Urban Thought Collective

“You can’t handle the truth!”

Jack Nicholson’s classic line from the military courtroom drama A Few Good Men keeps running through my mind as Republican senators try to block debate on healthcare reform and as conservatives in and out of government blast Attorney General Eric Holder’s plan to try 9/11 terror suspects in open, civilian court. The right wing has been working overtime to keep these critical matters from being discussed and resolved in the full light of day. What’s wrong? Don’t they trust that our systems of government and criminal justice are viable enough to address healthcare and terrorism? Or maybe they’re just afraid that honest, open debate would make them look bad and make President Obama look good?

Last week, Orrin Hatch, the powerful Republican senator from Utah, announced that Senate Republicans would wage a “holy war” to defeat the healthcare bill unveiled by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. This war will involve a variety of stalling tactics, including, possibly, the extreme step of requiring that the entire 2,000-page bill be read aloud on the Senate floor. The Republicans are afraid of a floor debate on healthcare because they know that a majority of Americans favor reform. A straightforward, up or down vote on the health bill would expose the Republicans as partisan obstructionists who are more interested in opposing President Obama’s policies than helping the American people.

I believe a desire for secrecy has also motivated Republican opposition to the Attorney General’s plan to put suspected terrorists from on trial in civilian courts rather than clandestine military tribunals set up by former President Bush. The claim that public trials will be traumatic for the families of 9/11 victims is a red herring, meant to distract the public from the conservatives real fear – namely that trying the 9/11 suspects will expose the shame of torture, lies and cover-ups by the Bush Administration.

A lot of conservatives can’t handle the truth because the truth could easily tip public opinion against them. That could mean further erosion of power and potential losses in next year’s midterm elections.

Thanks for listening. I’m Cameron Turner and that’s my two cents.

THINK! IT AIN’T ILLEGAL…YET!

Cameron Turner is a Los Angeles-area native whose editorials, entertainment news features and audio documentaries have appeared on national radio networks, online and in print for over 20 years.