Blog against torture day

[netmouse]

So today is the day when we're supposed to influence the world by blogging against torture. I kind of feel like when I'm asked to write to my congressman to tell him how I feel. My senator is CARL LEVIN. I don't have to tell him how I feel --he and I are AS ONE on the political spectrum and my asking him to vote on something a certain way will not change his vote because it was already going to be what I was going to ask for.

Here, I'm sure a wider group of people read this, and I don't expect us to be AS ONE, but still. You guys all get this, right? Torture is wrong and it doesn't work. Making it doubly wrong.

We have a number of documents both internal to the US and international that supposedly stand to tell us and the world that torture is something we WILL NOT DO, not to our own citizens, and not to others. We also have a president and administration who like to ignore most of the pieces of paper that have writing on them abridging their power to diddle wherever they like. But we're going to fix that, right?

Right?

Because it's WRONG.

That and it's STUPID if we want a solid basis from which to argue that OUR soldiers and ambassadors and everyday citizens should not have to fear torture in other countries. Which of course they should not. Nobody should have to fear that. It should, like, go away. Bzzt. (Imagine that Ruby Red radio guy in the Fifth Element waving his hand there. Go Away. Bzzt.)*

Are we all clear on that? Does anyone have a different opinion/perspective,etc.? Because I sure don't want to believe I'm preaching to the choir when there's actually someone who needs speaking to.

So speak up if you disagree.

* reference corrected. Thanks Matt!

Comments

[scottij.livejournal.com]

Writing to Carl Levin may not change his mind, since as you said he's a great Senator and already agrees. But then again, it always helps for him to know how many people support his position.

And of course, you could write to the President and Vice President to express your concern. You probably won't change their mind either, but it would help for them to know how many people oppose their position. Imagine 5 million letters from 5 million people saying they oppose the use of torture.

And for the other poster, yes, waterboarding is torture. Just because there are worse forms of torture doesn't mean it isn't still torture.

[netmouse.livejournal.com]

nod. I do write to Carl about some things, still, or call the office, but mostly I wish other people would get their Senators in line. And I should write to Dingell, too, I'm just still pissed about losing Rivers...

I used to write to the White House fairly often, but it's been years. Maybe I should renew the habit.

[knightlygoddess.livejournal.com]

I've written to the White House 6 times this year, and gotten 6 form letters back. It angers me because I feel like they treat actual letters of concern and/or opinion like fanmail.

I write to my Representative more than I write to the Senators. My representative actually hand-wrote me a reply once (sure, it might not have been him, but it's still possible that it was), and I feel like when I write to him I actually might be reaching a person with some power to represent my views.