Do Words Have Meaning President Obama?

From the moment we begin speaking as infants in our mother tongue we accept the obvious reality that words do mean something. Each word in every language has a specific or range of meanings that become accepted by the general population. When we speak to one another we can determine what is meant and if there is any uncertainty can have it clarified. Likewise the content of the written word generally enable us to understand what the meaning "is". Except when "it depends what "is, is?", as a past US president said when he was caught with his pants down.

For the last eight years ambiguity of language and the written word has flourished as our government attempted to justify our nation's apparent disregard of the meaning of the Geneva Convention Treaty governing humane treatment of enemy combatants who are captured. We have been told that the Geneva Convention does not apply to suspected terrorists even when they are called enemy combatants. We are being told now by ex-Vice President Cheney that all torture is acceptable if an appointed lawyer or he says so, and he says so. What then do these word from the Geneva Convention Treaty mean, Mr Cheney?

"Captured combatants and civilians who find themselves under the authority of the adverse party are entitled to respect for their lives, their dignity, their personal rights and their political, religious and other convictions. They must be protected against all acts of violence or reprisal. They are entitled to exchange news with their families and receive aid. They must enjoy basic judicial guarantees."

Whatever the consequences of violating these words are or should be is up to the judicial process to determine. Mr. Cheney admits that the words of the Geneva Convention were disobeyed by him and others in the Bush Administration. The meaning of the Geneva Convention is indisputable. There is no acceptable reason to claim misunderstanding of these simple words. The laws flowing from the violation of the Geneva Convention are also as clear as can be and those of us who are old enough remember the Nuremberg Trials at which many Nazi leaders were convicted of war crimes and sentenced to long imprisonments or executed for violations of the Geneva Convention Treaty.

Words do mean something Mr. Cheney and you are certainly aware of that fact. Your admission of our Country and you yourself violating the words of the Geneva Convention should have judicial consequences.

It is now up to the Obama administration to mean what Candidate Obama so often said: "There must be accountability for actions." Individuals in the bush Administration violated the Geneva Convention Treaty that is law in over 190 of the counties on Earth, including the USA. The meaning of the words in the Geneva Convention Treaty are not ambiguous. The words mean exactly what they state in any language on Earth.

If the individuals in the Bush Administration violated the Geneva Convention Treaty, as Mr. Cheney admits, then the guilty individuals must be tried for crimes against humanity just as were the Nazis at Nuremberg.

The Obama Administration cannot ignore what took place during the Bush Administration and simply brush it off by saying "let by gones be by gones". By so doing he would admit that words have no meaning and they are always subject to interpretation and exception. If so how can your words, President Obama, be relied upon and judged?