A Slippery Slope

I don't understand the commutation of the sentence of Scooter Libby. I don't understand the quiet response to the actions of our president. It is like the people are just saying "well this sucks, but in two years he will be gone". It seems that our country is a group of citizens together living under an agreed upon set of laws. We can wrangle all day about the laws that are in place, but that is one of the strengths of the system, if laws are generally agreed upon as being wrong, then the whole of society can debate the laws and change them. The strength of this system is that no one person can decide to change what affects all of society.

When one person can change the laws to suit their needs, however lofty and high minded the goal, this is still tyranny, or despotism or any of the other terms you hear applied to rulers who make their own laws. Yes, as leader President Bush has some power to commute the sentences of those that are considered wronged by our justice system. Scooter Libby was not wronged, he was convicted by a Grand Jury, and had all of the strength of our legal system to pursue appeals. I would argue that with superior representation he had a higher than average chance at success for his appeal, if in fact he was wrongfully convicted. President Bush, by stepping in and helping his former employee, has declared that he is above the law, and that our legal system does not apply to his administration.

This stance nullifies any attempt by him, now and in the future, to speak about our legal system. or to campaign for those that are "tough on crime". This action has, more than any other, shown that we are living under a tyrannical regime, that we mistakenly elected, and that all citizens should speak out about whether this is the way we want our leaders to act. Perhaps two more years of this administration it too long...