My fellow citizens:
I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.
Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often, the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebearers, and true to our founding documents.
So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.
That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.
These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land -- a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.
Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America: They will be met.
On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.
On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.
We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.
In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the fainthearted -- for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things -- some celebrated, but more often men and women obscure in their labor -- who have carried us up the long, rugged path toward prosperity and freedom.
For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.
For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.
For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.
Time and again, these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.
This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions -- that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.
For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act -- not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.
Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions -- who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.
What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them -- that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works -- whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account -- to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day -- because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.
Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control -- and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart -- not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.
As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: Know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.
Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.
We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort -- even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.
For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.
To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West: Know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.
To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.
As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment -- a moment that will define a generation -- it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.
For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.
Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends -- hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism -- these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility -- a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world; duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.
This is the price and the promise of citizenship.
This is the source of our confidence -- the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.
This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed -- why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent Mall, and why a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.
So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:
"Let it be told to the future world ... that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive... that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]."
America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested, we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back, nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.
taken from: http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/20/obama.politics/index.html
Showing posts with label George W. Bush. Show all posts
Showing posts with label George W. Bush. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Friday, September 12, 2008
In the Cool of History
That day, those days after
in the cool of history
visible now
moments of unity, of resolve
frittered away, lost in zealotry
in actions that divided our nation
We were ready, to fight, to sacrifice
that we were not asked to do
a polarization of our nation
war and atrocities, this time by our hands
sanctioned or ignored
a war on our own,
the wrong enemy
Men, women fighting, dying
far from home
Out there still
in the hot of insurgency,
far from the cool of history,
the open hole at Ground Zero,
our soldiers, our best
out in the field in Afghanistan,
in Iraq, for how much longer?
September 12, 2008
on the aftermath to 9/11/01
and a lost opportunity for our nation
in the cool of history
visible now
moments of unity, of resolve
frittered away, lost in zealotry
in actions that divided our nation
We were ready, to fight, to sacrifice
that we were not asked to do
a polarization of our nation
war and atrocities, this time by our hands
sanctioned or ignored
a war on our own,
the wrong enemy
Men, women fighting, dying
far from home
Out there still
in the hot of insurgency,
far from the cool of history,
the open hole at Ground Zero,
our soldiers, our best
out in the field in Afghanistan,
in Iraq, for how much longer?
September 12, 2008
on the aftermath to 9/11/01
and a lost opportunity for our nation
All of my poems, photographs, and videos are copyrighted
by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009,
2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016. All rights reserved. Contact me at
Ray Foss (raymondafoss@gmail.com)
for usage. See all 41,680+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.
Friday, August 01, 2008
Letter from Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter, July 30, 2008 on waterboarding
July 30, 2008
Dear Mr. Foss:
Thank you for contacting my office and expressing your opposition to certain interrogation techniques, including waterboarding.
I share your belief that methods of torture, including waterboarding, hypothermia, and stress positions, are not an acceptable or humane method of obtaining information. I was proud to be an original cosponsor, with Chairman Jerrold Nadler of the Constitution Subcommittee of the Judiciary Committee, of the American Anti-Torture Act (H.R. 4114). This legislation would have extended the U.S. Army Field Manual prohibition on torture techniques like waterboarding to all U.S. government agencies. This language was included in the Intelligence Authorization Act (H.R. 2082) and would have prevented intelligence agencies from engaging in torture. The President objected to this language and subsequently vetoed the Intelligence Authorization Act.
To learn more about current legislation or about my voting record, I invite you to visit the Library of Congress legislative information website (www.thomas.gov). There, you can find the full text of a bill or a summary, who introduced it and when, who is cosponsoring it, and where it is in the legislative process. I also invite you to visit my website (http://shea-porter.house.gov) for more information about bills that I have introduced or cosponsored, and for issue updates, position statements, event announcements, or to sign up for my email newsletter.
Thank you again for contacting my office. It is a privilege to serve you in Washington.
Sincerely,
Carol Shea-Porter
Member of Congress
Dear Mr. Foss:
Thank you for contacting my office and expressing your opposition to certain interrogation techniques, including waterboarding.
I share your belief that methods of torture, including waterboarding, hypothermia, and stress positions, are not an acceptable or humane method of obtaining information. I was proud to be an original cosponsor, with Chairman Jerrold Nadler of the Constitution Subcommittee of the Judiciary Committee, of the American Anti-Torture Act (H.R. 4114). This legislation would have extended the U.S. Army Field Manual prohibition on torture techniques like waterboarding to all U.S. government agencies. This language was included in the Intelligence Authorization Act (H.R. 2082) and would have prevented intelligence agencies from engaging in torture. The President objected to this language and subsequently vetoed the Intelligence Authorization Act.
