Okay to Torture Bill
Passed by Congress last week

Email Discussion

Oct. 2, 2006
To: Bronwin
From: Jack
Subject: Re: Not in My Name!

Dear Bronwin,
Thanks for your quick reaction. Being over 80, and preoccupied
with helping my six kids raise my 13 grandchilden., I'm afraid all I am good
for is what the French call a "cri de coeur". I'll try to share any other
responses with you.

Jack

-----Original Message-----
From: Bronwin
To: Jack
Subject: Not in my name!

Good for you, Jack. I'm so horrifed that the congress
has done this, I feel almost physically sick every
time I think about it. I don't know what we can do. I
understand that attorneys throughout the country are
preparing to fight the bill. Maybe they'll win. Some
contend we've been set back 900 years to the time
before the Magna Carta.

I did find a listing of how all members of the senate
and congress voted. I can forward that to you if it
will help.

Bronwin


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jack
To: Bronwin
> Subject: Not in my name!
> Oct 1,
>
> Not in my name!
>
> My impression is that this past week Congress
> passed a bill that essentially gives the President
> authority to continue to torture terrorist
> suspects. In 1943, the German operation of
> efficient gas chambers to get rid of Jews was not
> yet well known. But what was already known and
> publicized were the way they were being used for
> experimental purposes. Notably to determine a
> human's ability to withstand exposure to extreme
> cold by keeping them in ice water for many hours, or
> putting them under showers of very hot water.
>
> My college had big showers in the crew boat
> house. And my reaction was to take deliberately
> very hot showers to see how it felt. It was a
> personal (but private!) excruciating testimony. At
> any rate, I for one feel very deeply about this new
> bill. Is there any way our meeting would like to
> take a stand on this issue?
>
> One suggestion (which would presumably be via
> something like FCNL): Organize a
> march/demonstration, including a number of floats
> (no pun intended) demonstrating the present and
> presumably continuing methods of torture, e.g.
>
> waterboarding (where a person is strapped to a
> board, and tilted into water until he almost drowns
> hanging by the arms
> prolonged solitary confinement in a very small
> cell
> being threatened by dogs.
>
> That is the kind of stuff that was just approved by
> the House and the Senate (including McCain!).
>
> Jack>
>