Philippine’s Dictator Extends Grounds for Police to Kill Citizens
In response to the meme here, reader Sara notes, “Follow the law, no worries.”
It’s strange to hear an American say this. Our right to due process under the law, as guaranteed by our 5th and 14th Amendments, is so central to our way of thinking, and the concept of extra-judicial killings is so abhorrent, it’s rare to find someone advocating this level of lawless barbarity on our shores.
I’m reminded of Kurt Vonnegut’s “Cat’s Cradle,” a satirical novel about a dystopia future in which the government’s dictator, “Papa” Monzano, threatens all opposition with impalement on a large hook; it’s the only punishment in the culture, inflicted in retaliation from everything to overtime parking to premeditated murder.
Again, I don’t think Sara represents Americans’ best thinking.
