[Peace] The Wrong Side of History (fwd)

[patton paul]

I may not have time to write a letter to the editors about this, but I
hope someone does.  See below.
-Paul P.
__________________________________________________________________
Dr. Paul Patton
Post-Doctoral Research Associate
Beckman Institute  Rm 3027  405 N. Mathews St.
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign  Urbana, Illinois 61801
work phone: (217)-265-0795   fax: (217)-244-5180
home phone: (217)-328-4064
homepage: http://www.staff.uiuc.edu/~ppatton/index.html

"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious.  It is the
source of all true art and science."
-Albert Einstein
__________________________________________________________________

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: 7 May 2002 20:16:35 -0000
From: "Wes Boyd, MoveOn.org"
    <moveon-help-524-483317-Onnhjlx%2BgpwvDmjWoVDDCw at list.moveon.org>
To: Dr. Paul Patton <ppatton at uiuc.edu>
Subject: The Wrong Side of History

Dear friend of MoveOn and 9-11peace,

On Monday, the Bush Administration decided to pull out of
the International Criminal Court. If it weren't such a heavy
blow against the enforcement of human rights and
international justice, it would be ironic.  In the midst of
the most sweeping campaign against war criminals in world
history, the US is undermining the only international body
whose sole mission is to bring these people to justice. As
the Executive Director of Human Rights Watch said, "The
administration is putting itself on the wrong side of
history."

Please help to spread the word about this grievous mistake
by writing a letter to the editor of your local newspaper.
Samples are below.

The Bush Administration claims that it's worried that
American military officers will be unfairly prosecuted.  But
the ICC specifically guards against such possibilities, and
many of the US concerns were incorporated into the treaty
when it was written.  The real problem is probably simpler:
although we've never needed an international system of
justice more than we do now, President Bush is unwilling to
give up the power to make that possible.

With or without the US, the International Criminal Court is
an enormous step toward a more peaceful world. Almost every
US ally has helped to make it possible -- 60 nations have
signed and ratified the treaty that creates it. By not
signing, in contrast, the United States joins the company of
countries like China and Iraq, and it threatens to make this
important institution less effective than it should be.

Senator Russell Feingold (D-WI) explains why the US
unsigning is such a problem: "As we continue to fight
terrorism worldwide, we are asking countries around the
globe to honor important commitments, to crack down on the
financial and communications networks of terrorists and
international criminals, and to share sensitive intelligence
with the United States.  This is not the right time to
signal a lack of respect for multilateralism."

The ICC pull-out is a done deal, but we need your help to
make sure that the US doesn't make the same mistake twice.
The administration is already considering further steps to
distance the US from the ICC. Please take a few minutes to
write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper to
protest the unsigning.  Editors will be more likely to
publish letters they receive soon after the unsigning, so it
would be best to send yours today or tomorrow.  We've
included some samples below; feel free to use them or to
write something in your own words.  Once you've sent your
letter, please let us know by going to this page:

   http://www.moveon.org/lte_icc.html?id=3D524-483317-Onnhjlx%2BgpwvDmjWoVD=
DCw

We'd like to keep a count.

Thanks for helping to make a more just and more peaceful
world.

Sincerely,

--Wes Boyd and Eli Pariser
  MoveOn.org
  May 7, 2002

P.S. More "talking points" on the unsigning can be found at:
   http://www.usaforicc.org/facts_unsigning.html

Also, you can find the addresses and fax numbers for many
newspapers at:
   http://capwiz.com/usaforicc/dbq/media/

Most newspapers list an address on their letters page.  Be
sure to include your name, address and telephone number
in your letter.  (The phone number is only used to verify
your authorship, and should not appear in the paper.  But if
the editors can't verify a letter is yours, they won't print it.)

SAMPLE LETTER ONE:

[Today's Date]

To the Editor:

In the midst of the most extensive manhunt in history, the
Bush Administration has pulled out of the International
Criminal Court.  The ICC, which will prosecute war crimes,
genocide, and crimes against humanity, could be a potent
weapon in the War on Terrorism.  Even without the US'
participation, it's a major step towards ensuring that
humanity's most egregious criminals will be brought to
justice.

In his State of the Union address, President Bush said that
"America will lead by defending liberty and justice because
they are right and true and unchanging for all people
everywhere." But by unsigning the treaty which brought the
ICC into existence, the President has signaled that his
commitment to universal justice is wavering.  For a
successful and just War on Terrorism, the US must support
the International Criminal Court.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[Your Phone Number]

SAMPLE LETTER TWO:

[Today's Date]

To the Editor:

In unsigning the Rome Statute, which called for the
establishment of an International Criminal Court, the Bush
administration is setting a dangerous precedent for the
future of multilateral agreements. The President's own
coalition against terrorism relies heavily on international
cooperation and mutual trust between nations. How can we
expect consistency and fidelity from our allies, if we aren=92t
accountable ourselves? According to the UN Under-Secretary
for Legal Affairs no one in the world has ever "unsigned" a
UN treaty: we can make history again by putting our name
back on.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[Your Phone Number]

SAMPLE LETTER THREE:

[Today's Date]

To the Editor:

I am saddened by the Bush Administration's unsigning of the
treaty which establishes the International Criminal Court.
In doing so, the United States is turning its back on
millions of victims of genocide, torture, terrorism, and
other crimes against humanity.  The ICC will begin to
prosecute humanity's worst criminals in July with or without
the US.  But the unsigning signals a basic disregard for the
principles of international justice that could undermine
both the current War on Terrorism and future international
frameworks.  In the wake of September's terrorist attacks,
the United States can best demonstrate its commitment to
fighting such atrocities by supporting the international
structures of justice.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[Your Phone Number]

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