Vice Admiral Jack Shanahan: Tell Senate: America Doesn’t Support Torture

[Sapphire Blue]

Email from Vice Admiral Jack Shanahan, TrueMajority...

Tell Your Senators: America Doesn’t Support Torture

Should America really debate when and how torture is acceptable? I don’t think so. I experienced combat in three wars so nobody needs to tell me that "war is hell," but the reason we fight in the first place is supposed to be defending the values and principles which made America great. Those values do not include secret jails, holding prisoners' heads under water, and declaring ourselves exempt from the rules on war crimes. Yet that is exactly what this Administration is trying to legalize right now in the Senate.

Tell your Senators that America doesn’t support torture.: http://action.truemajority.org/campaign/no_torture

I signed on to a letter with two former Joint Chiefs of Staff and three dozen other former military leaders urging the Senate to reject changes to the Geneva Conventions *1, and former Secretary of State Colin Powell said the same thing this week *2. Declaring ourselves outside the rule of law is not only dangerous for our own troops, it's fundamentally against what America is about.

Over 63,000 TrueMajority members have also spoken out against torture already. Join us in telling Congress anti-torture laws don’t protect terrorists, they protect the very root of morality and democracy.

Vice Admiral Jack Shanahan
USN (Ret.)



*1- 40 Retired Admirals and Generals, Military Leaders and Former DOD Officials Urge Congress to Preserve the Geneva Conventions
http://www.humanrightsfirst.org/media/etn/2006/alert/259/

*2 - Bush Detainee Plan Adds to World Doubts Of U.S., Powell Says
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/18/AR2006091801414.html

[texpatriot2004]

1. I am against torture. I am an American and I approved this msg.

Duh.

[Sapphire Blue]

2. I hope that you signed & sent the letter!

:hi:

[texpatriot2004]

3. Done and sent on as well

:patriot:

[Sapphire Blue]

5. Thank you, texpatriot2004!

:hi: :patriot:

[Eric J in MN]

4. But you might want to edit out the part about applauding John McCain...

..from the letter text. Mixed message if that is included.

[annabanana]

6. This letter is outdated!!

McCain has been compromised again. The "new" bill is no better than the old one.

[Eric J in MN]

8. An edited version I sent which other can send.

This can be copied-and-pasted into the box at True Majorty:

If the military tribunals go forward, at least they should be PUBLIC. Do not let a judge make an entire trial secret or the majority of a trial secret.

But creating military tribunals is a mistake.

We have federal courts in the US to try terrorists. We should use them.

Not create bogus courts in Cuba.

I'm writing to ask you in the strongest terms possible to block the legislation on detainees currently being proposed by the White House. This legislation would allow the use of coerced testimony (which most experts consider to be useless anyway), allow evidence to be withheld from defendants in terrorism trials, restrict the right of habeas corpus, and give the Administration and interrogators immunity from prosecution. These proposal are unacceptable.

[Eric J in MN]

7. My edited version of the letter

Feel free to use this:

If the military tribunals go forward, at least they should be PUBLIC. Do not let a judge make an entire trial secret or the majority of a trial secret.

But creating military tribunals is a mistake.

We have federal courts in the US to try terrorists. We should use them.

Not create bogus courts in Cuba.

I'm writing to ask you in the strongest terms possible to block the legislation on detainees currently being proposed by the White House. This legislation would allow the use of coerced testimony (which most experts consider to be useless anyway), allow evidence to be withheld from defendants in terrorism trials, restrict the right of habeas corpus, and give the Administration and interrogators immunity from prosecution. These proposal are unacceptable.