No sense of decency?

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Lauren Weinstein <lauren () vortex com>
Date: September 26, 2006 11:12:56 AM EDT
To: dave () farber net
Cc: lauren () vortex com
Subject: No sense of decency?


Dave,

As I sit here watching politicians of both parties attempting to
split hairs on exactly what constitutes torture, precisely who can
be held in prison forever without trial or a means to contest their
incarceration, and the varied other machinations apparently patterned
after the modus operandi of our former and present adversaries, I
wonder how long it will be before a person of significant stature
will publicly reprise -- to all of these political players -- the
words of Joseph Welsh.

Welsh was counsel to the U.S. Army when he confronted Senator Joseph
McCarthy at one of the Senator's infamous anti-communist hearings of
the early 1950's.

"I think I never really gauged your cruelty or your recklessness.
Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last?" were Welsh's words,
echoing across the decades through to our current "War on Terror."

The very people intent on undermining the spirit of the Geneva
Convention -- and obliterating habeas corpus protections -- seem to
be the most ardent flag-wavers, while actually undermining the very
principles for which so many brave Americans have given their lives
and limbs.

To fight the devastating horrors of terrorism is a noble and
necessary calling.  But when we take on aspects of our enemies in
the name of our own moral righteousness, we have lost the war, or at
the very least have lost ourselves.

--Lauren--
Lauren Weinstein
lauren () vortex com or lauren () pfir org
Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800
http://www.pfir.org/lauren
Co-Founder, PFIR
   - People For Internet Responsibility - http://www.pfir.org
Co-Founder, IOIC
   - International Open Internet Coalition - http://www.ioic.net
Moderator, PRIVACY Forum - http://www.vortex.com
Member, ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy
Lauren's Blog: http://lauren.vortex.com
DayThink: http://daythink.vortex.com




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