Say It Aint So, O

Hi. My name is Oxymoronic. And I’m a recovering hope-aholic. It all started when Obama backtracked big with his stance on FISA.

That was a warning sign, but I chose to ignore it….I figured, he had to play it safe for now….he’s trying to get elected into the highest office in the land. I tried hard to justify it.

But a part of me knew. I didn’t want to think it. I didn’t even want to say it out loud. He’s the same. He’s like all the rest.

No. I refused to believe it. He was the symbol of true hope and change for this country, he was going to do everything in his power to try and clean up the horrifying mess that was the last few decades of this country’s history.

I got drunk off the hope every day. I thought it. I talked about it. I…blogged about it. And, to be fair, Obama has done some very good things while in office thus far, particularly for the environment. But. (I really hate that there’s a but).

The President’s recent statement regarding the release of the Bush Administrations’ torture memos went too far. It went too far in the almost complete bursting of my hope bubble.

The fact that he manned up to his claim of a more transparent government in this case should be commended. The statements were, after all, released. GoBama.

However, all this rubbish about how “this is a time for reflection, not retribution,” and my utter favorite, “…at a time of great challenges and disturbing disunity, nothing will be gained by spending our time and energy laying blame for the past” makes me a bit sick.

Nothing will be gained!? Yeah. Nothing but the TRUTH, the upholding of LAWS, and what remains of the dignity of an entire nation.

If the United States is supposed to be a nation of laws, then pray tell, Mr. President, isn’t the use of torture a criminal act in direct violation of that nation’s laws, and, therefore, aren’t laws that are broken subject to the courts of justice?

Justice. Is there any such thing? I’m sorry Mr. President, but laying blame for the past is precisely what holding those who have committed crimes accountable is tantamount to. Shall we just excuse every criminal who has broken the law because we haven’t the time or energy to lay blame for the past?

Riiight. I didn’t think so. And please explain this to me, oh Commander in Constitutional Law, how on earth are we to prevent this sort of atrocious behavior from easily happening in the future when we allow those responsible to walk away free and clear?

It makes no sense. None what-so-ever. And for those still playing defense, (you know who you are), claiming that Obama has only been in office a few months, well please allow me to reiterate that I find that argument to be pure rubbish in this case.

This is the law, and it was broken in the foulest of ways, and we as a nation should demand justice for the sake of our country and all that it is purported to stand for. It doesn’t matter whether the President has been in office for one month or eight years, he must not spew such clever equivocations about such a serious, and clearly cut-and-dry issue.

The message Obama is giving me here, loud and clear, is that, apparently, when those in power commit crimes of a heinous nature, they should not be held accountable, because we need to look to the proverbial future instead of focusing on the past. But if I kidnapped, beat, practically drowned a person for, uh, information, that wouldn’t fall under the umbrella of “harsh interrogation techniques”, would it. No. I’m afraid I’d be facing a full criminal investigation, at the very least.

That’s the law, after all, right?

Right….?

*If you are as outraged as I am about this blatant disregard for the rule of law, please visit the ACLU’s website for some important information and ways you can help fight for justice in our nation.*