A Few Suggestions for the United States on Her Birthday

It’s Independence Day here in the United States—a good time to celebrate the marvels that this country represents, in particular, rule of law, and a meaningful constitution that generally protects the liberties of its individual citizens.  The 4th of July is also a great opportunity to understand where the U.S. needs to go in order to make sure that these liberties extend to all people, and that they are not eroded over time.  To that end, here are four suggestions:

1) Repeal all laws that flagrantly violate the Constitution, e.g., the National Defense Authorization Act. Among its other offensive aspects, the NDAA allows the U.S. military to detain indefinitely persons who are deemed to commit “belligerent acts” against the United States. Insofar as there is no qualification of the term “belligerent acts,” this renders void any notion of personal liberty; it nullifies both the 4th and 5th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, as well as the natural rights of Americans. This is a shameful and frightening law, and it should particularly infuriate the many millions of brave soldiers and their families who have sacrificed so greatly to maintain our freedom.

2) On a related note, restore the basic notion of habeas corpus in all our dealings. We seem to feel that we can hold enemy combatants for decades without charging them with a crime or allowing them to challenge their imprisonment, even though Supreme Court rulings in 2004, 2006 and 2008 confirmed that prisoners at Guantánamo Bay do have habeas rights.

3) Overturn “Citizens United,” the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that enables corporations to spend as much as they wish to craft the outcome of our elections.  If you think this isn’t a real issue, ask yourself how it’s possible that 89% of American voters want extended background checks for prospective gun owners, but that Congress refuses to pass such legislation. It’s hard to imagine what our Founding Fathers would have said about a democracy that has become so twisted by the power of corporate profits that it renders mute the will of the common man; let’s be on the safe side and say it wouldn’t be cause for celebration.

4) Take the moral high ground on the key environmental issues of the day.  America’s position as the most powerful force on Earth commands the respect of the rest of the world, and this confers an obligation to behave so as to forward the cause of human rights globally.  Of course, there are hundreds of implications here, but at a minimum, it means reducing the horrific impact of humankind’s actions on our oceans, our atmosphere, etc.

In 1835, French political thinker and historian Alexis de Tocqueville observed, “America is great because she is good. If America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.”  Something to think about on our nation’s birthday.