“Promise You’ll Protect Me From the Americans”

Omar Khadr.

Fifteen years old when he was captured by US forces in Afghanistan. Six years spent at Guantanamo without trial. Facing five war crimes charges, including the murder of a US soldier during a battle, and life in prison.

“Softened up” by American interrogators prior to a visit by Canadian intelligence personnel.

This happened to Mr. Khadr just ahead of a March 30, 2004, visit by Jim Gould, an intelligence officer with the Canadian Foreign Affairs department.

“In an effort to make him more amenable and willing to talk, [blacked out] has placed Umar in the ‘frequent flyer program,’ ” says an April, 2004, report by R. Scott Heatherington, then-director of the Foreign Intelligence Division of the Canadian department. “For the three weeks before Mr. Gould’s visit, Umar has not been more than three hours in any one location.

“At three-hour intervals, he is moved to another cell block, thus denying him uninterrupted sleep and a continued change of neighbours.”

Mr. Heatherington goes on to say that Mr. Khadr would, following the visit, be “placed in isolation for up to three weeks,” then be subjected to re-interview. [National Post]

He was a child. He begged the Canadian intelligence officers interviewing him. “Promise you’ll protect me from the Americans.”

Instead, they left him for another 5 years in a hellhole being (most likely) abused with torture techniques inspired by SERE training — a program instituted as a result of torture of American prisoners of war. Techniques approved by President Bush and then-Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld.

And he’s facing war crimes charges?

I don’t know whether to cry or vomit.

McCain Says: Family=Male/Female Parents

Via Shakesville, Reason # 3582668 for Why I Won’t Vote For John McCain.

From a man who cheated on and later divorced the wife who waited through the many years he was a prisoner of war. The mother of the two sons he adopted and the daughter they had together:

Mr. McCain, who with his wife, Cindy, has an adopted daughter, said flatly that he opposed allowing gay couples to adopt. “I think that we’ve proven that both parents are important in the success of a family so, no, I don’t believe in gay adoption,” he said. [New York Times]

Proven? Who’s “proven” this? As a single, straight mom, I call bullshit.

Are gay parents somehow less equipped to give a child a loving home? Are straight parents somehow more equipped?

The Longest Walk Ends

They started at Alcatraz on February 11th.

Five months. Two routes. Over 4,000 miles. From sea to shining sea.

On foot.

175 days (4200hrs.) ago walkers from all over Indian country as well as international allies embarked on a journey that carried them through rain, snow, and even a tornado.

Two paths were taken to make the journey, both a Northern and Southern route, in order to bring awareness to and address environmental and sacred sites protection, cultural survival, youth empowerment and Native American rights.

Thousands of walkers, which included new born babies and elders in their 90s, representing more than 100 Nations joined the Walk along the way. The Navajo (Dine’ Nation), Hopi, Apache, Havasupai, Tunica-Biloxi, Anishinaabeg, Wintun, Hualapai, Lakota, Six Nations, Ute, Washo, and many others as well as representatives from New Zealand, Germany, Japan, Italy, Holland, Poland comprised the diverse Walk. As they walked they picked up more than 8,000 bags of trash on the roads they traveled.

Amerika

Article IV, U.S. Constitution, as amended on July 9, 2008:

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

Hitler didn’t not rise to power by show of force; he was elected. The rights of the German people were not first taken away at the point of a gun, but were eroded by the power of the pen.

With back-room deals and plenty of intimidation, laws contrary to the public good and in violation of the German Constitution were passed by lawmakers whipped to a frenzy by an atmosphere of fear-mongering and hysteria. The Reichstag — the elected representatives of the German people — voted to destroy their Constitution and disband themselves in order that the country be “protected” from “terrorists.”

Fight Tyranny

Those Senators who vote to allow the government to continue spying on the communications of Americans without warrants and to immunize those telecoms which complied with illegal directives by the Executive Branch — to a degree which is still unknown — should be haunted from here on out by the words of some of our Founders and historic figures.

John Adams:

But a Constitution of Government once changed from Freedom, can never be restored. Liberty, once lost, is lost forever.