To learn more about current legislation or about my voting record, I invite you to visit the Library of Congress legislative information website (www.thomas.gov). There, you can find the full text of a bill or a summary, who introduced it and when, who is cosponsoring it, and where it is in the legislative process. I also invite you to visit my website (http://shea-porter.house.gov) for more information about bills that I have introduced or cosponsored, and for issue updates, position statements, event announcements, or to sign up for my email newsletter.
Thank you again for contacting my office. It is a privilege to serve you in Washington.
Sincerely,
Carol Shea-Porter
Member of Congress
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
National summit on torture - September 11-12, 2008
Received via email today, 7/1/08
To Supporters of the National Religious Campaign Against Torture
Dear Friends:
On September 11-12, 2008, Evangelicals for Human Rights, with the National Religious Campaign Against Torture and Mercer University, will host a national summit on torture in Atlanta, GA, on the campus of Mercer University. Featuring some of the nation's top thinkers and leaders in the anti-torture community, this conference is co-sponsored by an unprecedented group of organizations.
We invite you to be a part of this two day inter-faith event. We will examine the journey of the United States, since September 11, 2001, from a nation that championed human rights, albeit imperfectly, to a nation that publicly acknowledges and supports the use of torture.
Obviously, for people of faith, the journey does not end here. Speakers and participants will also explore the path of return to once again becoming a nation that leads the world in the protection of human rights.
Religious Faith, Torture, and Our National Soul is organized and co-sponsored by individuals and groups who have sought to mobilize Americans and people of faith to oppose human rights violations in the struggle against terrorism. There will be moments of prayer and biblical reflection that embody the convictions of the sponsoring organizations, and the entire event will be infused with moral conviction drawn from religious tradition.
Conference speakers will reflect a variety of faith perspectives. The conference is open to all who will come. Our vision is that the conference will be a template for the kind of discourse, both faith-based and otherwise, that opens wide the doors for dialogue rather than closing them. Rabbis for Human Rights and the Islamic Society of North America are co-sponsors of the event. Muslims and Jews are encouraged to attend.
We invite you to be a part of this important conference. Register fee is $150. Deadline for registration is August 15, 2008. Seating is limited. We also encourage you to promote this conference with members of your organization or congregation.
Students' Discount: Students can register for the conference at a discounted fee of $65. If you are eager for young people to attend, please go to the registration page to make a donation.
For more information, contact the Conference Coordinator:
Mary Head, Evangelicals for Human Rights
3001 Mercer University Drive, Day Hall 103
Atlanta, GA 30341
678-547-6457
mhead@nrcat.org
Questions that will be considered during the Conference:
What policy decisions led to torture?
How did the US military respond?
What does torture do to human beings?
What has the torture debate revealed about religion in America?
What is really going on at Guantanamo Bay?
How do we heal the American Christian relationship with the Muslim world?
What legislative efforts are being made to address torture?
What are younger thinkers noticing about this cultural moment that others are missing?
How do we restore America's leadership in protecting human rights?
Co-Sponsors include:
The National Religious Campaign Against Torture, Mercer University, Evangelicals for Human Rights, the Center for Victims of Torture, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, Evangelicals for Social Action, Faith and the City, Faith in Public Life, the Islamic Society of North America, Morehouse College, the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, No2Torture, Rabbis for Human Rights, Sojourners, and Third Way.
Key Speakers include:
Elizabeth Bounds, Lawrence Carter, John Chandler, Richard Cizik, Mark P. Denbeaux, Pete Dross, Mohamed Elsanousi, Karen J. Greenberg, Don Guter, David P. Gushee, Linda Gustitus, Gita Gutierrez, Imam Yahya Hendi, Jeanne Herrick-Stare, Scott Horton, George Hunsinger, Cheryl Bridges Johns, Doug Johnson, Cathleen Kaveny, Richard Killmer, Rick Love, Denise Massey, Elissa Massimino, Mahan Mirza, Matt Norman, Katie Paris, Michael Peppard, Kathryn Reklis, Stephen Rickard, Samuel Rodriguez, Andy Saperstein, Ronald J. Sider, Glen H. Stassen, Natalie Wigg-Stevenson, Tyler Wigg Stevenson, Asante Todd, Steve Xenakis, Brian Walt, and Thomas Wilner.
We hope you can join us.
Sincerely,
Linda Gustitus, President, NRCAT
Rev. Richard Killmer, Executive Director, NRCAT
To Supporters of the National Religious Campaign Against Torture
Dear Friends:
On September 11-12, 2008, Evangelicals for Human Rights, with the National Religious Campaign Against Torture and Mercer University, will host a national summit on torture in Atlanta, GA, on the campus of Mercer University. Featuring some of the nation's top thinkers and leaders in the anti-torture community, this conference is co-sponsored by an unprecedented group of organizations.
