In September Congress passed the Military Commissions Act allowing this and any future President & Sec. of Defense to declare someone, anyone, an enemy combatant and basically strip them of rights we hold dear. In the words of a New York Times news analysis: “In effect it allows the president to identify enemies, imprison them indefinitely and interrogate them — albeit with a ban on the harshest treatment — beyond the reach of the full court reviews traditionally afforded criminal defendants and ordinary prisoners.”

From New York to LA, editorial boards are decrying the passage of this bill.

What can we do about it? There are many options, one is to join Amnesty International and sign the pledge to restore America as the world leader in human rights.