12 - OlTl'l january 2002 VlE\ll/S

BOB GREEN M.Al.

LICENSED CLINICAL MENTAL HFALTH COUNSELOR

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Clifford D.lTro’r’r, Jr., Ph..D.

Licensed Clinical Psychologist — Doclorole

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l68 Bottery Street
Burlington, Vermont 05401
_ J ~_§§O.2;862.0836
’ctrolt@togelher.net

   

 

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Jungian Psychoanalyst _
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  James R. Nelson

Licensed Clinical
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(802) _651-7764

Burlington, VT 05401

 

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Restoring the Balance

BY: KAREN KERIN

 

Not since President John F. Kennedy has there been the call for balancing of citizen-
ship duties and rights as since the attack on September 11, 2001. Kennedy said, “Ask not
what your country can do for you, but rather what you can do for your country.” He
was communicating to the nation a standard that rights are or should be conditioned on
performance of duty. Until 9/11, that appeared to be a radically weakened standard. It
seemed that only a breach of a specific duty was perceived as failing the balance of
rights and duties. The question we need to ask is, where should the balance be when
the well being of the nation or state is at stake? , '

Consider john Walker Lindh, the alleged American Taliban, for example. His status at
Camp Rhino as a combat detainee, marks him as a prisoner of war — a status reserved
for non-citizens. On numerous occasions, our government has stated that non — Afghan
soldiers would be imprisoned. Somehow, apparently on the strength of his claim to cit-
izenship, Lindh has been handed over to American authorities. One must ask what the
basis for that action might be. Why wasn’t he handed over to the Afghanistan authori-
ties for disposition the same as his adopted comrades. Suggestions have been rampant
in the media and the man’s father has appealed for him claiming the young man made
a mistake. That does not hold water. After surrendering for the second time as one of a
small number of survivors of the prison uprising, Lindh is alleged to have claimed he
had taken training with Al Qaeda and had met Osama Bin Laden. If that is true, Lindh
is not a Taliban, but is an Al Qaeda, a terrorist. He stated that the attacks on 9-11 were
justified. He breached the duty to not take up arms against America, thereby forfeiting
any rights of citizenship as it is warned on page 3 of a US. passport, “[Ylou may lose
your nationality by  serving in the armed forces  of a foreign state   In that case
he is no longer an American and should be given the same justice as is meted out other
Al Qaeda fighters. Since he is in American custody, the military tribunal is the prescribed
venue for a non—citizen. He should be given a fair trial, and when convicted, should suf-
fer the maximum penalty that military justice can provide. America should never grant
rights to people who have engaged in terrorist war on the American people. Breach of
the few fundamental duties of citizenship should abrogate all rights. Alternatively, and
perhaps better, is to return Mr. Lindh to the Afghans for such justice as they may dis~
pense to the other foreign invaders of their country. Equal justice would seem to demand
that resolution and it would keep our hands clean. A mad dog is entitled to no rights.

Closer to home, we have the enormous fund built up of American generosity for the
victims of the World Trade Center. Oddly, there is no similar massive fund for the vic+
tims of_the,Pentagon__attack or for the victims in the hijacked ai—rliners._ Yet, the plane that

i went downin Pennsylvania was clearly the result of real heroes, who atjthe.,,c_ost»of,.,t_he,.i_r
‘ ownlives, saved others on the ground. Even within the Trade ‘Center victims relief, there

is very disparate treatment of victim family benefits. New York City Police families have
a much larger pool  funds available than do the Port Authority Police, and NY Fireman
families have a much larger pool of funds available than do the NY Police families. The
generosity of American donors was without understanding of the distinctions,» giving rise
to funds earmarked for specific victim groups, while unintentionally disenfranchising
other heroes. Clearly there isa right to some uniformity of benefits in the circumstances,
but the duty of officials to pursue that equity has been severely lacking. Apparently there
is some moves on the part of the federal government to disburse thefunds equally to
all the victims. That would be balanced justice and deserving of American charity so
openly given. _ _' O

Being a world traveler, I have been in numerous airports around the world. I am
accustomed to customs declarations, passport and visa process, baggage searches and
certainly, airport security. Butgl have never seen such extensive military presence as is

in evidence at American airports today. While I am a big supporter of the American mil— '
itary, it is uncomfortable, rather than comforting, to have heavily armed uniformed mil— '

itary presence carrying automatic weapons at departure. and arrival. It is notany fear of
firearms that makes 1116 unCOrr1fiQrtable- b_,ec_aL1__se —I.. am an ..active_~b and; proud member of
Gun Owners of Vermont. I think w'hat4'bo‘thers'~me"is the mil‘itary""'t'3re'sence changes the
character of ordinary law enforcement and the Third Amendmentto the U.S. Constitution
which states, “No soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in anyhouse   No, the
airport isn’t a house and the governing authority of every airport has agreed to allow sol-
diers to patrol it.” Nonetheless, it ‘just isn’t Americanf5_an'_dfit just isn’t cost effective. What
evil-doer is going to choose an airport for wrongdoifngfjgiven the very heightened state
of citizen alertness? I submit there are none. ‘In thisica_se=, our rights to feel comfortable
in our travel is being compromised by, government thatfiis‘ n"c'5t” doing its duty by control-
ling the illegal persons in this country; ‘

Closer to home, We have the terrible consequences of the last decade here in Vermont.

According to the Governors own report, we are over "taxed and over regulated. That ‘

explains why the census shows we earn 85-90% of people doing comparable work in
the surrounding states, while suffering with a higher cost of living, primarily attributed
to housing costs. Given that mix, it is easy to understand why, as the Burlington Free
Press reported, our twenty and thirty year old people are vanishing. All of those events
are impacting employment opportunities and the increasing number of layoffs is making
it worse. Surely it is clear that government in Vermont has gone to excess and is driving
employers out of the state. The basic right to either own and operate :1 business or be
employed by a business is compromised by over intrusive government that has failed its
duty. Indeed, it goes deep and well beyond the -legislztturej Our sole Coitgressinztit has
made a career blaming business for every woe, yet, can anyone niunc :1 pmdtictive
employment opportunity he has brought to Vermont? No one ltas been ztblc In yet. But
a number of businesses that have left Vermont have named our (/':()l1,&L?,l‘k,‘.‘-i.\‘lll;ll'l as con-
tributing to the abusive circumstances that have caused them to l‘L.‘l()(,‘1llC, ztnd corporate

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