We invite you to be a part of this two day inter-faith event. We will examine the journey of the United States, since September 11, 2001, from a nation that championed human rights, albeit imperfectly, to a nation that publicly acknowledges and supports the use of torture.
Obviously, for people of faith, the journey does not end here. Speakers and participants will also explore the path of return to once again becoming a nation that leads the world in the protection of human rights.
Religious Faith, Torture, and Our National Soul is organized and co-sponsored by individuals and groups who have sought to mobilize Americans and people of faith to oppose human rights violations in the struggle against terrorism. There will be moments of prayer and biblical reflection that embody the convictions of the sponsoring organizations, and the entire event will be infused with moral conviction drawn from religious tradition.
Conference speakers will reflect a variety of faith perspectives. The conference is open to all who will come. Our vision is that the conference will be a template for the kind of discourse, both faith-based and otherwise, that opens wide the doors for dialogue rather than closing them. Rabbis for Human Rights and the Islamic Society of North America are co-sponsors of the event. Muslims and Jews are encouraged to attend.
We invite you to be a part of this important conference. Register fee is $150. Deadline for registration is August 15, 2008. Seating is limited. We also encourage you to promote this conference with members of your organization or congregation.
Students' Discount: Students can register for the conference at a discounted fee of $65. If you are eager for young people to attend, please go to the registration page to make a donation.
For more information, contact the Conference Coordinator:
Mary Head, Evangelicals for Human Rights
3001 Mercer University Drive, Day Hall 103
Atlanta, GA 30341
678-547-6457
mhead@nrcat.org
Questions that will be considered during the Conference:
What policy decisions led to torture?
How did the US military respond?
What does torture do to human beings?
What has the torture debate revealed about religion in America?
What is really going on at Guantanamo Bay?
How do we heal the American Christian relationship with the Muslim world?
What legislative efforts are being made to address torture?
What are younger thinkers noticing about this cultural moment that others are missing?
How do we restore America's leadership in protecting human rights?
Co-Sponsors include:
The National Religious Campaign Against Torture, Mercer University, Evangelicals for Human Rights, the Center for Victims of Torture, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, Evangelicals for Social Action, Faith and the City, Faith in Public Life, the Islamic Society of North America, Morehouse College, the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, No2Torture, Rabbis for Human Rights, Sojourners, and Third Way.
Key Speakers include:
Elizabeth Bounds, Lawrence Carter, John Chandler, Richard Cizik, Mark P. Denbeaux, Pete Dross, Mohamed Elsanousi, Karen J. Greenberg, Don Guter, David P. Gushee, Linda Gustitus, Gita Gutierrez, Imam Yahya Hendi, Jeanne Herrick-Stare, Scott Horton, George Hunsinger, Cheryl Bridges Johns, Doug Johnson, Cathleen Kaveny, Richard Killmer, Rick Love, Denise Massey, Elissa Massimino, Mahan Mirza, Matt Norman, Katie Paris, Michael Peppard, Kathryn Reklis, Stephen Rickard, Samuel Rodriguez, Andy Saperstein, Ronald J. Sider, Glen H. Stassen, Natalie Wigg-Stevenson, Tyler Wigg Stevenson, Asante Todd, Steve Xenakis, Brian Walt, and Thomas Wilner.
We hope you can join us.
Sincerely,
Linda Gustitus, President, NRCAT
Rev. Richard Killmer, Executive Director, NRCAT
Saturday, June 28, 2008
email of 6/27/08 of the NRCAT - Is it Legal to Bury Someone Alive?
Dear Friends:
In testimony before a House Judiciary subcommittee yesterday, John Yoo, a former top Justice Department official and author of key memos authorizing torture, refused to say that it would be illegal for the President to order a suspect buried alive. This view - of an unbounded executive branch that is allowed to do anything in the name of national security - is not simply a crackpot idea held by one former legal advisor, but is the basis for many of the abuses that have been perpetrated on detainees since 9/11.
In answer to a question by Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Yoo refused to say whether there were any interrogation tactics that would always be illegal to use. The following exchange then occurred:
Representative John Conyers: "Could the President order a suspect buried alive?"
John Yoo: "Uh, Mr. Chairman, I don't think that I've ever given the advice that the President could bury someone alive."
Conyers: "I didn't ask you if you ever gave him advice. I asked you, do you think the President could order a suspect buried alive."
Yoo : "Mr. Chairman, my view right now is that I don't think a President would - no American President would ever have to order that or feel it necessary to order that."
Conyers: "I think we understand the games that are being played."
