Opine about This: Terrorist Privileges
Posted: Tuesday, December 29, 2009
by Jean Purcell
OpineBooks.com
The great detective Sir Sherlock Holmes frequently opined. Arthur Conan Doyle's eccentric and successful detective thought, reasoned, and believed--the essence of opining. Mr. Holmes' remarkable gifts of intuition and discovery were aided by this mental and emotional combination. "I opine that the baker did not mention the package in the cellar as an afterthought; he was telling us something," Sir Holmes might say, and that would be the key to solving the case.
Recent years of terror events, collected terrorist facts, and government decision-making lead my little gray cells to opine as never before and here are some conclusions worth opining about further. This is serious business, although I use these literary examples.
These are the kinds of matters I put my little gray cells to work on, opining for all they are worth regarding terrorism. This subject is much on the collective consciousness again, due to a Christmas Day terrorist attack that fortunately was foiled aboard a Delta airliner.
Think about these facts:
Terror suspects in U. S. custody cannot be subjected to too much loud music, too much light, too much dark, too much heat, too much cold. The worst, most brutal of them cannot be stripped to their underwear even in privacy with only military officials on-looking. Terrorists must receive careful imprisonment conditions, including high respect for their religion and origin, even if they spit and curse at guards that risk their lives every day to assure terrorists' "rights." Terrorists may have a copy of the Koran, and their religious days must be especially noted and held in respect. Terrorists may not be profiled according to their contacts and associations, travels, religious statements, or places of origin. Terrorists may not be called terrorists: rather, they are to be called combatants if anything; better yet, we are told, they should be spoken of only in terms of "human or man-made disasters."
My little gray cells opine that this line of thinking and reasoning should be resisted by American citizens and Congress. The latter should have to account reasonably, without spin, about the following:
When I travel now, especially overseas, why am I to be allowed torture by extreme noise levels in airports? Why is a TV on in every waiting area near gates? Why are fellow-travelers and I tortured by over-crowding and long waits as we stand in lines with our heavy packages or heavy bags, our two hands also required to hold IDs before and after we arrive at our departure gates--all results of security measures against terrorism, er, acts of man-made disaster? Why are innocent travelers, which account for the majority of us, deliberately tortured with cold feet because we must take shoes off as we pass through security lines? Why are we forced to take outer clothing on and off and forced to put them in little boxes that wrinkle them? Why are we rushed while doing this? I opine about such things, for I know that we have done nothing to deserve this treatment and those who have getter much better, in many ways. Who is responsible for all of this responsibility being put upon us for "safe" travel?
I have tried to apply reason to the following topics that relate to travel and everyday life:
While terrorist suspects are not allowed to be stripped in private, why am I, an innocent American citizen, possibly going to be x-rayed so that everything, I mean everything, about my body will be shown to strangers during an airport body scan and I cannot protest without risking denial of flying or, worse, arrest? While terrorists and terror plotters receive utmost care, Americans may be treated any which way, for "security" reasons, regardless or race, religion, gender, or (and this is most crucial) innocence! And, if I am found guilty of even looking in the wrong direction in a fundamentalist Islamic environment, I can expect the likelihood of quick death; meanwhile, foreign terrorists are brought to American soil to be treated gently, in comparison to extremist Sharia law? I opine about such things.
I also reason: why is the word "Christmas" discouraged, with a replacement "holiday" recommended, while other religious holidays, also claimed by terrorists, are publicly mentioned favorably all the time in their season? Why are God and Jesus Christ lampooned with impunity and without any apology everywhere while special care and sensitivity must be shown to radical Islamists? And why are little children punished in American public schools if they draw or speak of Christmas pictures or stories?
Opine about these things and wonder about American's rights and government reactions. If the U. S. continues to penalize its citizens rather than take stringent military court actions against terrorism suspects, all of us will be opining more and more about these matters. What do you think, reason, and believe about all of this? I opine that these matters are non-political. I opine they are matters of fairness, justice, respect and common sense in treatment of law-abiding people. They are also matters of life and death, when they relate to over-protecting the rights of those arrested for terrorism and under-protecting the rights of citizens.
I opine that we and the U. S. Congress must think and reason seriously and carefully about the implications and decisions about such things!
This Article has been viewed 127 times. (Not updated in real-time.)
Top-level comments on this article: (2 total)YES! YES! YES! Great common sense here and too bad that a majority of those "in charge" seem to have lost that commodity - common sense.... and guts and placing the burden of proof on those who need to bear it! THANKS Jean!
Hooray for you Jean. Very well done article. We are allowing outsiders to destroy us and our rights by the very laws that have been established for American citizens,, not to protect illegal immigrants and terrorists that are not United States citizens. In my opinion I believe we must return to being a nation united and not a nation divided as I think we are now.I too thank you Jean.Keep opining.Linda, I'm glad the ironies are clear to others. Happy and Blessed New Year!
We want your comments! If you can read this, you don't have javascript enabled, so you can't use this comment system. Please enable javascript.