By now, you've seen the statement by Speaker Pelosi regarding the briefings. In it, she leads by referencing her Human Rights work.

Here is what I've told AI and HRW:

Greetings...

During her statement on May 14, 2009, Nancy Pelosi referenced her work on Human Rights and as an opponent of torture.

Her website has this brief blurb:

"Pelosi has long been an advocate for human rights around the world. She has fought to improve China's human rights record, attempting to tie trade to increased human rights standards. She has also been a leader on efforts to free the people of Tibet."

In short, if Nancy Pelosi is a worker on behalf of Human Rights then your organization owes it not just to Speaker Pelosi but to all victims of torture to speak up, loudly and as often as necessary, on her behalf; which, I must remind you, is to speak on behalf of torture victims. If Speaker Pelosi has been their advocate in America, your organization must be her advocate now.

This is something your organization must do if Speaker Pelosi's record is that of a worker for Human Rights.

From:

STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT
ON THE SITUATION IN SRI LANKA
AND DETAINEE PHOTOGRAPHS

"Understand, these photos are associated with closed investigations of the alleged abuse of detainees in our ongoing war effort."

Alleged, Mr. President?

"Moreover, I fear the publication of these photos may only have a chilling effect on future investigations of detainee abuse."

What future investigations, Mr. President?

"It's therefore my belief that the publication of these photos would not add any additional benefit to our understanding of what was carried out in the past by a small number of individuals."

There it is again; that small number of bad apples argument, where the argument is accurate; it's just that the wrong apples were punished.

The small number of bad apples are named Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Addington and Yoo, For starters.

They are not named Lynndie England, Charles Graner, Chip Frederick, Thomas Pappas, Javal Davis, Jeremy Sivits, Armin Cruz, Sabrina Harman. For starters.

This is interesting:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Provance

Still relevant, thirty years later:


Could have come through anytime
Cold lonely Puritan
What are you fighting for?
It's not my security

It's just an old war
Not even a cold war
Don't say it in Russian
Don't say it in German
Say it in broken English
Say it in broken English

Lose your father, your husband,
Your mother, your children.
What are you dying for ?
It's not my reality.

It's just an old war
Not even a cold war
Don't say it in Russian
Don't say it in German
Say it in broken English
Say it in broken English

What are you fighting for?