I find it infuriating that a U.S. official would feel no qualms about calling the three recent Gitmo detainee suicides "acts of warfare" vs. "acts of desperation." The detainees in question had previously tried hunger strikes to no avail. According to an NPR news report, since the "war on terror" influx of prisoners, only 10 detainees have had an opportunity to have legal counsel. Over 20 detainees have attempted suicides for a total attempted suicide count of 41 and a few are in comas due to failed drug overdose suicides. Attempted "acts of warfare," I assume.
I know, I know, according the U.S. administration, these detainees are "bad people." Compelling words, no? A kindergarten kid would get that. Although, where is the evidence to convict these bad guys? Why haven't charges been brought against them? Odds are, at least a handful of these people are innocents being held captive behind those walls where a guard breakroom once allegedly featured a poster of the smoking World Trade Center with the headline, "Are you in a New York state of mind?" Human rights and the Geneva Convention brushed aside with a Billy Joel lyric. Now that's an act of warfare even an uptown girl should recognize.
1 comment:
One of the arguments people are saying is that since "terrorists" use barbaric methods to kill, we should have no qualms about holding "them" without charges for an indefinite period of time.
Yet, in prosectuing crime, here in America, I have never heard of one mass murderer who was not barbaric, but was still given rights accorded under our constitution.
We may swindle the world with our movies and MTV, but we have enobled all of mankind with our record of human rights and respect for the law. Now we killing off the last thing the world admires about us, and all we will have left is Britney Spears and McDonalds.
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