ZGram - September 20, 2001 - "Suspension of habeus corpus"

[Ingrid Rimland]

Copyright (c) 2001 - Ingrid A. Rimland

ZGram - Where Truth is Destiny

September 20, 2001

Good Morning from the Zundelsite:

I am experiencing inordinate problems getting my ZGram out for reasons I
cannot explain.  Yesterday I was facing an additional problem:  Whereas
usually I am swept with an avalanche of mail, for the past 24 hours it was
only a trickle.  I do not know what's going on, but if you don't hear from
me, it will not be for lack of trying.

This was supposed to be yesterday's ZGram, consisting of two letters
written by the parents of a WTC victim - followed by an announcement that
habeus corpus has been suspended in the United States, and that we are now
one step closer to dictatorship.

If you are like me, you probably will ask:  Just what does suspension of
"habeus corpus" mean?  Ernst put it very simply:

"It was a provision the British wrangled out of their rulers in the 13th
century, forcing the rulers to bring an arrested person before a judge
within a short period who would look at the accusation or charge with an
impartial eye.  As part of the habeus corpus tradition, you are presumed
innocent until proven guilty.  Without it, you are guilty and have to prove
that you are innocent."

In one of my novels, I describe such a scene, reconstructed here from memory:

A simple farmer of German background in the Ukraine in the early 1930s is
arrested on the accusation that he acted as a spy for Germany.  He is
interrogated by one of the notorious Kommissars:

Farmer:  "But I am innocent.  You cannot prove my guilt."

Kommissar, while fingering his pistol:

"You have that wrong.  You do not understand.  I do not have to prove your
guilt.  I can sit here all day, pick my nose, twiddle my thumb, clean my
fingernails, and wait for you to prove your innocence to me."

This suspension of habeus corpus is a very serious act of citizen
infringement and curtailment of basic human rights.  Will Americans
understand what it means?

Now to the two letters by grieving parents, Phyllis and Orlando Rodriguez,
whose son Greg became one of the Trade Center victims.

[START]

Copy  of letter sent to NY Times:

Not in Our Son's Name

Our son Greg is among  the many missing from the World Trade Center attack.

Since we first heard the news, we have shared moments of grief,  comfort,
hope, despair, fond memories with his wife,  the two families, our friends
and neighbors, his  loving colleagues at Cantor Fitzgerald / Espeed, and
all the grieving families that daily meet at the  Pierre Hotel.

We see our hurt and anger  reflected among everybody we meet. We cannot pay
attention to the daily flow of news about this disaster. But we  read
enough of the news to sense that our  government is heading in the
direction of violent  revenge, with the prospect of sons, daughters,
parents, friends  in distant lands dying, suffering, and nursing further
grievances against us.

It is not the way to go. It  will not avenge our son's death. Not in our
son's  name.

Our son died a victim of an inhuman  ideology. Our actions should not serve
the same  purpose. Let us grieve. Let us reflect and pray. Let us  think
about a rational response that brings real peace  and justice to our world.

 But let us not as a nation  add to the inhumanity of our times.

 =====

Copy of letter to White House:

Dear President  Bush:

Our son is one of the victims of  Tuesday's attack on the World Trade
Center. We read  about your response in the last few days and about the
resolutions from both Houses, giving you undefined power to respond  to the
terror attacks.

Your response to this attach does not make us feel  better about our son's
death. It makes us feel worse.  It makes us feel that our government is
using our  son's memory as a justification to cause suffering for  other
sons and parents in other lands.

It is not the first time that a person in your  position has been given
unlimited power and came to  regret it. This is not the time for empty
gestures to  make us feel better. It is not the time to act like  bullies.
We urge you to think  about how our governement can develop peaceful,
rational solutions to terrorism, solutions that do not sink us to the
inhuman level of terrorists.

Sincerely,

Phyllis  and Orlando Rodriguez

[END]

Here is the announcement of the suspension of Habeus Corpus:

[START]

Bush Suspends Habeas Corpus:  Legal Immigrants May Be Held Without Cause

Washington, DC--The Bush Administration today announced it is using its
powers under the National Emergency Act to suspend the right of habeas
corpus for all immigrants in the country, including legal immigrants,
meaning that any immigrant in the United States right now can be held
indefinitely by the police or government without trial or demonstration of
cause to hold them.

In short, all immigrants in the country are now subject to summary arrest.

The declaration by the Bush administration is being followed by a move in
Congress to grant the Justice Department the power to summarily detain any
immigrant in the United States, citizen or not, as a matter of law, and not
just in exceptional circumstances.

Though no one has yet suggested infringing the rights of US  citizens, the
move is a frightening first step to a national tyranny, based on perpetual
suspension of the Constitution in the name of fighting perpetual war.  The
US lived under such tyranny during the Civil War and World Wars I and II.

[END]

=====

Thought for the Day:

"We will  cite the well-known exchange between a Catholic missionary and an
African tribal  chief.

The missionary asked the native chief: "Tell me, what is good and what is
evil to you?"

The chief thought carefully and then responded: "Good is when we  attack a
neighboring tribe and steal their women and cattle; bad is when they do
the same thing to us."  

(Sent to the Zundelsite)