It’s been a while now since I started plugging away on my project to repeal the Military Commissions Act. The purpose of the project is to create some political pressure on members of Congress to undo the full measure of abuses against American liberty put into effect by the Military Commissions Act. So far, I have to say that it’s not a great success.
The petition I started for people to sign in favor of repealing the Military Commissions Act has only gathered 54 signatures. I celebrate the people who signed it. However, I know that there are plenty of people who come by Irregular Times all the time, and simply haven’t bothered.
I tried to start a related group on Care2, a progressive social networking site. Only one other person was interested, and she only came to the group once.
I’ve talked to a lot of people about the Military Commissions Act over the last few months, and many of them, including politically active progressives and even Democrats on local political committees, had absolutely no idea what the Military Commissions Act is.
Last week, I called up the presidential campaign of Dennis Kucinich. I talked to a representative of the campaign, and asked why Congressman Kucinich has not bothered to give his support to the Restoring the Constitution Act, H.R. 1415, the only legislation in the House of Representatives that comes at all close to repealing the Military Commissions Act. The representative of the Kucinich campaign didn’t have an answer for me, but said he would talk to Congressman Kucinich on the matter at 2:00 that afternoon. I gave him my telephone number, saying that I’d love to write a positive article about Dennis Kucinich, and how he is standing up against the Military Commissions Act… if only, uh… if only Dennis Kucinich would actually stand up against the Military Commissions Act. The representative of the campaign said he’d get in touch with me.
I never got that telephone call, and Dennis Kucinich still has not given his support to H.R. 1415. Congressman Kucinich knows about the effort to repeal the worst aspects of the Military Commissions Act, and has decided not to lift a finger to help. Dennis Kucinich has made the decision to stand back and do nothing about the problem.
I’m pretty discouraged. Most Americans seem to think the last season of The Sopranos is more important than the loss of habeas corpus rights, the end of the enforcement of the Geneva Conventions, the legalization of torture, the replacement of the presumption of innocence with the presumption of guilt, the establishment of kangaroo courts to replace the system of American justice. All that nasty stuff, and more, is in the Military Commissions Act. A few people are working hard to try to undo the terrible law, but most of America has simply shrugged its shoulders and gone shopping at the mall.
I am reminded at this time of something that Frederick Douglass said: “Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have the exact measure of the injustice and wrong which will be imposed on them.” Most Americans seem happy to submit to the injustices and wrongs of the Military Commissions Act. It’s no skin off their noses… unless they end up taken off to a secret torture prison, wrongly accused, with no right to see a lawyer or defend themselves or ever see the light of day again.
Dennis Kucinich has proven that he will quietly submit to the Military Commissions Act. So have Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, who have refused to support the Senate version of the Restoring the Constitution Act.
As for myself, I will not quietly submit. I’m no Frederick Douglass, but I’m going to do my part.
How about you?
