Tonight I am angry, more angry than I have ever been.
This diary is harsh, but it needs to be, because truth needs to be spoken and not couched in polite terms.
Today the actions and inactions of two men, leaders of two of the most powerful nations in the world, together with the actions of Mr. Obama's predecessor pushed a young man who has been incarcerated and tortured for a third of his life to plead guilty to charges he may not in fact be guilty of, actions he is accused of committing when he was fifteen years old, a child. Omar didn't feel like he had a choice today.
I hope Mr. Harper and Mr. Obama feel powerful tonight, in using their power and the might of their governments against a tortured child.
I no longer feel that I live in a civilzed country, or on a civilized continent. How can we, as supposedly civilized people, allow this to happen? How can any child in Canada ever again believe that we adults will protect them?
I have been away from Daily Kos for several months, because I was moving from Vancouver to Ottawa to assist in lobbying the Prime Minister of Canada to repatriate Omar, and while doing so my computer suffered a grievous and life-ending injury. I am borrowing my housmate's computer tonight, because if I don't write tonight I won't be able to look myself in the mirror. My effort to lobby the Canadian government will continue, until there is no breath in my body. Please, Omar needs to know that people care about him; speak up and tell your elected federal representatives how you feel.
More tomorrow.
Torture is ALWAYS wrong, no matter who is doing it to whom.
Standing for justice and accountability,
in tears,
For Dan,
Heather