"We" Let Them Do It

From Jacob Weisberg at Newsweek:

The use of torture on suspected terrorists after 9/11 has already earned a place in American history's hall of shame, alongside the Alien and Sedition Acts, Japanese internment during WWII and the excesses of the McCarthy era. Even liberal societies seem to experience these authoritarian spasms from time to time. It is the aftermath of such episodes—what happens when a country comes to its senses—that reveals the most about a nation's character.
....

Well before the nation reelected George W. Bush in 2004, the country's best investigative reporters had unearthed the salient aspects of his torture policy: in December 2002, Dana Priest and Barton Gellman revealed on the front page of The Washington Post that American interrogators were employing "stress and duress" techniques as well as shipping prisoners to places like Egypt, where even fewer rules applied. "Each of the current national security officials interviewed for this article defended the use of violence against captives as just and necessary," the reporters wrote. "They expressed confidence that the American public would back their view."

Seymour Hersh broke the Abu Ghraib story in The New Yorker in April 2004. In May of that year, The New York Times revealed that the CIA had waterboarded Mohammed. In June, another major Washington Post scoop described a Justice Department memo asserting that CIA interrogators couldn't be prosecuted for using torture on detainees. That same month, NEWSWEEK further revealed that Cheney's lawyers had declared waterboarding a legal and acceptable practice. The leaked Red Cross report and the new memos released by the Obama administration add horrible detail to the story. They do not fundamentally change what we previously knew.

So yes. "We" gave tacit approval to torture when we reelected George Bush. Maybe not you, maybe not me, but "we", as a society, gave the George Bush maladministration the approval to continue to use torture.

Members of Congress say they didn't know. How could they not know? I knew. They were briefed. Perhaps certain information was withheld, but they could have read the newspapers.

The fact is that many in the country believed that torture was justified. I hear folks say the same thing today. Avoiding even the mention of the repugnance, immorality, and illegality of torture, I ask them about the innocent who were rounded up willy-nilly and tortured first and released later, the response is, "Too bad for them. We had to do it to stop the terrorists." Then I say, "But they were not terrorists. They were innocent and subsequently released!" that changes nothing in their thinking. It had to be done.

As the good book says , Pogo's book, I mean, "We Have Met the Enemy and He Is Us".

Many of my friends may disagree with me, but I believe that Weisberg is right.

President Obama has done the most important thing: reversing Bush's policy and declaring, as he did last week, that torture was unequivocally wrong. What we need now is a public airing through congressional hearings and perhaps an independent commission, an idea that the White House is resisting. Pursuing criminal charges would be too hard politically and too easy morally. Prosecuting Bush and his men won't absolve the rest of us for what we let them do.
(My emphasis)

The White House must stop resisting the idea. I want the commission, but I don't want public discussion of torture shut down. That's why I do not want a special prosecutor, because important actors in the planning and execution of this horrifying policy of torture, the insiders in the second and third tier, have tales to tell, which however self-serving they may be, could shed light on what took place behind closed doors.

UPDATE: Read Diana Butler Bass' report on a pew Research poll on the attitudes of Christians concerning torture and weep.

H/T to the Episcopal Cafè.

The View From The Homestead

I'm sitting under the shelter on the deck at the end of the pier on the river bank of False River, which is not a river, but a crescent-shaped lake. The Mississippi River once flowed here, but a long time ago, Ole Man River changed course and cut off this area from its flow. Thus the reason for the name of the parish where the lake is located - Pointe Coupee.

When I stepped onto the the deck, I chased away a female wood duck. I see several eggs in a corner. Perhaps, she's hatching them? It's lovely to have the wood ducks around, but, on the minus side, they leave behind big white plops of duck poop. I wanted a picture of the ducks, but none are nearby.


To get to the water, we cross a well-traveled road, which must be done with care, because there are curves in the road in both directions. It's nice and breezy out here, but it's hard to see the computer screen, because it's so bright. I keep losing the cursor.

My daughter and my grandsons caught a mess of catfish and one perch yesterday and today. Grandpère cleaned and fileted the fish, and they will take them home to fry.

Earlier today, Diana and I went for a walk in the back pasture, which was formerly a cow pasture. The whole yard, front and back, was a cow pasture when I first met GP. You had to walk looking down, because cow patties were all around. Diana pooped in the pasture, and I didn't need to scoop the poop, because this land is my land, and the pasture is large.

