America the Beautiful

I don't know why I chose this topic as my first post. Maybe something about Wob's manifesto...

Good Americans need to stand up and demand accountability from public officials. Specifically, by calling for investigating, charging, and prosecuting all those who participated in, concocted bogus legal justifications for, and ordered the torture of any human being. I just read over at the Center for Constitutional Rights about how the latest "20th" Hijacker was tortured.

"The torture techniques approved by Donald Rumsfeld for use on Mr. al Qahtani include:
• Beatings
• Severe sleep deprivation combined with 20-hour interrogations for months at a time
• Threats of rendition to other countries that torture
• Explicit threats made against his family, including female members of his family
• Strip searches, body searches and forced nudity, at times in the presence of female personnel
• Sexual humiliation
• Humiliation by forcing him to bark like a dog, dance with a mask on his face, and pick up piles of trash with his hands cuffed while he was called “a pig”
• Denial of the right to practice his religion, including prohibiting him from praying for prolonged times and during Ramadan
• Threats to desecrate the Koran in front of him
• Attacks by dogs
• Forcible administration of frequent IVs by medical personnel during interrogation
• Being placed in acute stress positions for hours at a time
• Being placed in tight restraints repeatedly for many months or days and nights
• Exposure to low temperatures for extended periods of time
• Exposure to loud music for prolonged times
• At least 160 days of severe isolation"(source: here and here)
The US continues to hold prisoners in Guantanamo, abu Graib, Bagram, and other undisclosed sites, and allegations of torture abound. This treatment is not limited to the GWOT, but also extends to the treatment of "illegal" immigrants in concentration camps in Texas and other states. The NYT recently ran a series of pieces on the treatment of foreign nationals by ICE agents, the lack of medical treatment, and even the use of "anti-anxiety" drugs. We treat our own prison population (we beat even China) with very little regard, allowing routine rape, and other brutality to occur. Meanwhile, back at the ranch so to speak, the torture president is plotting his next battle with Iran.

What does this all mean?
In addition to prosecuting those involved, we must demand that our government adhere to the restrictions placed on it by the constitution and the various treaties that we have ratified regarding human rights and humane treatment.
Not a controversial topic you say? Who doesn't want these things?
Unfortunately, there is little evidence that Americans are strongly opposed to these tactics, and there is much evidence to support the opposite argument (see: LOU DOBBS)

The patriotism of anyone who defends the rights of (insert latest demon) is immediately attacked. IMO to be a good American is to defend the constitution and adhere to its limits on government, while fighting to expand democratic participation.

I look forward to joining this blog.

p.s. Best Wishes to Ted for a positive outcome.

p.p.s. Good Luck to both candidates in today's primaries.