Fight the Power!

This is the full-page ad run by Blue America, Firedoglake, and Color of Change in today’s Washington Post. Click the photo to see it full-size. [pdf]

The debate on the FISA bill begins today, with the vote scheduled for tomorrow. Call your Senators today, and tell them to stand up for the Constitution.

Christy says:

We are asking Senators to vote IN FAVOR of the Dodd-Feingold-Leahy Amendment (S.A. 5064 to H.R. 6304). We’re asking for a NO vote on cloture, and a NO vote on the final bill as well. [my emphasis - Jenn]

Why do we need to oppose this deeply-flawed bill?

Because it is a violation of our Fourth Amendment rights, allowing the government to spy on Americans and their phone calls, emails, and text messages.

Because it legalizes government and corporate law-breaking.

Because it says, “If the President does it, it’s not illegal.”

Because it is a violation of all that we celebrated just four days ago.

Let Freedom Ring

In Congress, July 4, 1776

The Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United States of America

When, in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the Powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers form the consent of the governed. That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. –Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

Au Revoir

From the post that started me on this blogging thing:

A Question of Doing What’s Right — Christy Hardin Smith
Jan 6, 2006

But it isn’t enough that I want more for myself and my family. Every person in this nation needs to wake up and realize that they deserve more as well. That’s a message that Democrats could take to the bank, I’m sure of it. I know it is a message that would resonate here in West Virginia. People are hungry for hope, they are hungry for someone who will value them — and not just use them as a pawn.

More than that, they deserve to be valued. It’s a question of doing what is right, not just what is politically expedient in the moment to win the election or raise more money or whatever else seems to be driving political power these days. Let’s give the little guy a voice again — help him to stand on his own two feet and make something for his children, and you help the whole country. That goes for moms, too, I can tell you that. [emphasis mine - Jenn]

I thought it would take me awhile to figure out where I wanted to go and what I wanted to do — and whether or not I really wanted to stop writing about politics — but as often happens, the path became clear in surprisingly short time and the signs were unmistakable.

After hearing, or rather reading, something yesterday afternoon that surprised me and quite honestly hurt to the core, mostly because of the source(s), I’m making a run for it.

It’s time to step away from politics for awhile, especially Presidential politics. I’ve decided to move into the slightly safer, less emotionally vulnerable territory of parenting blog.

While I never even made the Z-list, I’ve had a good time writing, and there are quite a few posts I’m very proud of having authored. One of those is being included in a college textbook that will be coming out in August.

Not bad for a small-town girl with a big mouth.

Of course, since I do have a big mouth, this is just ‘au revoir‘ and not goodbye.

I’m sure I’ll be back every once in awhile, when something simply pisses me off so much as to demand I write about it, but the topics will most likely be geared more toward social justice and social reform issues.

And I’ll still be around the web, but I’ll be staying in more friendly spots with people whose progressive values more closely match my own, as well as quite a few sites where politics isn’t even worthy of a passing glance

Thanks to all of you who’ve been reading this blog since January 2006. If you feel like it, stop over at The Mom Speaks and say hello.

Blessed be.

– Jenn

Bottomless Pit of Capitulation

*All items in red edited at 3:10p*

Okay, so maybe I lied about taking a break from writing about politics…

Well, no. It’s more a case of “when VastLeft Un-endorses Obama, the cause is so over the top as to require sensible people post about it.”

Admittedly, VastLeft’s support was self described as “tepid” by Lambert but he, like many of us, really believed that pushing the “D” in November — even if we had to hold our noses — was still the smartest, safest thing to do, considering the McCain threat.

So what happened to cause VL to un-endorse? Obama, throwing yet another Democratic principle (and Constitutional mandate) under the bus, wants to expand El Pollo Loco’s Faith-Based Initiatives program (AP) and — this is a big, big problem — and supports their right to hire and fire based on faith.

Yep, you read that right — religious programs receiving federal dollars (our tax money) would be allowed to hire and fire anyone who does not meet their “standard of faith.”