Monday, October 16, 2006

A Few Words About a (Apparently) Decent Lawyer

It's as simple as recognizing that you can try to retain "the best and the brightest" or you can surround yourself with "yes men" but not with both. These are mutually exclusive qualities in a person.
LCDR Charles Swift was given an assignment which he carried out to the very best of his ability, and for his successful efforts he is being forced to leave the Navy. He was tasked with defending detainees charged... where they have been charged at all... with trying to kill him. He successfully got the Supreme Court (that put Dubya in the White House in the first place) to grant detainees some semblance of the due process of law guaranteed by the Constitution he... and this Administration... swore to defend.
It wasn't always like this. In my time there were moments when I had to question whether the speaker had actually said what I thought I'd just heard. In only one instance was this not accepted in the spirit in which it was done. In my experience, the best have not felt threatened by a legitimate question. People committed to doing what is right do not object when what is right is revealed to them.
These are sad times indeed.

1 comment:

Maya's Granny said...

Incredibly sad times. This man did his duty, and we should all thank him for it and reward him. Instead, he is being punished.