After months of useless bat-swinging by the lower courts, the big, bad U.S. Supreme Court soon will be stepping up to the plate to face the Bush administration's terrorism-fighting strategies. It's about time.

Since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, lower courts have had their hands full with challenges of issues such as the imprisonment of "enemy combatants" in the United States, government spying, secrecy about arrested immigrants and the detention of terrorism suspects in Cuba.

It is the Supreme Court's duty to come forward and address these issues.

America was founded on civil liberties created through and upheld by the court's decisions. The Bush administration's anti-terrorism plans severely infringe on many of those liberties.

There are plenty of big-hitters in the stands who support the court's hearing of these issues, especially that of the detention of foreigners at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Dozens of former ambassadors and judges, ex-prisoners of war, human-rights groups, foreign leaders and retired military officers are cheering for the court to hear appeals filed on the prisoners' behalf.

If so many notables are involved, this obviously is not a light issue.

Though it might not seem like it right now, the terrorism cases and their implications directly affect every American citizen.

The basic rights which are the foundation of the country are in jeopardy. The court will announce in early November whether it will review such cases.

While it already has selected many of the cases for this term, there is a chance that one terrorism appeal could be added to its schedule. We hope, the court will pick up at least one appeal, because the country needs to have its actions match its ideals.

Another notable possibility up for the court's attention is a proposed challenge to the government's refusal to release the names of hundreds of foreigners who were detained after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

While the appeals courts in Washington, D.C., said disclosing names and other private details could help terrorists, not all of the people detained probably are not even involved with enemy combatants.

Many might have been wrongly detained from their homes and families.

If the Supreme Court hears any or all of the terrorism-related appeals, the decisions will involve more than just suspects and detainees. All that America stands for is at stake in these appeals. Our global reputation and our internal relations are at risk if the Bush administration continues to get away with violating citizen rights in the name of the war on terrorism. Homeland security should extend beyond finger-pointing and color-coded alert levels.

Americans should be guaranteed security of our basic rights to freedom. And that's something everyone - especially the Supreme Court - should root for.