WHY OBAMA'S "PREVENTIVE DETENTION" PROGRAM PUTS ALL U.S. CITIZENS AT RISK

This week President Barack Obama stated, on a nationwide TV broadcast, that in the course of shutting down Guantanamo his administration would deal with each case on it's own merits, in accordance with "the rule of law."

But, after listening carefully to what he had to say, listening to the pundits and comparing his statements to the policies of past administrations all the way back to Lincoln this reporter was left with a bad case of indigestion.

Jose Padilla - domestic terrorist?

Immediately following his speech former Vice President, Dick Cheney took to the airwaves to espouse his views on terrorism and torture. He came to the conclusion that although the former administration of Bush 43 did, in fact, justify the use of torture on the prisoners housed at Guantanamo, that it was only used on a total of 3 prisoners and therefore it was no big deal. In fact it is still a big deal, because this is how our rights are frittered away, one step at a time, one indiscretion at a time, one incident at a time, one breach of the constitution at a time, etc.

Dick Cheney knows full well that a precedent was established for all other presidents to follow, of breaking the law when they feel like it, in order to make sure we can all continue to enjoy the rights and privileges of citizens of a democracy. This is more than an oxymoron, this is just moronic period. One person that's tortured is too many. One person held in jail without bail is too many. One person held without due process is too many. One person held indefinitely is too many.

This is what is worrisome about President Obama's new policy regarding terrorists. He's proposing some of the same lawless policies that were created by the Bush administration. Rachel Maddow was correct in lambasting him for even proposing a policy of "preventive detention." As these policies are created to deal with terrorists abroad, Muslims from abroad and enemy combatants from abroad; what's to stop them from being used against American citizens who are deemed terrorists, Muslims or enemy combatants?

NEXT: To Be or Not To Be A Terrorist?