Kentucky Terrorism Held in Solitary Confinement for a Year

I fully admit that, immediately following the September 11th attacks, I fully bought into the notion of the Social Compact - that is, the idea that you must willingly give up liberty in the name of safety. I dismissed as bleeding hearts and do-gooders those who attempted to speak up for people who were denied their liberty and due process in the name of stopping terrorism. With my flag in one hand and my Bible in the other, I laughed at those who opposed Camp X-Ray, indefinite detention of terrorism suspects, and all of the resultant human rights violations that have come about from this phony War on Terror.

Ten years later, however, I continue to realize how wrong I was. Nevertheless, human rights abuses in the name of the War on Terror continue. Lest you think that this is a big-city only problem (or a Pakistan-Yemen-etc. problem), consider the case of Mohanad Shareef Hammadi in Louisville, Kentucky.

The specifics of Mr. Hammadi's case can be found here: http://news.yahoo.com/attorney-terror-suspect-isolated-165947922.html In short, Mr. Hammadi has been held in solitary confinement, without access to human contact or any form of electronic media, for nearly a year. It's easy to dismiss Mr. Hammadi's lawyer's concerns about his client because Hammadi is a Muslim and is an alleged terrorist. But just because he's Muslim and/or an alleged terrorist does not disqualify him from the rights afforded to him by the Constitution. But the larger point is, if it can happen to Mr. Hammadi it can just as easily happen to me or you. All it takes is a ginned-up terrorism accusation and any of us can find our Constitutional protections thrown out the window.

I'm reminded of the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). We use this story to teach Sunday School children about the need to show kindness, and that's all well and good. But in the larger context of this parable, the focal point is not the Samaritan; it's the "rich young ruler" who asked about the Samaritan. When this man asked Jesus, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" - to which Jesus responded, 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength; and love your neighbor as yourself' - then asked the follow-up question, "Who is my neighbor?" he wasn't looking for an example. He was looking for an exception. Jesus provides the example of the Good Samaritan not as an object lesson in showing kindness, but as an object lesson in showing kindness despite our prejudices.

Mr. Hammadi, like all terrorism subjects, deserves the same protections and rights given to all criminal suspects. We cannot continue to justify cruel and unusual punishment, and the deprivation of the right to due process (and dozens of other human rights and Constitutional abuses) simply for expedience in this War on Terror. Like it or not, the Constitution should protect us all, not just those we like.