To be clear, my shoppers haven’t expressed anti-Semitism or hatred towards me. My main shopper isn’t alleged to have attacked America — he’s alleged to have been tangentially concerned with an assault in Indonesia — but he was brutally tortured and has been in jail for almost 20 years. Regardless, my colleagues and I help these males not as a result of we help the crimes they’re alleged to have dedicated, however as a result of we consider that our nation ought to maintain itself to the very best normal of primary decency and human rights.
As an lawyer and army officer, I’m obligation certain to defend my shoppers, a mission which our nation and Structure demand. Likewise, as a Jew, I used to be taught the core worth of seeing humanity in all folks — even enemies. And as an American, I used to be taught that everybody has sure unalienable rights, and that the protections of truthful trials, due course of and a prohibition on merciless and strange punishment apply whatever the alleged crimes.
Those that search to abrogate these rights, who take shortcuts, who bow to near-term political or ideological expediency, overlook the fundamental tenets of what this nation actually stands for, what as soon as made us a beacon of sunshine for these struggling world wide.
Pvt. Cooperberg’s letter closed with a warning that the true enemy is “any individuals who proclaim themselves higher than all different peoples, after which got down to show it by homicide and trickery and by the stupidity of those that by no means bothered to motive for themselves.”
As Individuals, we’re consistently offered with the selection of what our ethical position on the earth ought to be. We are able to decide a path of turpitude and compromise, selecting amoral, shortsighted technique of attacking those that search to hurt us. However such selections include penalties — they severely erode {our relationships} overseas, and weaken our ethical core at house.
Alternatively we will select to light up the various darknesses of the world with the ability of our instance, and reclaim the grace and humanity we discover in the most effective efforts of the Individuals who’ve come earlier than us.
If we’re going to decide on the latter path, we should acknowledge our errors, and present we will be taught from them. What’s occurred at Guantánamo is an instance of 1 such error. Twenty years on it’s time for us to decide on how — or if — we will start to restore the harm.
The selection is ours. However I believe I do know what Pvt. Cooperberg would have us do.
Lt. Commander Aaron J. Shepard, Decide Advocate Normal’s Corps, United States Navy (@GTMOCatch22) is a army officer and lawyer. He at the moment serves as a managing protection counsel with the Navy Commissions Protection Group. The views expressed don’t replicate these of the Protection Division, the U.S. authorities or any of its companies.
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