more on the legalization of torture
I don't know about you, but the horrible insanity that is the impending legalization of torture in this country has kinda knocked me back. It's the sort of thing that leads to a sense of futility, and a recurrence of that sinking feeling all too common in the last six years that we are headed into darkness. Hello, Stalin's Russia.
Luckily, people who are not me have turned that despair and anger into action. Such as the Kossack who made the following anti-torture video:
The idea is to make this a viral video, so pass that along.
I saw the suggestion on one of the blogs that one way to stop or slow down this bill would be to add amendments to it. The president says the Geneva Conventions are too vague? Let's get specific. How 'bout an amendment that says we won't practice "hard interrogation tactics" on minors, or the mentally handicapped. Make Republicans vote to torture children. How 'bout an amendment banning sexual assault, rape and forced sodomy. Make them vote for rape. They're the tough guy party. They're the manly party. Let them face up to the consequences of their rubber-stamping and water-carrying.
Just as disturbing as the legalization of torture is the gutting of habeas corpus. Fire Dog Lake has a good post on what habeas corpus is, and why it's so vital to our system of justice. Habeas corpus means the government can't just lock you up for no reason. Now, with a bill that denies this right to "enemy combatants", and lets Bush decide what counts and doesn't count as torture, you really can be disappeared and tortured. That's not exaggeration. Think it can't happen to American citizens? Jose Padilla was held without charges for three years before an impending SCOTUS ruling made the government actually charge him with something.
One thing I wish people would understand is that there's no stopping either of the torture or the indefinite detentions at "them", even if you think "they" deserve it. This won't stop with terrorists. They won't stop with non-citizens. This won't stop with Muslims. "They" can become you. History teaches it. Believe it.
Luckily, people who are not me have turned that despair and anger into action. Such as the Kossack who made the following anti-torture video:
The idea is to make this a viral video, so pass that along.
I saw the suggestion on one of the blogs that one way to stop or slow down this bill would be to add amendments to it. The president says the Geneva Conventions are too vague? Let's get specific. How 'bout an amendment that says we won't practice "hard interrogation tactics" on minors, or the mentally handicapped. Make Republicans vote to torture children. How 'bout an amendment banning sexual assault, rape and forced sodomy. Make them vote for rape. They're the tough guy party. They're the manly party. Let them face up to the consequences of their rubber-stamping and water-carrying.
Just as disturbing as the legalization of torture is the gutting of habeas corpus. Fire Dog Lake has a good post on what habeas corpus is, and why it's so vital to our system of justice. Habeas corpus means the government can't just lock you up for no reason. Now, with a bill that denies this right to "enemy combatants", and lets Bush decide what counts and doesn't count as torture, you really can be disappeared and tortured. That's not exaggeration. Think it can't happen to American citizens? Jose Padilla was held without charges for three years before an impending SCOTUS ruling made the government actually charge him with something.
One thing I wish people would understand is that there's no stopping either of the torture or the indefinite detentions at "them", even if you think "they" deserve it. This won't stop with terrorists. They won't stop with non-citizens. This won't stop with Muslims. "They" can become you. History teaches it. Believe it.