Yoo's testimony makes our recently released Declaration of Principles against torture all the more compelling. Please join us today in endorsing the Declaration and encouraging your friends, family, and members of your congregations to do so as well.
Thank you for your effort.
Sincerely,
Linda Gustitus, President
Rev. Richard Killmer, Executive Director
All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 19,910+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.
In testimony before a House Judiciary subcommittee yesterday, John Yoo, a former top Justice Department official and author of key memos authorizing torture, refused to say that it would be illegal for the President to order a suspect buried alive. This view - of an unbounded executive branch that is allowed to do anything in the name of national security - is not simply a crackpot idea held by one former legal advisor, but is the basis for many of the abuses that have been perpetrated on detainees since 9/11.
In answer to a question by Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Yoo refused to say whether there were any interrogation tactics that would always be illegal to use. The following exchange then occurred:
Representative John Conyers: "Could the President order a suspect buried alive?"
John Yoo: "Uh, Mr. Chairman, I don't think that I've ever given the advice that the President could bury someone alive."
Conyers: "I didn't ask you if you ever gave him advice. I asked you, do you think the President could order a suspect buried alive."
Yoo : "Mr. Chairman, my view right now is that I don't think a President would - no American President would ever have to order that or feel it necessary to order that."
Conyers: "I think we understand the games that are being played."
Yoo's testimony makes our recently released Declaration of Principles against torture all the more compelling. Please join us today in endorsing the Declaration and encouraging your friends, family, and members of your congregations to do so as well.
Thank you for your effort.
Sincerely,
Linda Gustitus, President
Rev. Richard Killmer, Executive Director
All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 19,910+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
ENDORSE A DECLARATION OF PRINCIPLES FOR A PRESIDENTIAL EXECUTIVE ORDER BANNING TORTURE
TORTURE IS A MORAL ISSUE
ENDORSE A DECLARATION OF PRINCIPLES FOR A PRESIDENTIAL EXECUTIVE ORDER BANNING TORTURE
Dear NRCAT Supporters:
NRCAT, in alliance with Evangelicals for Human Rights and the Center for Victims of Torture, launched an effort today that calls upon the President to issue an executive order banning torture based on six core principles embodied in a Declaration of Principles. We are calling this effort the "Campaign to Ban Torture." Prominent faith leaders from Catholic, Protestant, Evangelical, Jewish, Muslim, and Sikh communities, as well top officials from every Administration since the 1970s, have joined together to endorse the Declaration of Principles.
The success of this effort depends upon thousands of people of faith and other opponents of torture joining together to endorse the Declaration of Principles. Your endorsement will help end U.S.-sponsored torture. We urge you to endorse the Declaration.
We also ask that you:
- Urge five friends to endorse;
- Urge members of your congregations to endorse;
- Urge the governing body of your congregation, the regional body of your denomination or faith group and your local interfaith or ecumenical body to endorse.
With the combined efforts of people of faith and military and national security leaders, we hope to develop a national consensus that the President should issue an executive order banning torture.
Thank you for taking action to help end U.S.-sponsored torture.
Sincerely,
Linda Gustitus, President, NRCAT Board of Directors
Rev. Richard Killmer, Executive Director
ENDORSE A DECLARATION OF PRINCIPLES FOR A PRESIDENTIAL EXECUTIVE ORDER BANNING TORTURE
Dear NRCAT Supporters:
NRCAT, in alliance with Evangelicals for Human Rights and the Center for Victims of Torture, launched an effort today that calls upon the President to issue an executive order banning torture based on six core principles embodied in a Declaration of Principles. We are calling this effort the "Campaign to Ban Torture." Prominent faith leaders from Catholic, Protestant, Evangelical, Jewish, Muslim, and Sikh communities, as well top officials from every Administration since the 1970s, have joined together to endorse the Declaration of Principles.
The success of this effort depends upon thousands of people of faith and other opponents of torture joining together to endorse the Declaration of Principles. Your endorsement will help end U.S.-sponsored torture. We urge you to endorse the Declaration.
We also ask that you:
- Urge five friends to endorse;
- Urge members of your congregations to endorse;
- Urge the governing body of your congregation, the regional body of your denomination or faith group and your local interfaith or ecumenical body to endorse.
With the combined efforts of people of faith and military and national security leaders, we hope to develop a national consensus that the President should issue an executive order banning torture.
Thank you for taking action to help end U.S.-sponsored torture.
Sincerely,
Linda Gustitus, President, NRCAT Board of Directors
Rev. Richard Killmer, Executive Director
Friday, June 13, 2008
Letter from Congressman Carol Shea-Porter, May 28, 2008 on waterboarding
May 28, 2008
Dear Mr. Foss:
Thank you for contacting me about waterboarding. I strongly believe that methods of torture, such as waterboarding, hypothermia, and stress positions, are not an acceptable or humane method of obtaining information.
