President should repudiate new law

To the editor:

The Military Commissions Act of 2006 is now the law of the land. Although a token number of Democrats supported the Republican House and Senate, no Democrat votes were needed. The president then signed the act into law.

This law not only permits suspension of habeas corpus and allows for torture of suspects, but also give the president the power to declare any American an enemy combatant. Any person declared to be such a combatant would be denied due process.

In other words, you or I could be imprisoned indefinitely. Who knows what else could happen?

No one expects this president to declare that Americans are terrorists. However, that is not the point. For over 200 years we have operated under a set of laws spelled out in the Constitution which the president swore to uphold.

I do not want to depend upon this president or any other president's goodwill.

The president should immediately repudiate the Military Commissions Act and go back to governing based on the Constitution.

Thanks to TJ Greaney for dealing with this in his Oct. 18 column.

RITA COUNTS, Scott City