legalizing torture

[mckitterick]

As attorney Glenn Greenwald puts it here, we have finally come to this:

"If this 'compromise' legislation is enacted -- and it can now be stopped only by the invisible, impotent congressional Democrats -- the United States will be a country that has formally legalized torture, and the president's "interrogation program" will continue unimpeded, with firmer legal authorization than ever before. And the American people, through our representatives in Congress, will have embraced and approved of the use of torture. Far and away, it is the impact on our national character that will be the most significant and enduring result from this 'compromise.'"

The New York Times editorial page provides a restrained summary of this horror.

I wonder if writing to our Senators would do any good.

Chris

Comments

do or do not

[sparrowhawk433.livejournal.com]

I doubt that writing to your senator will sway this vote at this time, unless there were to be some huge groundswell, but I have emailed my two Senators and I hope you do the same.

Kansas Doesn't have Senators.

[kalimeg.livejournal.com]

We have a pair of bought-and-paid-for whores -- unless a miracle occurrs. Do you believe in miracles? Moreover, do you believe that the rest of the world is going to buy "Ve vere chust followink orders"?

[kalimeg.livejournal.com]

I did end up writing to Harry Reid and to Dennis Moore. People who are not Repubilcans need to know that it is their clear duty to go against these monsters, and that approving of torture is merely abetting war crimes.

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

Good for you. I need to figure out how to write them....

That's easy!!

[kalimeg.livejournal.com]

http://www.congress.org/congressorg/home/

Put your zip in the box at the left, and up come your pertinent people. If you want to reach Reid, go to Google and get the zip for Reno, NV; to get to Schumer or Hillary, put New York zip into Google and then put it in the box, etc.

This site is great -- and if you leave signing up for MegaVote checked, they send you reports on what is before Congress and how your reps voted.

[themitigator.livejournal.com]

would someone please remind our congress of the fifth through eighth amendments? no court in this country would allow a conviction based on "secret information." i can hear the prosecutor now: "your honor, we are unable to disclose the evidence against the defendant in this courtroom. but trust me, it's good evidence. he's totally guilty."

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

Oh, give it time, and the Neocons will find a way to say such things about domestic defendants.

"Your honor, due to national-security issues, we cannot disclose how Mr. Hildebrand threatened to harm Americans. As you well know, disclosing that we know something of such importance means that he is damned guilty and deserves to spend eternity in a dark cell without hope of release."

Something like that.

Say, did you read The Handmaid's Tale?