Comments on: Voices from the Flats – A Retired Pastor on Habeus Corpus

By: Jeanne R-B

Jeanne R-B — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 04:06:11 +0000

I hope you’ve forwarded this timely reminder to President Obama.

By: strangelet

strangelet — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 03:05:27 +0000

@22 LisaB:

(1) I’m pretty sure RP used the Magna Carta as an example because it is the earliest known written reference to the principle we refer to as habeas corpus.

(2) I don’t believe he(?) used the term “snooty” to make a point; I believe it was to make a joke (and a pretty weak one, RP).

(3) Whether or not the Guantanamo detainees are the equivalent of villeins (and since most of them were not sharecroppers, I’d say they were “freemen”) is irrelevant to RP’s essay. We (that is, US citizens) are not currently subject to the Magna Carta as originally written (neither is the UK, BTW). We have our own Constitution of the United States, which contains its own injunction regarding habeas corpus, which is — I’m sorry to say — still being violated.

I confess that I do not fully understand what point it is you are trying to make. And incidentally, they were fighting for the littlest guy they recognized as a guy.

By: fawnskin mudpuppy

fawnskin mudpuppy — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 15:57:21 +0000

thanks, pastor…

a thoughtful review of what the process should be.

By: LisaB

LisaB — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 14:33:43 +0000

JustaFarmer,

I refuse to allow history to be taken out of context or rewritten to serve a point. Isn’t that what the fundies do? The truth is probably none of the barons could read or write. Clerks and monks wrote, not feudal lords.

The real point here is that it’s a feudal system! Of course the barons are elitist! Not because they’re educated, but because of birth and property. They owned land and *everyone* on it.

Habeus Corpus is a great thing, but let’s not take history out of context to prove a point. It’s not like they were fighting for the little guy here. The Guantanamo detainees are likely the equivalent of villeins, and as such the writ of habeus corpus wouldn’t have applied to them.

By: poolman

poolman — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 06:27:43 +0000

Good Post Retired Pastor. The jury is still out,

By: ValleyIndependent

ValleyIndependent — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 06:09:37 +0000

Many thanks, Retired Pastor.

By: CO almost native

CO almost native — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 05:41:02 +0000

Thanks, Retired Pastor. You’ve given us lots to think about. It will takes years, perhaps, to undo all the all the illegal messes Bush and his cronies got us into.

By: Carolina Girl

Carolina Girl — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 04:09:09 +0000

I loved this post. I only hope the message gets to President Obama. I love the line about the snooty Barons! You are a wonderful writer.
Thanks!

By: Alaska Pi

Alaska Pi — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 03:58:07 +0000

Excellent post!
Our history is full of advances and retreats in executive branch power . It is wise to keep an eye on this as it strikes very close to the heart of what living under the rule of law, not men, is based on.
As our current Congress can’t seem to find it’s hiney with either hand and the Supreme Court seems to be stuck in rubberstamping any old fear mongering thing which floats it’s way, we
can forget the other branches doing their duty to rein in the Executive branch .
I’m hoping President Obama steps up and restores this fundamental block in the thing we call rule of law.

By: bubbles

bubbles — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 03:56:52 +0000

I read this as a subtle jibe at those who think that education is “elitist” as well as a not-so-gentle poke at those who “run” things and think themselves more deserving than the hoi polloi (certain bankers and hedge fund managers immediately come to mind).
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liladyny………nicely put