Where Do We Go From Here?

If you've been paying attention to the news, you're already aware that the second suspect in the Boston Marathon bombing, Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev, has been taken into custody.  His brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, died after a shootout with law enforcement officials in Watertown, MA.  Right now, much of Boston, and much of the United States is celebrating the end of this ordeal.  Considering the potential, the conclusion of the manhunt and standoff went very smoothly, and more importantly, without the loss of additional lives.

What's next?  Already there are calls to treat Dzhokhar Tsarnaev as an enemy combatant rather than as a naturalized U.S. citizen.  I'm hoping that you are shocked to hear this, if not, you should be.  Since September 11, 2001, the defining line between U.S. citizen and enemy combatant has been eroded.  Because a war on terror was declared and we went to war in both Iraq and Afghanistan, this could be justified.  After all, if, during WWII, a German squadron had come ashore in Georgia and started killing people and destroying factories, they would obviously be considered enemy combatants, as would any U.S. citizens that helped them.  However, the rules at the time strictly limited interrogation of prisoners of war, and set guidelines for their treatment. No longer is this true.  Although President Obama has issued directives on stopping torture as a means of interrogation, enemy combatants can no longer expect to receive decent, humane treatment.

However, a United States citizen has many rights, protected by, above all, our Constitution.  Before this man, a citizen, can be considered an enemy combatant, we need to figure out who the enemy is.  Are we at war with Russia, or any of the Russian Republics?  There is no indication this young man has had any contact with anyone in Afghanistan, so we can rule that out.  The only possible connection I can see is if we are at war with Islam.  I suppose, that could be used to define him as an enemy combatant.

Oops.  That pesky First Amendment is going to need some changes.  Suddenly, anyone who is not of the proper religion, no longer has rights.  Suddenly, any person, for any crime, can be refused due process, based solely upon their religious beliefs.  This is what is known as a precedent.  Worried about the government taking away your guns, because they want to require background checks?  That's absolutely nothing compared to this can of worms.  If a U.S. citizen, with no affiliation with any enemy, can be considered an enemy combatant, where does that leave you and I?

Because I write things that are critical of our government, am I a potential enemy combatant?  Because you own 7 guns and just bought 400 rounds of ammunition, are you one?  And the best part, as an enemy combatant, you don't have to commit a criminal act to be taken prisoner.  As an enemy combatant, you don't get a lawyer, or a phone call.  You don't get your Miranda rights read to you, because they don't apply.  You don't get to complain if the police beat you senseless.  You don't get to go to court and have charges filed against you.  Until the undefined, undeclared war with the undefined enemy is over, we're both prisoners.  No more courts and trials, no more appeals, no more complaints about inhumane conditions.  Any crime, call it an act by an enemy combatant, and the problem ceases to exist.

Many of you feel the need for some sort of retribution.  Quite a few that consider themselves good, moral Christians would be happier to see Dzhokhar Tsarnaev dead.  I'll let you wrestle with your conscience on that one.  His death won't bring anyone back to life.  His death won't restore lost limbs or heal broken bones.  His death serves no purpose other than help convince ourselves of our own righteousness.

His life, however, is precious.  He is not some monster, nor some evil spawn of hell.  He's a young man with parents and friends, a young man with hopes and dreams, a young man who did something terrible, but still  a man, and a citizen of these United States of America.  If, instead of focusing on retribution, we focus on knowledge and understanding, his life can return some of the value lost by his actions.  From this young man we can learn, not how to figure out targets and identify terrorists, but how to keep people from becoming terrorists in the first place.

You don't cure cancer by killing everyone afflicted, you cure it by trying to find its origins and preventing it entirely.  Isn't a cure for the hatred and the violence what we really need?