Those results are actually somewhat heartening since they either involved terrorists who were not American citizens or whose citizenship was left unclear. I can see the argument that noncitizen terrorists do not have constitutional rights and are enemy combatants. But citizens? Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev is an American citizen. Yes, he is a terrorist too, but he is an American too. Just as Jeffrey Dahmer was a serial killer, but also an American citizen. Just as Eric Rudolph was a right wing bomber, but he was also an American citizen. So since he is an American citizen, he has constitutional rights. That means Tsarnaev has his 5th Amendment rights and 6th Amendment rights, which are, respectively:
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.
In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defense.
So that is the end of that. For all those fascist conservatives like Lindsay Graham and Donald Trump who want Tsarnaev tortured and sent to Gitmo without a trial, I find it interesting that the only constitutional right you recognize is the Second Amendment right to bear arms. Everything else is merely suggestions. Hypocrites.
How the media failed in its coverage of the Boston Bombings and Manhunt. NBC and Pete Williams was the only network to distinguish itself as semi-competent.
We have some new polling, but not enough for a polling report, so here you go:
LOS ANGELES–MAYOR–USC Price/Los Angeles Times: Eric Garcetti (D) 50; Wendy Greuel (D) 40.
The poll suggests Greuel’s “dogged fight to win the backing of public employee unions appears to be undercutting her on her home turf in the San Fernando Valley… The survey also found no sign of success for Greuel’s effort to gain an edge among women by highlighting her potential to make history as the city’s first female mayor. Women preferred Garcetti, 50% to 41%.”
MASSACHUSETTS–SENATOR–DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY–Western New England University: Rep. Edward Markey (D) 44, Rep. Stephen Lynch (D) 34.
MASSACHUSETTS–SENATOR–REPUBLICAN PRIMARY–Western New England University: Gabriel Gomez (R) 33, Michael Sullivan (R) 27.