Action Alert: Tell the Senate to Say "No" to Water-Boarding: it's torture!

Tell Your Senators to Insist That Water-Boarding is Torture, and to Make That Totally Unacceptable

Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York,  is backing for Attorney General a candidate and judge who thinks that water-boarding (putting a suspect's head under water till they nearly drown, and doing that again and again till they give the information being sought) is not torture and hence permissible when questioning suspects or people who might have information (or might not). And several other Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee are similarly ready to vote in favor of such an attorney general.  Rudy Guiliani shares that perspective.

    Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, said unequivocally that waterboarding is torture and prohibited by international law. Of course, the current Administration and some conservative judges have argued that the U.S. legal system should not be bound by international law.

    On the other hand, our religious traditions are unequivocal in rejecting this and all other forms of physical abuse and torture. I'm proud to be part of Rabbis for Human Rights that takes this stand both in regard to the U.S. and Israel, and I'm proud that the Network of Spiritual Progressives has joined the coalition of anti-torture groups .

    This is a moment for you as an individual to stand up against all forms of torture or what is called "physical pressure" while interrogating  suspects or people who have been convicted of a crime. And don't believe that it only will happen to other people, because as innocent as you and I both are of any wrongdoing, if the climate of fear and suspicion that we face today continues to grow, we too may some day be subject to this kind of abusive treatment. Imagine it, and then understand why you need to go to the phone and call your elected representatives of either party (because moral consciousness is not confined to one party) and insist that they publicly acknowledge that waterboarding is torture, that all forms of "physical pressure" are wrong to use on suspects, and that using torture is a violation of international law and should be prohibited in American law as well. And that no candidate for public office or for holding a job within the federal government should be supported if they do not reject waterboarding and whatever other clever physical or mental tortures the CIA or other investigative bodies should come up with in the future.

    If that message was conveyed clearly to the President of the US by refusing to confirm anyone in any office who did not accept this kind of basic respect for human rights, we might reverse the downward slide toward barbarism that has been enabled by the spinelessness of those who claim to believe in human rights. But that will take YOU acting today by calling both our own elected representatives and the office of Senator Schumer. Both can be accessed by the main number of the capitol: . Then, just ask for the office of your Senator, then your Congressperson, then Senator Schumer.

    It is outrageous that this kind of treatment is being condoned by the U.S. government. Stand up to it now.

    The National Religious Campaign Against Torture provides (below) some advice on how to raise this during the primary season. It is advice that can also be useful if you wish (as I hope you will) to raise the issue of rejecting the paradigm of domination and embracing instead the paradigm of generosity and the program of the Global Marshall Plan as the best way to achieve Homeland Security. This kind of personal involvement is open to all of us at this moment because, so far, this democratic right remains in place. Use it, and force candidates at every level of government to hear that Americans don't want their elected officials to be wishy-washy but rather to stand up for values of generosity, caring for others, caring for the planet, and recognizing that our well being depends on the well-being of everyone else on the planet, not on our ability to dominate and control them!

    Warm regards,
    Rabbi Michael Lerner 

   Chair, The Network of Spiritual Progressives  RabbiLerner@tikkun.org  www.spiritualprogressives.org  Join the Network!

P.S. If you do make the call, tell us what happened when you did so, or when you challenge the candidates in person on this issue, be sure to tell us what they said and what happened. Send us the info at info@spiritualprogressives.org or to me personally at RabbiLerner@Tikkun.org

BELOW IS THE STATEMENT FROM THE NATIONAL RELIGIOUS CAMMPAIGN AGANST TORTURE. THE NETWORK OF SPIRITUAL PROGRESSIVES IS ONE OF THE CONSTITUENT ORGANIZATIONS OF THIS CAMPAIGN.

On Wednesday, October 24, at a Presidential forum in Davenport, Iowa, Rudy Giuliani was asked a question about U.S.-sponsored torture and waterboarding. He said that whether or not waterboarding was torture depended on how it was done. That question and his answer got the attention of the New York Times which ran the exchange and a story on it on the New York Times website.  As a result, Senator John McCain was asked to respond to Mr. Giuliani's answer, and Senator McCain shot back that waterboarding is torture and is prohibited by international law.
The person who started this exchange was Linda Gustitus, President of the National Religious Campaign Against Torture, who asked the questions at the Davenport event. She currently lives in Princeton, Iowa.

It will be important during the campaign season for people of faith to ask presidential candidates questions about torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of detainees. The results may not always be as dramatic as those produced by Linda's questions, but the audience and press present will hear both the importance of the issue and the positions of the candidates.
Please consider requesting your constituents to ask the candidates about torture policy and practices.  Some suggestions for asking questions of Presidential candidates when they're in their area are:
*     Arrive at the event early so they can get a seat in front, if possible.
*       Be pleasant, not hostile, in their tone.
*       When recognized, they should introduce themselves and state that they are involved in the National Religious Campaign Against Torture.
*       Introduce their question by trying to connect it to something the candidate has already said.  For example, if the candidate has talked about stopping terrorism, you may want to say something like:  ''I believe it is very important to stop terrorism, but I'm concerned about how we do that.  As a person of faith, I believe it is never O.K. to use torture.  On that subject I have the following question?."
*       Suggest that they ask questions like:
o       Right now the U.S. Army Field Manual prohibits torture, but the CIA is not covered by it.  Would you require the CIA to comply with the Army Field Manual on Interrogations?
o       Is waterboarding torture and would you allow it?
o       Would you stop the CIA program of "enhanced interrogation techniques", secret prisons and rendition for torture?
o       Do you believe the President has the authority to act outside the law with respect to interrogations in the name of national security?
*       Urge your constituents to write to campaign@nrcat.org to tell us about their experience of asking a question of a Presidential candidate.

If we can be of help to you as you make this suggestion to your constituents, please let us know.
Linda Gustitus                                                          Richard Killmer
President                                                                       Executive Director
                        

Rev. Richard L. Killmer
Executive Director
National Religious Campaign Against Torture
www.tortureisamoralissue.org