Tuesday, March 6, 2012

U.S. Law May Allow Killings, Holder Says

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/06/us/politics/holder-explains-threat-that-would-call-for-killing-without-trial.html

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: barry levine 
Date: Tue, Mar 6, 2012 at 8:44 AM
Subject: re: U.S. Law May Allow Killings, Holder Says
To: letters@nytimes.com


To the Editor:
   The Constitution of the United States is a published document for all to read and debate. It's meanings are not always transparent.  Attorney General Holder is right in pointing out that "The Constitution guarantees due process, not judicial process".  But the law turns less on what the Constitution says than on what the Constitution means. It was established in 1803 that the power to interpret the Constitution belongs uniquely to the Supreme Court. And ever since the Fourteenth Amendment was ratified, "due process of law" has been held to mean "judicial process".   If president Obama is asserting a new power to deprive a citizen of life, liberty or property, he should tell it to the judge.  Attorney General Holder's only proper role here is in delegating an officer of the Department of Justice to argue his boss' point. He has no authority to tell us what the Constitution means, or doesn't mean.
Barry Haskell Levine

2 comments:

levinebar said...

http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/410085/march-06-2012/the-word---due-or-die

levinebar said...

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/03/08/439902/eric-holder-targeted-killings-and-the-looming-threat-of-john-yoo/?mobile=nc