Disagrees with D’Amato

To the Editor:

I don’t agree with Sen. Al D’Amato’s position that trying Khalid Shaikh Mohammed in federal court is a bad idea (“The president and attorney general are dead wrong,” Nov. 26-Dec 2). We are a nation of laws. Abiding by our legal system reinforces the principles of justice and freedom that our nation was built on. It is true that trying the terrorists in military court would be a way to prevent such individuals from gaining the benefit of the protections afforded criminals by our criminal justice system. Nonetheless, we need to trust that system and allow it to demonstrate to the world that our country is not just a nation of empty words and misguided actions. We have principles that must be adhered to in this situation.  

I was most disappointed by D’Amato dredging up anti-left-wing rhetoric to make his case. Calling the president “irresponsible,” describing his approach as one of “appeasement,” and calling him a leftist is merely appealing to emotion and fear rather than logic and reason. When our nation is recovering from eight years of failed Republican foreign policies, irrational gut decisions and disingenuous dealings with Congress and the people, we need to recognize that a new path must be taken. We have to be willing to try another way. We need to be a beacon of liberty to the world. We need to be a nation of openness, free speech, honesty, and discipline. We cannot continue to follow approaches that the Republican Party applied under President Bush. It’s time for a change, and D’Amato should try to be part of it instead of joining the negativity of the anti-Obama constituency.