Justice in the Modern Age

Two stories have come up on NPR this week that have stayed with me. The first was about contaminated baby formula in China. Officials knew for 6 weeks before recalling the affected brands, and - understandably - many of China's parents are enraged and distraught as they struggle to find something safe to feed their babies and determine what damage, if any, their children may have suffered. (At the time of the story, it was estimated 6,000 children have been affected.)

The second about Maher Arar, a Canadian/Syrian citizen, who was deported by the U.S. while on a layover in JFK airport. He was sent to Syria as an enemy combatant for suspected connections to al Queda, and while there was physically and psychologically tortured. He has been found innocent in Canada and is now seeking a trial in the U.S. No due process and no protection from being sent someplace where torture was somewhat imminent.

Such injustices are sometimes so difficult to comprehend. I don't know about you, but there are certain assumptions I make about what is sacred... what is important. I assume no one would be so callous and greedy as to put profits ahead of human lives. I assume my country would never knowingly commit acts of torture, nor take actions that would knowingly lead to the torture or unjust treatment of another human being.

It makes me think about the process of dehumanization and how it is so often easy to recongize on a large scale, but so hard sometimes to identify in small subtle moments of our own lives. Every moment in which compassion is replaced with hatred or anger may hold the potential for de-personalizing the other human beings around us.

Perhaps it's as simple as someone cutting me off on the highway, or seeing a woman mistreating her child in a grocery store, or vilifying politicans who have made poor choices. If we are able to act and respond with compassion in the many aspects of our own lives, does such a response ripple outward into the larger world? Can remembering the humanity in all those around us prevent inhuman acts in the future?

If prayer affects change or provides respite, may those affected by these injustices (and others) find peace in some form.

Trying Very Hard Not to Sound Like a Haranguer Upon a Soapbo

Andy and I were following our usual Monday night TV routine (Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives) and found that the second episode of DD&D was a rerun. In flipping around the channels, we came upon a TNG episode we'd both seen before, but that I didn't remember as well as Andy.

It's a storyline that (I am guessing) builds upon the concept of Closet Land, a movie my friend Jeremy and I were passionate about from high school on.

It's episode #137 (this is Star Trek: The Next Generation for you non-sci-fi-geeks), and the name is Chain of Command II. Some of you undoubtedly already know which one I'm talking about.

Anyway... it's about torture and the tactics a Cardassian uses upon Picard in an attempt to get classified information from him. But it also explores the psychological impact of torture and the possible reasons torturers are able to inflict such pain and suffering.

Flash forward to today... I am listening to NPR this morning and hear a snippet on the trial of Hamdan (bin Laden's driver), which includes discussion of the Geneva Conventions, Guantanamo Bay, and matters of habeas corpus - none of which I am an expert on.

What struck me is the mention of waterboarding and other techniques allegedly used on Hamdan, which led to a search with regard to torture and U.S. involvement in questionable techniques used upon detainees who are being held indefinitely (in some cases) and without access to counsel.

Here is where I get confused: They are declared by the administration to be enemy combatants, and are not considered POWs. But we did declare war. And the military tribunals seem to be a no-no, which has been ruled upon by various bodies, including our U.S. Supreme Court... but we are now trying people for war crimes. Without following the Geneva Conventions. And multiple people (including FBI folks and former employees at certain facilities) have said sexual misconduct, psychological and physical violence, neglect, and severe circumstances of abusive and inhumane treatment have been used upon detainees during the last seven years of the United States' "War on Terror."

So I did some more poking around. Apparently, the U.S. admitted to using torture on prisoners in Guantanamo Bay, Afghanistan, Iraq (this was in June). But I remember several months ago watching oodles of coverage of people arguing over whether or not waterboarding even constitutes torture... rather than discussing what happens once we've admitted that we, as a nation, are guilty of such acts.

In looking around even more... I found very little help in identifying resources to help advocate for the humane treatment of anyone being held by the United States. The one thing I did come across was this, which includes a section where you can Take Action to speak out against human rights violations.

I do not want this to be an emotional diatribe, and I have waited all day to write so that I could be at least a bit more calm. I am sure there is more information out there than the little bit I found, but I remain entirely confused as to why we are still moving ahead with the current agenda of holding people indefinitely, subjecting detainees to trials when such action has been ruled unconstitutional, and refusing to address the admitted torture tactics employed by the U.S., which directly contradicts the very ideals upon which this country was founded.

(Soapbox is done.)