Obama v. The Magna Carta

Dear Mr. President,

The foundation of our laws, of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, go back to the Magna Carta signed by King John—under duress, rulers rarely give up power willingly—in 1215. The Magna Carta’s principles—that the law is sovereign, not the king—states that no Freeman shall be imprisoned, disseized of his Freehold or Liberties, outlawed, exiled, or any other wise destroyed, but by lawful judgment of his Peers or the Law of the land. The Magna Carta reinstated basic human rights that had been in effect prior to the Norman Conquest of 1066. The struggle between the rule of law and the rule of rulers has continued, no less today than in 1215. Despots, tyrants and dictators always suppress human rights and make the law whatever they say it is, not only the Saddam Husseins and Hosni Mubaraks, but right here at home. In the hysteria following 9/11, Bush and his neocon cronies spun a web of lies and deceit to justify unjustifiable wars, ignored and twisted laws to justify torture, rendition and indefinite detention, and suspended Habeas Corpus. Mr. President, you promised to change all that, to return to the rule of law, but in your 3½ years as ruler of America, the law has become whatever you say it is. You have gutted the Constitution and the Bill of Rights and ignored the most fundamental principles of human rights outlined in the Magna Carta itself. Covert wars, targeted assassinations, Kill Lists, suspension of Habeas Corpus and elimination of the presumption of innocence, all justified by White House lawyers in secret memos that cannot be revealed because of national security. You order the assassination not only of alleged terrorists, but of American citizens without trial or legal recourse. The audacity of Eric Holder, your apologist, saying discussion in the Executive is sufficient due process! But even more frightening is the elimination of Habeas Corpus, presumption of innocence, and the right to a speedy and fair trial, fundamental guarantees of the Constitution and the Bill of rights which Bush ignored but you formally wrote out of law on December 31, 2011 when you signed the National Defense Appropriations Act of 2012. You have shredded the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, even the Magna Carta, all justified by the phony War on Terrorism which is not a war on terrorists but a war on America, on democracy, on freedom, justice and human rights. We are on the brink of Totalitarianism, retreating into another age of darkness.