I was proud to introduce as an original cosponsor, with Chairman Jerrold Nadler of the Constitution Subcommittee of the Judiciary, the American Anti-Torture Act (H.R. 4114). H.R. 4114 would have extended the U.S. Army Field Manual prohibition on torture techniques like waterboarding to all U.S. government agencies. This language was included in the Intelligence Authorization Act (H.R. 2082) and would have prevented intelligence agencies from engaging in torture. The President objected to this language and subsequently vetoed the Intelligence Authorization Act.
I was also proud to cosponsor the Justice for Victims of Torture and Terrorism Act (H.R. 5167), which prohibits the President from granting immunity to Iraqi officials that participate in inhumane acts. H.R. 5167 has been referred to the House Judiciary Committee. As an advocate for human rights, I am closely monitoring the status of this legislation and look forward to supporting it, should it come to the House floor.
To learn more about current legislation or about my voting record, I invite you to visit the Library of Congress legislative information website (www.thomas.gov). There, you can find the full text of a bill or a summary, who introduced it and when, who is cosponsoring it, and where it is in the legislative process. I also invite you to visit my website (http://shea-porter.house.gov) for more information about bills that I have introduced or cosponsored, and for issue updates, position statements, event announcements, or to sign up for my email newsletter.
Thank you for contacting my office. It is a privilege to serve you in Washington.
Sincerely,
Carol Shea-Porter
Member of Congress
Dear Mr. Foss:
Thank you for contacting me about waterboarding. I strongly believe that methods of torture, such as waterboarding, hypothermia, and stress positions, are not an acceptable or humane method of obtaining information.
I was proud to introduce as an original cosponsor, with Chairman Jerrold Nadler of the Constitution Subcommittee of the Judiciary, the American Anti-Torture Act (H.R. 4114). H.R. 4114 would have extended the U.S. Army Field Manual prohibition on torture techniques like waterboarding to all U.S. government agencies. This language was included in the Intelligence Authorization Act (H.R. 2082) and would have prevented intelligence agencies from engaging in torture. The President objected to this language and subsequently vetoed the Intelligence Authorization Act.
I was also proud to cosponsor the Justice for Victims of Torture and Terrorism Act (H.R. 5167), which prohibits the President from granting immunity to Iraqi officials that participate in inhumane acts. H.R. 5167 has been referred to the House Judiciary Committee. As an advocate for human rights, I am closely monitoring the status of this legislation and look forward to supporting it, should it come to the House floor.
To learn more about current legislation or about my voting record, I invite you to visit the Library of Congress legislative information website (www.thomas.gov). There, you can find the full text of a bill or a summary, who introduced it and when, who is cosponsoring it, and where it is in the legislative process. I also invite you to visit my website (http://shea-porter.house.gov) for more information about bills that I have introduced or cosponsored, and for issue updates, position statements, event announcements, or to sign up for my email newsletter.
Thank you for contacting my office. It is a privilege to serve you in Washington.
Sincerely,
Carol Shea-Porter
Member of Congress
Saturday, June 07, 2008
Letter from the White House, dated May 30, 2008
So, the question remains, if Waterboarding is torture, why would America do it, ever?
If the evidence truly cannot be used, why do it?
If we are a nation of laws, why do it?
If we hope to be a beacon of hope to the world, why do it?
If we want to have any moral authority in the community of nations, why do it?
All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 19,840+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.
Thursday, May 01, 2008
A Day of Prayer
A national day of prayer,
duly designated, sanctioned
to pray for our country, our blessings
for our leaders, in these days
Praying for wisdom, for justice,
for peace, for an end to torture
Bowing my head, clasping my hands
spending a few moments in prayer
for this land we call home
I wonder what this nation,
this world would be like
if instead of a day of prayer
we all prayed daily
May 1, 2008
http://www.ndptf.org/home/home.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Day_of_Prayer
duly designated, sanctioned
to pray for our country, our blessings
for our leaders, in these days
Praying for wisdom, for justice,
for peace, for an end to torture
Bowing my head, clasping my hands
spending a few moments in prayer
for this land we call home
I wonder what this nation,
this world would be like
if instead of a day of prayer
we all prayed daily
May 1, 2008
http://www.ndptf.org/home/home.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Day_of_Prayer
Monday, March 10, 2008
TORTURE IS A MORAL ISSUE - Override the Veto
Dear Friends:
On Saturday, March 8, President Bush vetoed H.R. 2082, an important piece of anti-torture legislation that would have banned the use of waterboarding, stress positions, induced hypothermia, and other so-called "harsh" interrogation techniques by requiring all U.S. intelligence agencies, including the CIA, to abide by the restrictions in the Army Field Manual while conducting interrogations. H.R. 2082 was passed by a majority of both houses of Congress.
