For foes of Bush plan, values win

[ProSense]

For foes of Bush plan, values win

TOMMY TOMLINSON

Finally: a glimpse of what our government ought to be.

Republicans are questioning their president in a time of war. When Democrats did it a lot of folks said it was treasonous. I'm wondering who will be the first to stand up to Colin Powell or John McCain and call them traitors.

The issue is using torture to get information from suspected terrorists, and how far down that lightless road we're willing to go.

President Bush wants to let U.S. investigators work outside some of the long-understood rules set out in the Geneva Conventions.

The president has repeatedly said: "We do not torture." But the sad fact is that we do, and will again if the president gets his way.

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What the terrorists did to us, what they want to do to us, revealed who they are.

The ways we choose to deal with it reveals who we are.

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/news/local/15539744.htm

We must start treating our moral authority as a precious national asset that does not limit our power but magnifies our influence. Only this week did the Administration finally recognize that the protections of the Geneva Convention had to be applied to prisoners in order to comply with the law, restore our moral authority, and best protect American troops. Let me say it plainly: No American president should be for torture before he's against it. -- John Kerry

[ProSense]

1. Geneva Convention and Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Art 3. In the case of armed conflict not of an international character occurring in the territory of one of the High Contracting Parties, each Party to the conflict shall be bound to apply, as a minimum, the following
provisions:
(1) Persons taking no active part in the hostilities, including members of armed forces who have laid down their arms and those placed hors de combat by sickness, wounds, detention, or any other cause, shall in all circumstances be treated humanely, without any adverse distinction founded on race, colour, religion or faith, sex, birth or wealth, or any other similar criteria. To this end the following acts are and shall remain prohibited at any time and in any place whatsoever with respect to the above-mentioned persons:
(a) violence to life and person, in particular murder of all kinds, mutilation, cruel treatment and torture;
(b) taking of hostages;
(c) outrages upon personal dignity, in particular, humiliating and degrading treatment;
(d) the passing of sentences and the carrying out of executions without previous judgment pronounced by a regularly constituted court affording all the judicial guarantees which are recognized as indispensable by civilized peoples.
(2) The wounded and sick shall be collected and cared for.
An impartial humanitarian body, such as the International Committee of the Red Cross, may offer its services to the Parties to the conflict.

The Parties to the conflict should further endeavour to bring into force, by means of special agreements, all or part of the other provisions of the present Convention.

The application of the preceding provisions shall not affect the legal status of the Parties to the conflict.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

(other language versions)
Adopted and proclaimed by General Assembly resolution 217 A (III) of 10 December 1948

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Article 5.

No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

Torture is inhumane!