Nation of laws or nation of revenge?

As expected, several Republican members of Congress don't want Miranda rights read to Dzhogar Tsarnaev, the surviving Boston Marathon bomber; they want him tried in a military court as an enemy combatant; and of course, they want the death penalty.

This does not sound like due process for a U. S. citizen; it sounds like revenge is more important.  A nation of laws would be sure that any accused is proven beyond doubt to guilty of the crimes as charged.

As for the death penalty, what does that prove?  That the government believes killing is a solution just as the killer believes killing is a solution to some real or imagined problem.

Finally, whether the Tsarnaev brothers acted out of anger and craziness or they acted for political reasons, executing Dzhogar Tsarnaev will provide Islamists with yet another martyr.

Nanny state or bully state

Have you noticed that many who complain about the U.S. becoming a nanny state seem to want the U.S. to be a bully state?

They complain about seat belt and helmet laws, want to do away with food safety regulations, and feel their rights have been trampled when they are stopped for a traffic violation.

On the other hand, some of these same people want every one to support any war the U.S. engages in, including having others do the actual fighting; they support the death penalty without any consideration of the fairness of the trial; and they want long prison terms for those who do things they don't like.