db89:

Today, the US government assassinated two US citizens on President Obama’s order. No doubt these two men were evil people. Perhaps they even posed a danger to the United States. Many Americans, perhaps most, seem unalarmed by this development.

 For those who are defending the assassination of al-Awlaki: I ask, where do you draw the line? The 5th Amendment of the US Constitution draws it very clearly for us: “No person shall be… deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.” Once we grant a single elected official the right to play judge, jury, and executioner of an American citizen, once we decide political and military expediency allows us to disregard the Bill of Rights, where does it end? Can we assassinate potential terrorists on US soil, even those that are citizens? And why are we only talking about Muslim extremists? What about far-right Christian wing extremists who might pose a threat to our citizens, people like Timothy McVeigh or Anders Breivik—can we assassinate them without a trial? Keep in mind that al-Awlaki was primarily a spokesperson for al-Qaeda. How supportive of violence against the United States do you have to be before you become a legitimate target? 

Once you forsake the Bill of Rights, you are walking a very slippery slope. No one denies that al-Awlaki was a terrible person. But our government should not be lawless, and it should not engage in extrajudicial killings. It is wrong in and of itself, and it sets a dangerous precedent.

-D.B.