rights codified within it were not to protect the innocent, but the guilty, as well as the credibility and integrity of the system itself. Denying even the worst criminals their rights jeopardizes the soundness of the entire legal system, and is a risk I beg you not take.
Trials are slow, trials are expensive, trials can be frustrating. But the swift, secret justice being called for is not justice at all. I would rather bear the expense, the risk, and the wait, to ensure that the constitutional rights of all involved were respected. Do not bend to political pressure from those looking for vengeance or for the impossible illusion of safety. These trials must be held in the light of day, subject to public scrutiny, and must respect the letter & spirit of the law. I believe we can and should protect the constitution above all else- even our personal safety. This may sound extreme, but I think that, in a world as unpredictable and dangerous as ours, we cannot ever truly guarantee our safety. We can take precautions, we can foster awareness, and we can prosecute and punish criminals to the full extent of the law; but we can never become safer by giving up our rights to proper legal procedure and protection for all. Please, sir, do not allow this essential American institution to be suspended for any one, regardless of their crimes.
Respectfully yours,
Kelsey
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