[Peace-discuss] Torture Resolution

[Alfred Kagan]

Research shows that people who are tortured will say anything to make it stop.

At 2:35 PM -0700 5/19/04, Chuck Minne wrote:
>Say your child is without doubt going to be 
>torturously murdered, would you torture a person 
>to without doubt prevent it?
>
>
>
>Say that on 9/10 you know without doubt that you 
>can prevent 9/11 by torturing a person, would 
>you torture to prevent it?
>
>
>
>Very slippery territory, but I guess my point is 
>that there is, at least to me, a difference 
>between how you treat a known threat and how you 
>treat a bunch of people whom were almost 
>randomly incarcerated because you were pissed 
>off. Somehow torture does not seem to me as bad 
>as killing, particularly if it can prevent 
>killing.  So I would first pass a resolution 
>against killing. But I guess killing is more 
>acceptable behavior, its civilized while torture 
>is just plain barbaric. Not appropriate for the 
>living room or video games. Greasy stuff, indeed.
>
>
>
>BTW, what ever has happened to our old pal 
>Saddam Huessain? Isnít it about time for him to 
>become Flavor of The Month again? What was his 
>story again? Did we want him for something? Has 
>he been jilted? How quickly we forget.
>
>
>
>
>
>Alfred Kagan <akagan at uiuc.edu> wrote:
>
>FYI, some of you may be interested in the
>resolution we are bringing to the American
>Library Association next month.
>
>>  http://www.pitt.edu/~ttwiss/irtf/resolutions.torture2.html
>>
>>>
>>>
>>>Whereas ALA is among the preeminent defenders
>>>of intellectual freedom and government openness
>>>in the US.
>>>
>>>Whereas intellectual freedom, our primary value
>>>as librarians, cannot be more seriously
>>>violated than by forcing speech or enforcing
>>>silence through systematic violence by
>>>government against detained individuals.
>>>
>>>Whereas the US government has proven its
>>>readiness to use torture (as well as hooding,
>>>shackling, drugging, sleep deprivation, etc.)
>>>in the interrogation of suspected terrorists or
>>>their suspected accomplices in its
>>>anti-terrorist legislation
>>>
>>>Whereas the use of torture and coercive
>>>interrogative practices is inhumane, illegal
>>>and destructive of the democratic
>>>sensibilities of a free society, the
>>>cultivation of which we as an Association and
>>>as a profession are committed.
>>>
>>>Whereas the secrecy which attends the use of
>>>torture violates our commitment to open
>>>government and the necessity of true and
>>>accurate information of our government's actions
>>>
>>>Whereas the violence of torture violates our
>>>commitment to the rule of law as a protector of
>>>the integrity and dignity of the human person
>>>
>>>Whereas the barbarity of torture fundamentally
>>>violates our commitment to the preservation of
>>>the human spirit
>>>
>>>and
>>>
>>>Whereas the threat of torture of the use of
>>>torture and similar practices of coercing
>>>testimony, confessions, information is,
>>>universally condemned under international law
>>>[e.g the Geneva Convention, Articles 3 and 31
>>>and by the Univeral Declaration of Human
>>>Rights, 1948, Article 5 ] and (a)the Fourth
>>>Amendment's right to be free of unreasonable
>>>search or seizure (which encompasses the right
>>>not be abused by the police) (b)the Fifth
>>>Amendment's right against self-incrimination
>>>(which encompasses the right to remain silent
>>>during interrogations), (c)the Fifth and the
>>>Fourteenth Amendments' guarantees of due
>>>process (ensuring fundamental fairness in
>>>criminal justice system), and (d)the Eighth
>>>Amendment's right to be free of cruel or
>>>unusual punishment],
>>>
>>>Be it resolved that the SRRT/ALA condemns the
>>>use or threat of torture by the US government
>>>as a barbarous violation of human rights,
>>>intellectual freedom, and the rule of law.
>>>TheALA , decries --along with condemnation of
>>>the practice of torture anywhere-- the
>>>suggestion by the US government that under a
>>>'state of emergency' in this country torture is
>>>an acceptable tool in pursuit of its goals.
>  >>
>>>
>
>
>
>"The mass media is little more than a public 
>relations industry for the rich and powerful. 
>The media's job is to 'train the minds of the 
>people' to believe in the virtue of the powerful 
>goons who rule them." Noam Chomsky--ìarguably 
>the most important intellectual aliveî N.Y.Times 
>..... <http://www.angelfire.com/mi4/cmin/>My Web 
>Site ..... 
><http://www.angelfire.com/mi4/cmin/ar/c.htm>ClickMeToo
>
>
>
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-- 


Al Kagan
African Studies Bibliographer and Professor of Library Administration
Africana Unit, Room 328
University of Illinois Library
1408 W. Gregory Drive
Urbana, IL 61801, USA

tel. 217-333-6519
fax. 217-333-2214
e-mail. akagan at uiuc.edu
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