Fighting To Stop Torture

OK, enough double-talk and obfuscations from the Republicans. Let's get it out in the open: who believes the United States should never use torture, and who does not?

No more statements like the typical Republican response, "We won't comment on specific procedures we may or may not do." Let's get specific and show everyone what makes America America: We don't torture, and waterboarding is torture.

I opposed Judge Mukasey's nomination because of his refusal to take a stand on whether or not waterboarding is torture.

But he said that if Congress passed a law that made it clear where we stood on this reprehensible practice, he'd enforce it. So, here we go: let's define waterboarding as torture once and for all.

I'm a cosponsor of Sen. Kennedy's bill that defines a wide variety of specific things as torture, including waterboarding. It's another reminder why I am so proud to be Ted's colleague. But it's also another reminder that those who suggest there's nothing we can do to stop a run-away executive are just dead wrong - if we've got the courage of our convictions.

But, like everything we try to do, we're going to have to ram it past the opposition of some Roadblock Republicans, and I'll probably need your help.

Listen to veterans who know the importance of the Geneva Conventions prohibitions on torture to our soldiers on the battlefield. Listen to what John McCain says about torture. It's a vital dividing line between civilization and barbarism, even in the worst of war. A country can't cross that line without suffering grave harm, from increased danger to its soldiers to a lessening of moral authority in the world. There are some dividing lines of right and wrong that simply should not be crossed, and torture is one bright one. And I'm determined to do all I can to keep our country on the right side of that line.

In an Administration where Attorney Generals have seemed conveniently unsure of what constitutes torture, let's give the next Attorney General a law that leaves no doubts in anyone's minds. Let's bring all of the United States government under the Army Field Manual's directives, and specifically define as torture a series of actions and techniques, such as waterboarding, mock executions, beating or "other forms of physical pain to an individual", and a number of others.

The sad truth is that we need to do this when you have an Administration that has blurred the lines of torture and a Vice President who lobbied for it. It's time to make the Administration hear the voice of the American people saying, "We believe this is wrong, and we won't have this done in our name."

I set up a petition on my website where you say tell Congress that you believe that torture isn't just immoral, it should be illegal. I included a place where you could put your own thoughts on why you believe this so strongly. We should all add our voice and say, "Not in our name!" So, click here to add your name to the list of Americans who are saying just that, "There will be no torture in my name."

But that's not the end; this will be a long legislative fight, and this is not just a petition, this is the beginning of a campaign to make this happen. So I'll be keeping in touch with you, letting you know about more opportunities to make a difference, from calling into the offices of your Senators or Representatives to writing letters to the editors of your local paper and much more.

This is not going to be an easy fight. The Roadblock Republicans are well practiced in their methods of obstruction and fear on these issues, and they'll be pulling out all the stops on this one, I'm sure. (The only time they seem to want to talk about Osama bin Laden is when they're trying to defend actions like this, so I'm sure we'll hear lots of scaremongering throughout this fight. We'll need your help to get this done.)

It's time to help put our country on record: torture is against the bedrock morals of this country, and we won't stand for the use of it in our name.

Comments

[AnotherMcIntosh]

The Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution provides:
"Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, NOR CRUEL AND UNUSUAL PUNISHMENTS INFLICTED."

If the Republican thugs cannot agree with this basic concept, passing an additional statute is not going to change their minds.

If the Democrats will not stop the funding of those governmental agencies which have both approved of and engaged in slow drowning and other torture, there is nothing to stop them.

[mbaty]

Are Tasers torture? I'd like to hear Kerry's opinion on that event. And I'm all for using whatever means to stop torture--notice that abu graib didn't recieve attention until the pictures came out, and when our government can cover things up like dark prisons, then we don't even have the option of being outraged.
We need to keep shining the light on this evil practice.

[Norge]

Senator Kerry,

You were in the vietNam conflict which at the time was not called a war but instead was called a "Police Action" by your own military.

Torture was not allowed under the Conventions at that time either and neither were Bee Hive Rounds.

Also the enclosed was not allowed way back then either, so not much has changed has it.

"Documents From The Phoenix Program"
http://www.thememoryhole.org/phoenix/

Read also at http://www.amnesty.org/ about the use of torture.

[mgloraine]

Wrong! Waterboarding and all other forms of torture are ALREADY illegal. Making a NEW law to declare them illegal (again) will assist Bush and Cheney to contend that it WASN'T illegal at the time they did it!!

