Of all the sins of omission committed by the Rubberstamp Republicans, complicity in torture is the worst. Americans used to be uniformly clear on this subject. Now the U.S. has a barbaric and backward White House, with an Attorney General who deems the Geneva Conventions quaint, and obsequiously obedient Republicans like our Mary Bono, with predictable results. We deplore it,
Tom Tomorrow blogs it,
Dana Priest prints it,
Salman Rushdie nails it, and yet we're still doing it.
The world's verdict is in, and the Europeans let Bush know it this week. Your turn.
So now it's
Torture Awareness Month, and we have dates and tasks helpfully provided by Amnesty International and TASSC and others to focus our outrage productively.
Please call, fax, or visit your representatives on this coming week of June 26th, and call on them to denounce torture.
A prototype email (ie., mine to Mary Bono) and other helpful links for you:
To the Honorable Mary Bono
of California's 45th District
Dear Representative Bono,
June 26th is the United Nations International Day in Support of Torture Victims and Survivors. I write to express my grave concern regarding the normalization of torture as practiced and promoted by our current U.S. government. As urged by Amnesty International (of which I am a member), TASSC, and many other human rights organizations, I request your response to this constituent's questions on the following measures to address torture.
Do you support:
* An immediate Congressional investigation of the torture currently carried out by the United States, and the appointment of a Special Prosecutor,
* Full disclose of all secret prisons,
* An immediate end to the practice of extraordinary rendition,
* Full funding for the Torture Victims Relief Reauthorization Act of 2005 (PL 109-165).
Please let me know where you stand, and whether you would now support the motion introduced by Rep. John Murtha back in 2005 regarding a prohibition of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of detainees. At that time you voted no. I urge you to consider America's current standing in the world, our founding traditions of human rights and the rule of law, and I look forward to your response to this matter. Thank you.
With respect,
Tip to RHB for the diary on the 121 Republicans who voted no to John Murtha's motion to retain our national honor and protect our soldiers. Heckuva job, House Republicans.
Call your representatives: The Congressional switchboard is 202-224-3121. And if you live in the CA-45th (Palm Springs and thereabouts), vote for David Roth this November! Live elsewhere and want to help anyway? Yes, thank you.
