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JDPriestly

(57,936 posts)
21. K&R. Wonderful.
Fri Feb 8, 2013, 02:21 AM
Feb 2013

Magna Carta -- 1215. We survived almost 900 years with the rights guaranteed by the Magna Carta challenged and transgressed now and then but always the hallmark of English law. And now, here we are having to fight once again for the simple rights of a free person: the rights to notice and to be heard, the right to a jury of one's peers and, hopefully, a judge who is fair.

No president should have the right to kill someone without notice and the right to be heard, without a fair trial.

Those living or fighting in a war zone have at least some notice if no right to be heard. But these drones are being used in a way that completely violates this basic tenet of a free society.

Don't even use the word free if you don't have an inalienable right to a trial -- to notice and to be heard -- because if you don't have those rights, you are not free.

More about the Magna Carta.

The 1215 charter required King John of England to proclaim certain liberties and accept that his will was not arbitrary—for example by explicitly accepting that no "freeman" (in the sense of non-serf) could be punished except through the law of the land, a right that still exists.

Magna Carta was the first document forced onto a King of England by a group of his subjects, the feudal barons, in an attempt to limit his powers by law and protect their privileges. It was preceded and directly influenced by the Charter of Liberties in 1100, in which King Henry I had specified particular areas wherein his powers would be limited.

Despite its recognised importance, by the second half of the 19th century nearly all of its clauses had been repealed in their original form. Three clauses currently remain part of the law of England and Wales, however, and it is generally considered part of the uncodified constitution. Lord Denning described it as "the greatest constitutional document of all times – the foundation of the freedom of the individual against the arbitrary authority of the despot".[3] In a 2005 speech, Lord Woolf described it as "first of a series of instruments that now are recognised as having a special constitutional status",[4] the others being the Habeas Corpus Act (1679), the Petition of Right (1628), the Bill of Rights (1689), and the Act of Settlement (1701).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magna_Carta

Drones should never be used within the United States or to target American citizens. Let's at least start there. And why do I say we should not use them to target American citizens? Because the Constitution prohibits our government from denying the right of habeas corpus other than in insurrection.

HUGE K & R !!! - Thank You !!! WillyT Feb 2013 #1
Pffft. Pre - 9/11 thinking. progressoid Feb 2013 #2
"Jury of your peers" was because the King was letting commoners try nobles Recursion Feb 2013 #3
Good reason to get rid of the whole concept of constraint on the power of the executive, right? MNBrewer Feb 2013 #6
The barons were the original teabaggers Recursion Feb 2013 #7
Indeed, Absolute Monarchy IS to be defended MNBrewer Feb 2013 #9
He was never an absolute monarch like in France Recursion Feb 2013 #12
That makes it all better MNBrewer Feb 2013 #13
The Right to a Jury of One's Peers Junkdrawer Feb 2013 #27
It's the word "peers" we got rid of Recursion Feb 2013 #32
The text of the Magna Carta emphasizes "freeman" and seems to use the word peer... Junkdrawer Feb 2013 #33
It's not peers in the sense of "peers of the realm" Recursion Feb 2013 #35
whooo...zlow down there sport Dragonfli Feb 2013 #4
Voting only Democratic is no assurance of "liberal cred" MNBrewer Feb 2013 #10
No you slow down. You think that voting Democratic assures liberal what? rhett o rick Feb 2013 #15
Too subtle for this crowd. Egalitarian Thug Feb 2013 #17
WHOOOOOOOOSSSSSSSHHHHH! kath Feb 2013 #20
Point taken. Progress is not to be measured from where we are... Junkdrawer Feb 2013 #25
Why elect academic scholar of Constitution? tama Feb 2013 #29
Don't forget keel-hauling. nt awoke_in_2003 Feb 2013 #5
Keels hadn't been invented yet Recursion Feb 2013 #8
When were they invented?? MNBrewer Feb 2013 #11
They come with the lateen Recursion Feb 2013 #14
You learn something every day. nt awoke_in_2003 Feb 2013 #22
From his posts you really do. nt Democracyinkind Feb 2013 #26
Let's be international and bring in necklacing. nt OnyxCollie Feb 2013 #16
I had to look that up. I wish I hadn't now. Amimnoch Feb 2013 #28
Small incremental improvements Herlong Feb 2013 #18
This is entirely unrelated Herlong Feb 2013 #19
K&R. Wonderful. JDPriestly Feb 2013 #21
Excellent post. nt awoke_in_2003 Feb 2013 #24
"Don't even use the word free if you don't have an inalienable right to a trial..." Junkdrawer Feb 2013 #30
epic thread Demo_Chris Feb 2013 #23
Here in the country that gave the world Magna Carta...... T_i_B Feb 2013 #31
We are facing a new type of existential threat, an enemy unlike any foe before... Octafish Feb 2013 #34
^ Wilms Feb 2013 #36
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