Sometime this week, possibly as soon as tomorrow, the U.S. House will vote on whether or not to override the President's veto. It is very difficult to override a veto (it requires a two-thirds majority in both houses of Congress), so the attempt to override may not be successful. That said, we want to make every effort to convince as many Members of Congress as possible to vote for the override.
Please call your Representative in Congress and urge him or her to vote to override the President's veto of H.R. 2082, the Intelligence Authorization bill. To contact your Member of Congress you can call the Capitol switchboard at (202)224-3121 and ask to speak with your Representative.
Thank you for your efforts to end U.S.-sponsored torture.
Sincerely,
Linda Gustitus, President, NRCAT
Richard Killmer, Executive Director, NRCAT
On Saturday, March 8, President Bush vetoed H.R. 2082, an important piece of anti-torture legislation that would have banned the use of waterboarding, stress positions, induced hypothermia, and other so-called "harsh" interrogation techniques by requiring all U.S. intelligence agencies, including the CIA, to abide by the restrictions in the Army Field Manual while conducting interrogations. H.R. 2082 was passed by a majority of both houses of Congress.
Sometime this week, possibly as soon as tomorrow, the U.S. House will vote on whether or not to override the President's veto. It is very difficult to override a veto (it requires a two-thirds majority in both houses of Congress), so the attempt to override may not be successful. That said, we want to make every effort to convince as many Members of Congress as possible to vote for the override.
Please call your Representative in Congress and urge him or her to vote to override the President's veto of H.R. 2082, the Intelligence Authorization bill. To contact your Member of Congress you can call the Capitol switchboard at (202)224-3121 and ask to speak with your Representative.
Thank you for your efforts to end U.S.-sponsored torture.
Sincerely,
Linda Gustitus, President, NRCAT
Richard Killmer, Executive Director, NRCAT
Saturday, March 08, 2008
Email to President Bush today - On his Veto - allowing waterboarding to be used by the CIA
Sent via email to President Bush -
Mr. President -
As fellow United Methodists, we are bound by the Social Principles of our faith. They include the following:We hold governments responsible for the protection of the rights of the people to free and fair elections and to the freedoms of speech, religion, assembly, communications media, and petition for redress of grievances without fear of reprisal; to the right to privacy; and to the guarantee of the rights to adequate food, clothing, shelter, education, and health care. The form and the leaders of all governments should be determined by exercise of the right to vote guaranteed to all adult citizens. We also strongly reject domestic surveillance and intimidation of political opponents by governments in power and all other misuses of elective or appointive offices. The use of detention and imprisonment for the harassment and elimination of political opponents or other dissidents violates fundamental human rights. Furthermore, the mistreatment or torture of persons by governments for any purpose violates Christian teaching and must be condemned and/or opposed by Christians and churches wherever and whenever it occurs. The Church regards the institution of slavery as an infamous evil. All forms of enslavement are totally prohibited and shall in no way be tolerated by the Church.
http://www.umc-gbcs.org/site/c.frLJK2PKLqF/b.3713157/k.DE01/182164_The_Political_Community/apps/nl/newsletter.asp
Mr. President, waterboarding is torture. Always. No ends justify our country stooping to these means. No scrap of information is worth losing our moral way as a people. History will judge this generation of leaders by decisions such as this one. I regret your decision to veto legislation that would forbidden the use of waterboarding. I pray that you will reconsider, for the sake of our country and for the legacy we leave future generations.
Sincerely in Christ,
Mr. President -
As fellow United Methodists, we are bound by the Social Principles of our faith. They include the following:We hold governments responsible for the protection of the rights of the people to free and fair elections and to the freedoms of speech, religion, assembly, communications media, and petition for redress of grievances without fear of reprisal; to the right to privacy; and to the guarantee of the rights to adequate food, clothing, shelter, education, and health care. The form and the leaders of all governments should be determined by exercise of the right to vote guaranteed to all adult citizens. We also strongly reject domestic surveillance and intimidation of political opponents by governments in power and all other misuses of elective or appointive offices. The use of detention and imprisonment for the harassment and elimination of political opponents or other dissidents violates fundamental human rights. Furthermore, the mistreatment or torture of persons by governments for any purpose violates Christian teaching and must be condemned and/or opposed by Christians and churches wherever and whenever it occurs. The Church regards the institution of slavery as an infamous evil. All forms of enslavement are totally prohibited and shall in no way be tolerated by the Church.
http://www.umc-gbcs.org/site/c.frLJK2PKLqF/b.3713157/k.DE01/182164_The_Political_Community/apps/nl/newsletter.asp
Mr. President, waterboarding is torture. Always. No ends justify our country stooping to these means. No scrap of information is worth losing our moral way as a people. History will judge this generation of leaders by decisions such as this one. I regret your decision to veto legislation that would forbidden the use of waterboarding. I pray that you will reconsider, for the sake of our country and for the legacy we leave future generations.