Why don't you legislators go look at the laws and treaties already on the books and ENFORCE them! No semantic hair-splitting regarding torture and coercive interrogation tactics is allowed. Bush and Cheney are deliberately breaking international laws, so they should be impeached. Why don't you get to work on THAT bit of legislation, Senator?

[jdm58]

Thank you Senator Kerry, and Senator Kennedy as well. Here in Texas, where Hutchison and Cornyn are in Bush's corner, calling our local Congressman to protest is like arguing with a Jehovah's Witness at the door- better not to answer! Glad that there are those in the Senate willing to listen to the pulse of ALL of America, and act on it.

[RogueCowboy]

Great! This should have been a law in 2001.

[secondedition]

Thank you Senator Kerry for fighting for what is right. I hope this piece of legislation passes. It is just too bad a bill like this is necessary because we have leadership that makes up it's own rules and definitions and then hides behind its own lies and fears to promote them.
Waterboarding and other torture techniques of a similar nature are wrong and place a black mark on our county and makes it appear that we are not a fair and ethical democracy.

[ApolloSpeaks]

CRITICAL LIFE SAVING INFO

Reading some of the posts on this board you get the impression that terrifying captured terrorists into giving up critical life saving information is more horrifying and criminal than deliberate acts of mass murder. But fighting the War on Terror is not for these people. It is not their war. They don't have the hearts, minds and stomachs for it. Thank God they're on the fringes where they can do little harm.

[SamSeven]

Dear Senator Kerry,
You need to stand your ground on principles. You should be rejecting every bill on Iran, illegal wiretaps, and anything else illegal this administration has been doing.
Did you help out the poor student that was being tasered at that university? Did you actually answer his question? I dont know becuase the mainstream media may have blocked it out. Did you talk to the student afterwards?
It would help if you got right in the trenches with the "little people' because thye are the ones supporting you.
Regards,
SamSeven

[Rubiconski]

Take the halos off Dems.

Alan Dershowitz, published a book in 2002 entitled, Why Terrorism Works: Understanding the Threat, Responding to the Challenge. In Chapter Four, he calls for the use of 'nonlethal' torture in 'ticking bomb' situations.

Unfortunately, he neither tells us how we can be sure that an event is imminent nor how we can be sure that the torture applied will not have a fatal result. On the surface, his recommendation of pushing needles under someone's fingernails appears to be a nonfatal technique."

Here's another thing Dershowitz argued for. His plan was to make a list of Palestinian villages. Anytime there was ANY terror attack in Israel, a Palestinian village would be selected at random by a computer.... and utterly destroyed.

Here is the comedy part: even today, Dershowitz bills himself as a "human rights lawyer." What a laugh.

[ApolloSpeaks]

TORTURE, HUMANITY AND JUSTICE

I wonder senator, if you were abducted by Islamic terrorists and they were subjecting you to torture: cutting off your fingers or pouring acid on your skin (as some of them do) and the FBI were to capture one of their gang, would it be wrong to force him by torture to reveal your whereabouts? Would it be wrong to make him suffer to save your life and end your terrible pain? If this, God forbid, were to happen to you and you discovered that torture was used to rescue you, would you have your saviors prosecuted,disgraced and thrown into jail? Or would you thank them for their service to humanity and justice?

[lookingAhead]

Dear Sen. Kerry,
You sat on the sidelines while an American was being tortured in front of you. What make anyone believe you will do anything on this subject..DON'T TEASER ME DUDE. Your actions speak louder than words.

[outmost1]

Impeach. Nothing is more critical to the very survival of this nation. Criminals must be punished.

[Luc65]

Here is what the Geneva convention on torture says:
"Article 1: For the purposes of this Convention, torture means any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him or a third person information or a confession, punishing him for an act he or a third person has committed or is suspected of having committed, or intimidating or coercing him or a third person, or for any reason based on discrimination of any kind, when such pain or suffering is inflicted by or at the instigation of or with the consent or acquiescence of a public official or other person acting in an official capacity. It does not include pain or suffering arising only from, inherent in or incidental to lawful sanctions."

The Bush administration blured the line stating that waterboarding does enter in the torture categorie.

Tell me then how you would enforce the existing law if waterboarding, as the president claims, is not torture?

Kerry is right to clarify the point. It seems ridiculous to spend the time on something that already exist, but this is only necessary because we have a president that does not play by the rules.

[NoDrama]

Right on, John.