The Depth Of Our Fears
This column was written by CBS News Early Show co-anchor Harry Smith.
Fear struck out at the Supreme Court yesterday. The court ruled that the prisoners held at Guantanamo, Cuba do in fact have the right to challenge their imprisonment before a judge.
Yes I said imprisonment…because a number of the detainees are being held under flimsy to non existent circumstances. Some have said tribal rivals gave them up to authorities for cash. Regardless, our government's attitude has been we know best who to hold…trust us. I don't.
There's this crazy thing in America that makes us different than the other guys, it's transparency, it's rule of law. If someone is being held anywhere for anything, there damned well better be real evidence to back it up.
No one sits in jail just because the people in charge say they ought to be there. It's an idea whose roots go all the way back to the Magna Carta. These people should be tried on the merits of the evidence. Not on the depth of our fears.
By Harry Smith