The pasture was once the location of one of GP's follies. He had a pond dug on one side of the pasture, but he did not line it with clay or plastic, and the pond didn't hold water for very long. He left an island in the center, where we placed a statue of St. Francis, but, as the pond went dry, weeds and little trees began to sprout, until the whole thing became a tangled mess. Poor St. Francis was in the midst of the tangle, and no longer visible.


GP finally had the pond filled in. Good thing he left the scooped out dirt around the pond, because it was used to fill the pond and level the field to its former state. Now St. Francis stands alone and bereft in the field. I want GP to move him to the front, but he says that he's too heavy for one man to carry, and when he comes here with other men, they have better things to do than concern themselves with moving poor St. Francis to a better location.

Behind the pasture is the farmland, which once supported five families, but is now given over to a farmer to make hay for a percentage of the price that he gets for the hay. Behind the farmland is woods, which was always there.

You can see the hay bales in the picture along with the small pecan trees which my son and GP planted recently along the sides of the field. One day they will produce pecans, but perhaps not in our lifetimes. The trees will benefit our children and grandchildren.

Note: I wrote this while I was on the swing under the shelter, but I'm posting from home, because I was working on slow wireless at the homestead, as many of you already know, and I could not include the pictures.

Pardon me if I'm late in answering email, because any mail that had an attachment or a link to a picture or a video would not open.

UPDATE: Below is a picture of the steps leading down to the riverbank. They're a tribute to my father-in-law, who, amongst his many occupations, was a welder. The steps are made of iron, which he welded together, carried across the road. and laid down on the steep slope. Ingenious, don't you think? They're a perfect fit. He got it all right, the angle of the slope, the placement. They've been there for many years, and they will, very likely, be there for many more years.

Senator Vitter, Release Your Hostage

NewYork Times:

Hurricane season begins June 1, and yet the Federal Emergency Management Agency still has no new director. Two months ago, President Obama nominated Craig Fugate, the state emergency chief who excelled in Florida. The choice was hailed widely, on both sides of the aisle, as ideal. But Mr. Fugate is being held hostage in the Senate by David Vitter of Louisiana.

Mr. Vitter complains that FEMA is not answering his questions about some high-risk flood areas that await rebuilding. FEMA should answer his questions. But we suspect that Senator Vitter is more preoccupied with the approach of re-election season than any weather events. He is clearly relishing doing battle with the administration, issuing broadsides styling himself as a populist standing up to “strong arm” tactics of the White House.

Sen. Vitter, stop it! You have made a fool of yourself and embarrassed your constituents quite enough. Stop the posturing. We don't need or want any more of the Vitter follies. Let Mr. Fugate's appointment go through, so he can do his job to prepare for THE HURRICANE SEASON THAT IS LESS THAN A MONTH AWAY! This is not all about you. It is about the safety of the citizens of Louisiana, whom you have thus far represented so poorly.

The Rhodes scholarship vetting process needs serious work. How could the powers that be allow in two such sorry prospects as Vitter and Bobby Jindal?

Thanks to MotherAmelia for the link. Click over to read MotherAmelia's Mothers Day sermon, which is excellent.

Happy Mother's Day

A blessed and happy day to mothers and to all who care for children. Mothering is not just for mothers, and mothering doesn't end when children reach adulthood but rather, it is a job for a lifetime.

Almighty God, heavenly Father, you have blessed us with the joy and care of children: Give us calm strength and patient wisdom as we bring them up, that we may teach them to love whatever is just and true and good, following the example of our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

PS: Let us pray for those who are missing mothers who have passed on.

From Roseann

Failure to Thrive

I've been diagnosed with Geriatric Failure to Thrive. I don't think of myself as geriatric but I have all the symptoms and the hospital and doctors have made this an official diagnosis. I want you all the know that I am fighting as hard as I can to turn this around.

Love, R

Roseann, we love you. We know that you are a fighter. We are with you and Gary in spirit. We continue to pray for you.

Roseann is at home now. Her blog is Give Peace A Chance.

"One Word"

You must, you absolutely must read Fr Tobias Haller's address to Provincial Synod II in Albany, New York.

