habeas corpus

"…the Tableau is one of only two witch treatises that addressed the issue of witches as women. There were two aspects of their feminity which de Lancre emphasized in his discussion of witches: their sexuality…and women's 'natural inclination' for sorcery (de Lancre Tableau p. 89). This natural inclination was not rooted in women's physically weaker state. In fact, jurists such as Bodin had previously commented on having witnessed 'that women suffer torture more continuously than men' (de Lancre Tableau p. 89). Women's affinity for sorcery was based on women's extreme nature—her pursuit of her appetites, her desire for revenge, and her need for novelty, all distinguished her from the more balanced male."
Lorraine Berry, "Destabilizing Categories: Jews, Witches, and the Christian Male," Aestel 4 (1996)

Are we aware what lies at the end of the road opened up by the normalization of torture? A significant detail of Mr. Mohammed’s confession gives a hint. It was reported that the interrogators submitted to waterboarding and were able to endure it for less than 15 seconds on average before being ready to confess anything and everything. Mr. Mohammed, however, gained their grudging admiration by enduring it for two and a half minutes. "Knight of the Living Dead" By SLAVOJ ZIZEK

Are you looking for something to do today? Would you like to send a letter to the newly elected Representative from NY's 24th? Michael Arcuri was elected in November, 2006 to represent the NY 24th. He's a Democrat, the former prosecutor for Utica.

He's got a lot of positions that I like, and some folks may consider him a liberal. Except. When he was asked at campaign stops about HR 6166--the torture bill, he said that if he had been in Congress, he would have supported it.

In other words, Mr. Arcuri is not a big fan of the ancient principle of habeas corpus. It leaves me a bit troubled, does this. It's not some small inconsistency that's the hobgoblin of little minds; to me, it's a giant inconsistency that makes me wonder what other rights Mr. Arcuri believes to be expendable in the "war on terror."

Today, The US Court of Appeals denied the right of detainees at Guantanamo to have their cases reviewed by civilian courts. The US Court of Appeals wrote that habeas corpus does not apply to aliens held on US soil. You can read the judgment here in PDF--all 59 pages of it.

Then, if you like, you can drop Congressman Arcuri an e-mail here. Just ask him what exactly he thinks of this ruling.