Is The Fifth Amendment A Suggestion?

So recently Attorney General Eric Holder told us that "The U.S. government has the right to order the killing of American citizens overseas if they are senior al-Qaeda leaders who pose an imminent terrorist threat and cannot reasonably be captured."  This can happen without the benefit of trial, conviction, or any due process.


The Attorney General continued in his speech to students at Northwestern University that “the American people can be — and deserve to be — assured that actions taken in their defense are consistent with their values and their laws.”  Well, our values are encumbered in a document many of us like to call the Constitution.  While this may be a difficult idea for the nation's top lawyer, it is one the rest of us get.

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

I realize that the time of fiat has returned when Presidential administrations see themselves as kings (or potentially queens) who can rule without the consent of the people, the Congress, and so forth, but once again Mr. Holder, you are out of line with the document you swore to protect.  It did take a while, but isn't it your administration that is gloating over the successful capture of Osama bin Laden?  If you want to score political points with that story you should not then steal away the rights of citizens born in this country because the question has to be asked: what is terrorism?  Is it planting bombs in a cafe?  Is is it talk of sex change operations and who should pay for them or contraception?  The problem with a policy that allows an unelected, unaccountable bureaucrat to take on the murder of an American citizen is where does it stop?


As a Catholic it is clear that the death penalty serves very few needs and that is a process by which a trial occurs, a verdict of guilty occurs, then a judge signs a death warrant.  You do not see that in this process and makes me wonder if the Fifth Amendment is simply a suggestion?