Sincerely in Christ,
Friday, March 07, 2008
United Methodists Do Not Torture - Follow up - 3/7/08
Email on 3/7/08
The United Methodist General Board of Church and Society
Your continued support is needed on this critical issue!
Our numbers continue to grow but we still need your help! President Bush may veto the Intelligence Authorization Conference Report. Today we sent a letter to President Bush with all the signatures of our petition.
We would like you to send a letter too. Please continue to forward this email to your friends, family and colleagues and encourage them to join this important campaign.
Don't forget to call President Bush at 202-456-1111 and urge him not to veto the Intelligence Authorization Conference Report.
Public Witness Against Torture - March 10th
There will be an important "Public Witness Against Torture" rally at noon on Monday, March 10, at Upper Senate Park (Delaware and Constitution Ave., NE), in D.C.
This will be a spiritually-rooted ceremony and rally that will include brief speeches and powerful music and a call to Congress for action. Following this rally and witness, participants will be encouraged to visit the offices of their senators and representatives to urge an end to torture. Please join us for this important witness!
Torture Awareness Month - June 2008
We encourage you and your congregation to join the National Religious Campaign Against Torture in a public witness against torture by displaying a banner outside your place of worship during Torture Awareness Month (June 2008).
Go to http://www.nrcat.org/ to purchase the banner.
Are you on Facebook? Join our facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=6896929945
There is more to do! Go to www.umc-gbcs.org/UMsDoNotTorture to access anti-torture resources.
In Christ,
Bill Mefford
Director of Civil and Human Rights
The General Board of Church and Society
100 Maryland Avenue, NE
Washington, DC 20002
The United Methodist General Board of Church and Society
Your continued support is needed on this critical issue!
Our numbers continue to grow but we still need your help! President Bush may veto the Intelligence Authorization Conference Report. Today we sent a letter to President Bush with all the signatures of our petition.
We would like you to send a letter too. Please continue to forward this email to your friends, family and colleagues and encourage them to join this important campaign.
Don't forget to call President Bush at 202-456-1111 and urge him not to veto the Intelligence Authorization Conference Report.
Public Witness Against Torture - March 10th
There will be an important "Public Witness Against Torture" rally at noon on Monday, March 10, at Upper Senate Park (Delaware and Constitution Ave., NE), in D.C.
This will be a spiritually-rooted ceremony and rally that will include brief speeches and powerful music and a call to Congress for action. Following this rally and witness, participants will be encouraged to visit the offices of their senators and representatives to urge an end to torture. Please join us for this important witness!
Torture Awareness Month - June 2008
We encourage you and your congregation to join the National Religious Campaign Against Torture in a public witness against torture by displaying a banner outside your place of worship during Torture Awareness Month (June 2008).
Go to http://www.nrcat.org/ to purchase the banner.
Are you on Facebook? Join our facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=6896929945
There is more to do! Go to www.umc-gbcs.org/UMsDoNotTorture to access anti-torture resources.
In Christ,
Bill Mefford
Director of Civil and Human Rights
The General Board of Church and Society
100 Maryland Avenue, NE
Washington, DC 20002
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
The Prayer of Repentance
I received an emailed copy of a prayer, attributed to have been made by Pastor Joe Wright at the opening session of Kansas Senate. I did a bit more research and found the original prayer.
I don’t agree with all of what he said; but I believe it is worthy of sharing. I am far more liberal, more inclusive, than him in my theology, as a United Methodist. I would not speak in absolutes, as he does in many of the lines of his prayer. There are many statements I would dispute, or at least word differently. I do, however, worry about our country, when we seem to drift into coarseness and away from the religious ideals that guided our nation’s founding, and especially when we decide that torture is acceptable, ever.
We are to be in the world but not of the world. We are to love our neighbor, even our enemies, as the story of the Good Samaritan teaches us. We are to care for our brothers and sisters, the least, the last, the lost. We should set our sights on God, not false idols and things of this world.
With all of the above in mind, this is the text of the original prayer, verbatim unedited, delivered January 23, 1996 by Central Christian Church (Wichita, KS) Pastor Joe Wright to the Kansas House of Representatives in Topeka. See the link to this prayer at: http://centralcc.org/NewsNow/JoeArticles/JoeRepentancePrayer.html
Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and seek your direction and guidance.