Here's a taste, but read the entire speech. I won't take "No" for an answer, and I promise you won't be sorry.

In the long run, there is no such thing as a solitary Christian. There is no Christian without the church, no church without Christ, no Christ without God. For as we believe that God is love, there can be no love without relationship. This love divine, all loves excelling, is the ultimate compassion — feeling-with — the love that embraces the other, that gives itself for the life of the other, that becomes itself in losing itself, saving its life in losing it. This is the embodied love of the Incarnation, the love that died on the Cross, the love that rose again from the dead, and in whom we will one day be raised: love that becomes so united with the beloved that the old categories that ruled the world — Jew and Greek, slave and free, male and female — are overshadowed by the love which passes all understanding, yet shelters our hearts and minds under the shadow of everlasting wings.

O The Woes Of Slow Wireless!

My friends, I can't even get to some of your blog sites. If you have pictures or videos, I get a time-out notice, or I get tired of waiting. If you sent me emails with attachments, I may not be able to open them. I can't watch or listen to media links, other than print.

Posting takes a long time. I've about given up on using pictures, with the exception of the beautiful icon of Julian of Norwich that I "borrowed" from Paul, which took three tries before it finally went up. I can only have one file open at a time. This reminds me of many years ago, when I worked on my first computer, which had a very small drive, after it was five years old.

Oh, woe is me! I know what you're thinking: "Bitch, moan, and complain - that's all that woman does. Enough already!" And you're absolutely right, of course. So I'll stop.

Happy Birthday To Paul The BB!

Today Yesterday Paul celebrated his life on this good earth for 63 three years. Don't focus on the number of years, because Paul is young at heart, and he looks far younger than his years. He is soooo good-looking.

Watch over thy child, O Lord, as his days increase; bless and guide him wherever he may be. Strengthen him when he stands; comfort him when discouraged or sorrowful; raise him up if he fall; and in his heart may thy peace which passeth understanding abide all the days of his life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

And please go to Paul's web site to read his post titled A Modest Proposal on his idea for a moratorium.

Feast Day Of Lady Julian Of Norwich

Julian of Norwich

Icon "borrowed" from Paul the BB.

"The soul that would preserve its peace, when another's sin is brought to mind, must fly from it as from the pains of hell, looking to God for help against it. To consider the sins of other people will produce a thick film over the eyes of our soul, and prevent us for the time being from seeing the 'fair beauty of the Lord'-- unless, that is, we look at them contrite along with the sinner, being sorry with and for him, and yearning over him for God. Without this it can only harm, disturb, and hinder the soul who considers them. I gathered all this from the revelation about compassion...This blessed friend is Jesus; it is his will and plan that we hang on to him, and hold tight always, in whatever circumstances; for whether we are filthy or clean is all the same to his love."

What is going on in the Anglican Communion now, if it's not bringing to mind the so-called "sins" of others, who because they love people of the same sex must not be fully included in God's church and must not have their unions blessed by the church? Would that we'd all follow Lady Julian's directive to "preserve our peace" and fly from contemplating the sins of others as from the pains of hell. If we choose to spend our time contemplating sin, are not our own "manifold sins and wickedness" enough?

Better still, could we spend our time "seeing the 'fair beauty of the Lord'...for whether we are filthy or clean is all the same to his love"?

PRAYER

Lord God, who in your compassion granted to the Lady Julian many revelations of your nurturing and sustaining love: Move our hearts, like hers, to seek you above all things, for in giving us yourself you give us all; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Lady Julian's words from The Lectionary.

"Be Like The Bird"

A dear friend sent me the poem below this morning. She said it made her think of me. I cried when I read it. The poem makes me think of her, too, and of a good many other friends, in real and virtual life. I present it here to you, my visitors, those who comment, and those who don't, and I dedicate it to you.

Be Like the Bird

Be like that bird
Who, pausing in flight,
Feels the bough give way
Beneath her feet
And yet sings,
Knowing she hath wings.

Victor Hugo

I'm at the "farm", no, not the funny farm, Grandpère's childhood home, which is no longer a farm. He loves the place passionately. Me - not so much.

I'm on slow wireless, very slow wireless, frustratingly slow wireless, and my dear friend's poem lifts my spirits out of the frustration.