We don't often get political on BIG BOTTOM. It seems the most controversy here stems from whether Victor Wooten is better than Jaco Pastorius, or which bass is "best." Perhaps that's why the story of Tarik Shah is so important. He's a professional bass player, but the controversy that surrounds him is much bigger than that. Shah has been held in solitary captivity since May 2005 on suspicion of terrorist activity. If he is guilty of terrorist activity, he should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. But as an American citizen, he has the right to a fair and speedy trial and is innocent until proven guilty. When the U.S. government withholds the civil liberties of its citizenry, we aren't nearing a slippery slope - we're already halfway down it. Shah's story is going largely unnoticed in the press, but with him due in district court Feb. 17, hopefully there will be more attention paid to his case.
This Time It's Bigger Than Bass 
