The American Spectator

br> — Bob Lovell br> Cookeville, Tennessee /p> p> Excellent article. It should be required reading for every member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, even if only the Republicans would be able to comprehend it. But perhaps, using simple words, they could explain it to Kennedy and Leahy. Hope springs eternal. Thank you. br> — W. R. Schmidt, M. D. br> Walnut Creek, California /p>

In an otherwise excellent article we have this —

“Suspending habeas corpus for Al Qaeda doesn’t threaten the Constitution; it protects it. We wouldn’t have a Constitution to defend unless American leaders possessed constitutional powers to win wars. It makes sense to suspend habeas corpus to save the Constitution from its enemies; it makes no sense to lose the Constitution in a war so as to save the habeas corpus rights of Al Qaeda. “

I find it beyond belief that we fought WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam and Gulf War I with no calls for the suspension of habeas corpus. Nor the need. I find little discernible difference between al Qaeda or the Viet Cong that would require the suspension of habeas corpus. And now we shake in our minds that we should suspend protections of individuals out of fear? As Americans we have more courage than that, Mr. Neumayr. History shows we can get the job done very nicely without judicial manipulations.

p>What we should be up in arms about is the lack of trust our leaders have in us. Why do I say that? If America was in danger from within where is the Civil Defense mobilization commiserate with WWII efforts? Where are the calls for Red Cross volunteers? Essentially where is the mobilization of the citizenry to come to the aid of the country short of picking up a firearm? We did that in WWII on a massive scale. The level of money and donations that are coming to the aid of the tidal wave victims by private citizens indicates we as a people have the drive. I can only therefore conclude that our leaders are either lacking in imagination or do not trust us to defend ourselves as they deem fit. br> — John McGinnis