Category Archives: Politics

Patrick Henry on Torture and the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution

Patrick Henry on Torture and the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution

When debating the Constitutional amendments that would eventually become the Bill of Rights, Patrick Henry advocated strongly for an amendment providing for protections against the use of “excessive bail and fines” and “cruel and unusual punishment.” His case was this: While our governing representatives could be allowed latitude to write laws defining crimes and enforcing punishment, they could not be trusted with the same (or any) latitude when it came to ensuring limits to punitive actions. He stated: “But when we come to punishments, no latitude ought to be left, nor dependence put on the virtue of representatives.” Continue reading

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The Current Vetting Process for Refugees Seeking to Be Resettled In the United States

The Current Vetting Process for Refugees Seeking to Be Resettled In the United States

I am for screening or “vetting” of refugees seeking to be resettled in our country. I believe there should be in-depth processes which evaluate and validate who enters our nation, especially in times of great conflict and from areas of great conflict.

However, what I have found in the midst of the current national debate on this topic is that most people are unaware of what is already in place in terms of screening/vetting refugees. There is a high degree of assumption that whatever is in place it is not detailed enough. When I ask, “What do you think should be in place to make our system better?” the most common answers are usually related to “background checks” and “how do we know who these people are?” Continue reading

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