Bush
defends civil liberties, for once
No, the headline for this story is
not a typo, computer glitch or other kind of
mistake. In a meeting with Chinese President
Hu Jintao at the White House last Thursday,
President George W. Bush did in fact call for
a revival of the basic liberties and freedoms
people living in China are currently deprived
of.
The obvious irony lies with the fact Bush has staunchly supported legislation
that denies Americans the basic rights guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution. Bills
like the Patriot Act have narrowed the scope of what it means to be free in America,
allowing the government virtually unbridled access to intimate, personal information
all in the name of national security. U.S. citizens are not the only people feeling
the stress and strain of the current U.S. policies limiting civic rights and
liberties.
Some in the United States have even denied people abroad the most basic of human
rights, opting to violate international legislation like the Geneva Convention
and committing extreme violations of civil liberties on prisoners held in American
custody. Examples include places like Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay, where people
suspected of terrorist activities have been held captive without a trial for
extended periods of time and, unfortunately, were locations full of prison abuse.
While many may consider the subject of prison abuse abroad a moot point (many
of the deranged soldiers are already serving sentences for their atrocious actions),
the pain and humiliation encountered because of these breaches in human rights
is still very real for many people and serves as a testament to the lack of respect
for human rights and dignity still prevalent in aspects of U.S. policy.
Ironically, while Hu spoke last Thursday, Wang Wenyi, a Chinese-American doctor
from New York, was suppressed for expressing her indignation at Hu’s unethical
actions against the religious sect Falun Gong. Wang was detained while saying
Hu’s “time is running out” and “President Bush, stop
him [Hu] from killing.”
While many people in Guantanamo Bay have waited years for a trial (or even official
charges), Wang has already appeared in court and been charged with harassing,
intimidating and threatening a foreign official. The symbolic muffling of dissenters
and those who speak out against what is wrong is an incredibly powerful and eerie
image, perfectly juxtaposed to Bush’s call for civil liberties.
Wang was absolutely wrong in her actions. She caused an unnecessary disruption
and lost the attention and respect of those in power. But, regardless of the
nature of Wang’s protest, the way those in government handled the situation
by quickly removing her from the area and charging her with superfluous charges
shows the American and Chinese governments are not all that different in their
responses toward dissention. Wang may face up to six months in jail and a fine
of $5,000 for the outburst.
Although Americans have much to be grateful for (many other modern countries
do not have written basic rights promised to their citizens), we cannot become
lackadaisical in our vigilance of the actions of those in power that may breach
our rights.
While calling for humanitarian change abroad may seem noble, Bush must first
assure his actions at home will not violate Americans’ basic human rights.
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