Thursday, June 16, 2005
I love Dick
I really do have a great deal of affection for Dick Durbin, and have never been more proud to have someone represent me in an elected body as I am right now. He is refusing to apologize for his statements denouncing ... of all things ... torture!
Here's a description he read verbatim from an FBI report:
Choosing his words carefully, he asked under what kind of system, had he not revealed the source, you would have thought this activity had occured.
Our torture policy is an international scandal and, in simpler times, somone in a position of authority would take responsibility for it instead of consistently scapegoating a few "bad apples."
Everyone should be denouncing, at the very least, the specific acts of torture in which we have engaged. This should be one time where our humanity takes over and politics goes out the window. Semantical games won't cut it. And those who speak most loudly, in the most glaring language, against the torture must be lauded.
Or, if you're the right wing, you can attack Senator Durbin, just like you attacked Amnesty International.
The Veterans of Foreign Wars has yet to condemn our torture actions or policy. But the Veterans of Foreign Wars has no problem going after Durbin for ". And how did they describe the horrors that Durbin read verbatim from an FBI report? "The agent wrote about loud music, varying temperatures and physical restraints being used on the suspected Al Qaeda terrorists." They say that Sen. Durbin owes an apology to our troops. Despite the fact that Durbin is working his ass off to protect and expand veterans' benefits.Do they really think our troops are better off with us having a torture policy? Honestly?
The Anti-Defamation League has yet to condemn our torture actions or policy. But HEY LOOK! They're also demanding an apology from Sen. Durbin.
The Christian Coalition has yet to condemn our torture actions or policy. But guess what...
I have nothing to say that hasn't already been said by those who are smarter, more prolific and more eloquent than I am. I would ask you to contact Sen. Durbin and let him know how you feel.
Thanks.
Okay, I do have one more thing to say. Those fuckers on the right and in the middle who are DEFENDING what's going on in our name around the world need figure out what side of history they want to be on. They are now defending activities which the MILITARY and the BUSH ADMINISTRATION officially disavow and prosecute. They need to stop criticizing Durbin and Amnesty and start castigating the BUSH ADMINISTRATION and the MILITARY for punishing those inovolved in the torture at Abu Ghraib and elsewhere. WHY, they should be screaming, is the BUSH ADMINISTRATION and the MILITARY on the side of TERRORISTS when they disavow and prosecute those involved in these activities?
If what OUR TROOPS have done in these prisons is really no big deal, is really just a bunch of fraternity pranks, or even more to the point - if it's NECESSARY to protect American FREEDOM AND SAFETY then isn't it indeed criminal for the BUSH ADMINISTRATION and the MILITARY to punish those involved?
The terrorist-loving, America-hating BUSH ADMINISTRATION and MILITARY should be deposed for daring to say a negative word - no, for daring to IMPRISON! - those troops who are merely protecting the safety of our families. Right?
RIGHT?
Make up your god damn minds.
Here's a description he read verbatim from an FBI report:
On a couple of occasions, I entered interview rooms to find a detainee chained hand and foot in a fetal position to the floor, with no chair, food or water. Most times they urinated or defecated on themselves, and had been left there for 18-24 hours or more. On one occasion, the air conditioning had been turned down so far and the temperature was so cold in the room, that the barefooted detainee was shaking with cold. . . . On another occasion, the [air conditioner] had been turned off, making the temperature in the unventilated room well over 100 degrees. The detainee was almost unconscious on the floor, with a pile of hair next to him. He had apparently been literally pulling his hair out throughout the night. On another occasion, not only was the temperature unbearably hot, but extremely loud rap music was being played in the room, and had been since the day before, with the detainee chained hand and foot in the fetal position on the tile floor.
Choosing his words carefully, he asked under what kind of system, had he not revealed the source, you would have thought this activity had occured.
...you would most certainly believe this must have been done by Nazis, Soviets in their gulags, or some mad regime--Pol Pot or others--that had no concern for human beings.
Our torture policy is an international scandal and, in simpler times, somone in a position of authority would take responsibility for it instead of consistently scapegoating a few "bad apples."
Everyone should be denouncing, at the very least, the specific acts of torture in which we have engaged. This should be one time where our humanity takes over and politics goes out the window. Semantical games won't cut it. And those who speak most loudly, in the most glaring language, against the torture must be lauded.
Or, if you're the right wing, you can attack Senator Durbin, just like you attacked Amnesty International.
The Veterans of Foreign Wars has yet to condemn our torture actions or policy. But the Veterans of Foreign Wars has no problem going after Durbin for ". And how did they describe the horrors that Durbin read verbatim from an FBI report? "The agent wrote about loud music, varying temperatures and physical restraints being used on the suspected Al Qaeda terrorists." They say that Sen. Durbin owes an apology to our troops. Despite the fact that Durbin is working his ass off to protect and expand veterans' benefits.Do they really think our troops are better off with us having a torture policy? Honestly?
The Anti-Defamation League has yet to condemn our torture actions or policy. But HEY LOOK! They're also demanding an apology from Sen. Durbin.
The Christian Coalition has yet to condemn our torture actions or policy. But guess what...
I have nothing to say that hasn't already been said by those who are smarter, more prolific and more eloquent than I am. I would ask you to contact Sen. Durbin and let him know how you feel.
Thanks.
Okay, I do have one more thing to say. Those fuckers on the right and in the middle who are DEFENDING what's going on in our name around the world need figure out what side of history they want to be on. They are now defending activities which the MILITARY and the BUSH ADMINISTRATION officially disavow and prosecute. They need to stop criticizing Durbin and Amnesty and start castigating the BUSH ADMINISTRATION and the MILITARY for punishing those inovolved in the torture at Abu Ghraib and elsewhere. WHY, they should be screaming, is the BUSH ADMINISTRATION and the MILITARY on the side of TERRORISTS when they disavow and prosecute those involved in these activities?
If what OUR TROOPS have done in these prisons is really no big deal, is really just a bunch of fraternity pranks, or even more to the point - if it's NECESSARY to protect American FREEDOM AND SAFETY then isn't it indeed criminal for the BUSH ADMINISTRATION and the MILITARY to punish those involved?
The terrorist-loving, America-hating BUSH ADMINISTRATION and MILITARY should be deposed for daring to say a negative word - no, for daring to IMPRISON! - those troops who are merely protecting the safety of our families. Right?
RIGHT?
Make up your god damn minds.
