Vanishing Freedoms

Yesterday our Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton, declared that the White House would not recognize the result of the democratic free elections to take place in Honduras this fall, also cutting $30 million in aid to the country.

Now, their reasoning at first sounds solid, and well thought out:

“The secretary of state has made the decision consistent with U.S. legislation, recognizing the need for strong measures in light of the continued resistance to the adoption of the San Jose Accord by the de facto regime and continuing failure to restore democratic, constitutional rule to Honduras,” – Ian Kelly, State Department Spokesman

But what is all this about?

Well, Honduras’s former president Mr. Mel Zelaya was knowingly trying to change, and modify the Constitution of Honduras, which would allow him to eliminate those pesky term limits. (Sounds vaguely familiar to what they are trying to do here, although at least they are using the proper procedure to do it) Now why is that a bad thing? Well according to the Honduran Constitution that is a very bad thing:

Title VII, Chapter 1: (constitutional reform)

Article 373: Constitutional reform can only be declared by the National Congress, in regular sessions, with a 2/3s vote of its members. The decree to be voted on will specify the article or articles to be reformed, and it must be concurred by the subsequent session of Congress by a 2/3s vote before it takes effect.

 Article 374: It can not be reformed, under any circumstances, the previous article, this article, the Constitutional articles related to the form of government, the national territory, Presidential term-limits, the prohibition of a President to be re-elected, and the requirements and prohibitions on who can and can not be President.

So why did the Military come in and escort him out? Well, he was fired, and much like when you get fired at a major corporation, many times security will walk you out of the building. It is their job, much like it is the Honduran army’s job:

Article 272: The Armed Force of Honduras is a permanent National Institution, essentially professional, a-political, obedient, and un-deliberate. It is constituted to defend the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic, to maintain the peace, public order, protect the Constitution, the principles of free suffrage, and the changeability of the President of the Republic.

Why would all of this be written into the constitution in Honduras? Well, if you know anything about South and Central American politics, you’d know you have the likes of Hugo Chavez, Fidel Castro, Daniel Ortega and friends have come to their power by taking the democratic process and, well to put it simply, destroying it from the top down, to create their dictatorship. Remember, Hitler was elected to a position of power, and abused it as well to make sure he got to the top and stayed at the top.

So it would make sense, that a small, democratic country surrounded by enemies and dictators, would be very sensitive to any president trying to extend his power.

So back to that San Jose Accord that Clinton found so important, that she decided to shun Honduras until they agreed to it. What it calls for, is the return of Zelaya as president of Honduras, and for the people of Honduras to put up with him until they could have an early election, and vote him out of office.

Wait, what? Put back in power the very man they removed for violating their own constitution? A man backed by the worst dictators on this side of the globe? Even Chavez pledged to overthrow the “new government” of Honduras (how just having a new president means new government, I’m unsure, then again this is a drug dealing dictator talking).

“We will bring them down, we will bring them down, I tell you,” – Hugo Chavez

So what do we have here? We have a free country, that legally ousted a president who illegally tried to extend his power that is now not only attack by their former presidents unsavory and dangerous friends, who are not fans of democracy or freedom, but is now under fire from the EU and what use to be the light of freedom for the world, the United States of America.

Why pick sides in this battle you ask? Well, besides the simple fact that Honduras is one of our allies, they also promote freedom and equality for man, which is something that both the left and the right agree, is basic human rights. It is much simpler than even that though, as this is the law and justice being followed and served, something that I thought we were to uphold and champion.

So which side does the White House choose in this very uncomplicated dilemma? The side of the would-be-dictator, who pals around with human rights violators, drug dealers, and those guilty of financing and supporting guerilla warfare against our allies, and other democratic free nations in South America. What does that tell you about our leaders in the White House? In saying that the United States will not recognize who the people of Honduras elect as president this fall, gives more credit to the likes of Fidel Castro of Cuba, Kim Jong II of N. Korea (who likes threatening to wipe us off the face of the earth with nuclear missiles), and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran (who recently had an “election” and won… then proceeded to beat and kill those who said the election was a hoax).

It seems our leaders are not fans of freedom, democracy, or justice and law. If they don’t support it elsewhere, what makes you think they will support it here?

“I call on all political and social actors in Honduras to respect democratic norms, the rule of law and the tenets of the Inter-American Democratic Charter,” – President Obama

Are the tenets of the “Inter-American Democratic Charter” higher than the law of the country? No. They are respecting their democratic process, they are exercising the law and are holding elections for a replacement president. It is you President Obama, that is not respecting the democratic norms.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

If you don’t know where the above words are from, I pray for you…

…and to the people of Honduras, the winner of this round is up to you. Stay vigilant, the actions of the White House do not speak for all of us.

1. Sharon says:

   09/04/2009 at 10:45

   Very nice post Arthur. It’s interesting that Clinton, Obama, and Chavez are aligned in their denouncing of Honduras’ actions. What is that saying…birds of a feather…? I thought our days of helping install dictators in South America were over but I guess not. Is it any surprise that most South Americans hate America? We have destroyed many democratic governments to install America-friendly dictators. I truly pray that Honduras will stick to its guns and not bend to international pressure that is not putting its interests first. Honduras is a constitutional republic, like us, in the fact that they are to rule by law not by public opinion or international pressure. I only hope that our Supreme Court and military would have as much dedication to defending our Constitution as Honduras but seeing our Supreme Court…yea, right.