Is Morality An Insurmountable Climb?

We learn from today's Spokesman Review that Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani, the first Guantanamo detainee tried in a US court, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to damage or destroy U.S. property but cleared of 276 counts of murder and attempted murder.

The fact he was only found guilty of one charge upsets some people. The presiding judge would not allow a witness to testify since the only reason we know about the witness is because we tortured Ghailani.

From the article:

“This tragic verdict demonstrates the absolute insanity of the Obama administration’s decision to try al-Qaida terrorists in civilian courts,” Rep. Peter T. King, R-N.Y., said, calling the decision “a total miscarriage of justice.”

Congressman King is correct. It is insane to try suspected terrorists in our civilian courts when we tortured them to get the evidence we needed to convict them. And he is correct that this is a total miscarriage of justice. The Obama administration claims the authority to indefinitely detain a suspect even if they are found not guilty. So it's not like they were going to let Ghailani go if he was acquitted of all charges.

We have descended the slippery slope. Former President George W. Bush admits to authorizing the use of water boarding, a form of torture our country has considered illegal for 90 years. He is an admitted war criminal and there is no outrage. But don't you dare besmirch his character by saying he doesn't care about black people.

The Obama administration continues using the policies implemented by the Bush administration where state secrets are paramount and trials would simply be for show because indefinite detention is the reality.

Just when you think there's nowhere for our country to go but up, it somehow finds a way to slide farther down.