[CLUE-Talk] Anyone heard about this? Free Mike Hawash

[Randy Arabie]

> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Randy Arabie" <randy at arabie.org>
> Date: Thu, 07 Aug 2003 16:30:26 -0400 
> To: clue-talk at clue.denver.co.us, clue-talk at clue.denver.co.us
> Subject: Re: [CLUE-Talk] Anyone heard about this? Free Mike Hawash
> 
> > 
> > 
> > > On Thu, 7 Aug 2003 13:32:27 -0600 Jed wrote:
> > > 
> > > Hey, those corrections were already there when I read it.
> > > 
> > > A testimony to the flexibility of the brain as a pattern-matching
> > > processor, eh? Except sometimes maybe it's too good?
> > > 
> > > Oh, BTW, the other sorta similar story in the news lately is 
about the
> > > publisher of raisethefist.com -- it's been on Slashdot, 
Instapundit, 
> > et.
> > > al. The news coverage mentions that he accepted a plea bargain, 
in 
> > part
> > > (or in full?) because of the threat of having the charges against 
him
> > > escalated to include terrorism, carrying with it the possibility 
of a
> > > 20-year sentence.
> > > 
> > > As to Hawash, I note that part of the agreement is that he 
provide 
> > info
> > > and testimony WRT the rest of the Portland 7, and presumably, 
anybody 
> > else
> > > he's aware of. I think this is telling. If he had told 
prosecutors, "I
> > > accept a plea bargain, but I'm afraid I just don't have the 
> > information
> > > you're after", would that have been reported? Probably not -- 
we'd 
> > have
> > > heard only that he accepted a plea arrangement, and the barest of 
the
> > > terms of it.
> > > 
> > > jed
> > 
> > This appears to be the entire text of the Hawash plea bargin:
> > 
> > 
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1043672261
> > 147451.xml
> > 
> > There's a lot of detailed allegations there that *should* have a 
> > substantial paper trial backing them up.  Seems if these were 
> > just "cooked up" it wouldn't be all that hard for someone to 
dispute.
> > -- 
> > Allons Rouler!
> > 
> > Randy
> 
> Well, as much as this is likely the case, I am still horrified at the 
way Mike was held for 5 weeks as a "Material Witness".
> He was pretty clearly not ever considered a material witness.    That 
was just a sneaky way around the Fifth Amendment.
> 
> There are plenty of other people being held this way right now, some 
have been held as long as 15 months without charges being brought 
against them.
> 
> I can't understand why we are tolerating this from our government.  
The Constitution is being treated like a dirty rag in the name of 
protectionism.   
> 
> Anyone who is tempted to ignore the violation of our basic liberties 
to feel safe should really go rent "The Siege" and reconsider that 
thought
> 
> Some of the people the government detains this way are a threat.   
Many aren’t.     The biggest threat however is that we will give away 
our freedoms to feel safe.    That sense of safety makes everyone live 
in fear however.    Fear of the state and fear of one another.
> 
> -Alex

Alex,

I tend to agree with what you've said.  WRT the Patriot Act
and all the new laws associated with Homeland Security, we
have certainly seen a erosion of civil liberties.

I don't know if holding Hawash for 5-weeks as a material
witness was wrong.  Certainly denying him access to an
attorney for those 5-weeks is, IMO.

We, US Citizens, should not tolerate the such injustices.
I've let my representatives know my feelings on such issues.

As Ben Franklin said, "Those who would give up essential
Liberty to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve
neither Liberty nor Safety."
--

Allons Rouler!

Randy
http://www.arabie.org/