aaronsrod

MESSAGE TO JOHN

I thought it was a feature of our democracy
That we all enjoyed the rule of law and enjoyed it equally,
That hardwon legal safeguards would always be in place,
That longheld rules of evidence applied in every case.
But now it seems that these are things we grant selectively,
Not something we allow to those with whom we disagree.

Locked up in a lonely cell by Cuba's distant bay
The life of an Australian ticks steadily away.
Five years' incarceration, of unknown misery,
Five years of accusation but no substance yet we see.
No trial where allegations are put to proper test,
Where evidence is questioned and doubts can be addressed.

Instead we have procedures that contravene our law,
Time-honoured rules on hearsay this new court can ignore.
Admission, too, of evidence that's been coerced or bought,
A strident prosecutor who's in contempt of court.
And still our leaders tell us that they are satisfied,
That this system is acceptable and he'll be fairly tried.

Well, I say to you, John Howard, and to your friend George Bush,
If you really want us to believe the platform that you push,
If you would have a better world and dictatorship you'd end,
If you want to guard our freedoms and our human rights defend,
If you'd promote the rule of law and injustice you would fix,
If you want to spread democracy - then start with David Hicks.

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In 1215, the Magna Carta was signed, guaranteeing the right to trial by a jury of peers.

In 1679, the right to habeaus corpus (the "Great Writ"), guaranteeing the right to be brought before a properly constituted court to demand the reasons for imprisonment was codified.

These 2 basic rights are part of what makes the UK, US, Australia and other common law countries free.

Neither of these rights, nor the right to hear and challenge all of the evidence of the prosecution, or the disallowing of hearsay evidence, or the independence of the judging authority from the executive are provided to prisoners at Guantanamo under the proposed "military commissions".

The US will not allow its own citizens to be treated this way. The UK demanded that the US release their citizens.

If these rights are not what we are fighting the "so-called War on Terror" for (as it was called by Downer in Parliament during question time), then what are we defending?

I don't know whether David Hicks is guilty of an offence or not. Arguments about what he did or didn't do are irrelevant to defending our basic rights as citizens. If the Australian government will not defend those rights for a citizen then they are failing us all.

I do know that he is not being treated correctly according to the laws of either our country, or of the United States.

That is wrong. That should stop immediately.

Dear fellow Australian,
I would strongly urge you to join with me in persuading John Howard to bring our fellow Aussie brother David Hicks home, we have the right as an Australian citizen to the presumption of innocence, a right this young man, husband and father is being denied.
Now even if he has made a mistake, then he has the right to be heard and answer for that mistake here in our country as one of its sons.
I firmly believe that it is by action such as this, that we define ourselves as a nation. One who's people are bound with the bond of mateship and as we all know the quickest way for evil to prevail is for good people to do nothing.
I do not know this man yet still he is my brother and whether he has erred or not, as an Aussie I shall treat him so.
I only ask that you do the same for him as I would do for you.

Please have your say here www.getup.org.au/postcard-guantanamo.asp