AlterNet, the online news digest, is sponsoring a project that asks readers to write a 100-word essay that answers the following question: "What would you like Obama's first 100 days in office to look like?" In lieu of my regular column, I thought I'd give it a go.

Obama must commit his administration to peace and justice. His first priorities should be to end the illegal occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan, pay reparations to victims of Bush's calamitous "war on terror" and extend full benefits to U.S. war veterans. Of course, there can be no peace without justice. Therefore, Obama must hold Bush, Cheney and other administration officials accountable for their war crimes. And as a student of constitutional law, Obama must unequivocally reject the idea of the unitary executive and all that goes with it: arbitrary detention, torture, domestic surveillance and the wholesale assault on civil liberties.

Kevin Howley is Associate Professor of Media Studies at DePauw University. He can be reached at khowley@depauw.edu.

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"What's Your Vision in 100 Words for Obama's First 100 Days?"

Kevin Howley is Associate Professor of Media Studies at DePauw University. He can be reached at khowley@depauw.edu.

For more Information
"What's Your Vision in 100 Words for Obama's First 100 Days?"