We know your Word says, "Woe to those who call evil good," but that's exactly what we've done.
We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and inverted our values.
We confess that we have ridiculed the absolute truth of your Word and called it moral pluralism.
We have worshipped other gods and called it multiculturalism.
We have endorsed perversion and called it an alternative lifestyle.
We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery.
We have neglected the needy and called it self-preservation.
We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.
We have killed our unborn and called it choice.
We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable.
We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building esteem.
We have abused power and called it political savvy.
We have coveted our neighbors' possessions and called it ambition.
We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression.
We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.
Search us O God and know our hearts today; try us and see if there be some wicked way in us; cleanse us from every sin and set us free.
Guide and bless these men and women who have been sent here by the people of Kansas, and who have been ordained by you, to govern this great state.
Grant them your wisdom to rule and may their decisions direct us to the center of your will. I ask it in the name of your son, the living savior, Jesus Christ.
Amen.
I don’t agree with all of what he said; but I believe it is worthy of sharing. I am far more liberal, more inclusive, than him in my theology, as a United Methodist. I would not speak in absolutes, as he does in many of the lines of his prayer. There are many statements I would dispute, or at least word differently. I do, however, worry about our country, when we seem to drift into coarseness and away from the religious ideals that guided our nation’s founding, and especially when we decide that torture is acceptable, ever.
We are to be in the world but not of the world. We are to love our neighbor, even our enemies, as the story of the Good Samaritan teaches us. We are to care for our brothers and sisters, the least, the last, the lost. We should set our sights on God, not false idols and things of this world.
With all of the above in mind, this is the text of the original prayer, verbatim unedited, delivered January 23, 1996 by Central Christian Church (Wichita, KS) Pastor Joe Wright to the Kansas House of Representatives in Topeka. See the link to this prayer at: http://centralcc.org/NewsNow/JoeArticles/JoeRepentancePrayer.html
Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and seek your direction and guidance.
We know your Word says, "Woe to those who call evil good," but that's exactly what we've done.
We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and inverted our values.
We confess that we have ridiculed the absolute truth of your Word and called it moral pluralism.
We have worshipped other gods and called it multiculturalism.
We have endorsed perversion and called it an alternative lifestyle.
We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery.
We have neglected the needy and called it self-preservation.
We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.
We have killed our unborn and called it choice.
We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable.
We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building esteem.
We have abused power and called it political savvy.
We have coveted our neighbors' possessions and called it ambition.
We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression.
We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.
Search us O God and know our hearts today; try us and see if there be some wicked way in us; cleanse us from every sin and set us free.
Guide and bless these men and women who have been sent here by the people of Kansas, and who have been ordained by you, to govern this great state.
Grant them your wisdom to rule and may their decisions direct us to the center of your will. I ask it in the name of your son, the living savior, Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Email to President Bush today - Our Means must be Christ-centered
Mr. President -
As a United Methodist, I read daily the Upper Room. Yesterday's was very powerful - The key sentence was, "How we do what we do is as much a witness to Christ as what we seek to do.
Or, to put it differently: Our end doesn't justify the means if the means is wrong. Our means must be consistent with the way, truth, and life of Christ."
Please pray on this wisdom, when you decide whether or not to allow the United States of America to commit torture. Waterboarding is Torture, and Torture is against the United Methodist Social Principles. The ends do not justify the means. Ever.
Be Christ in your Presidency and the legacy of your Administration will be love.
See http://www.upperroom.org/Devotional/default.asp?month=2&day=24&year=2008&x=107&y=10
As a United Methodist, I read daily the Upper Room. Yesterday's was very powerful - The key sentence was, "How we do what we do is as much a witness to Christ as what we seek to do.
Or, to put it differently: Our end doesn't justify the means if the means is wrong. Our means must be consistent with the way, truth, and life of Christ."
Please pray on this wisdom, when you decide whether or not to allow the United States of America to commit torture. Waterboarding is Torture, and Torture is against the United Methodist Social Principles. The ends do not justify the means. Ever.
Be Christ in your Presidency and the legacy of your Administration will be love.
See http://www.upperroom.org/Devotional/default.asp?month=2&day=24&year=2008&x=107&y=10
Sent by the National Religious Campaign Against Torture
Dear Friends:
Earlier this month Congress passed H.R. 2082, a bill that would prohibit all U.S. intelligence agencies, including the CIA, from subjecting detainees to waterboarding, stress positions, hypothermia, and other forms of torture. The President’s signature is all this bill needs to become law.
Unfortunately, President Bush has said he plans to veto the bill. If he does not change his mind, this important anti-torture legislation will not become law.
Please contact the White House and tell President Bush’s staff that you support H.R. 2082 (the Intelligence Authorization bill), and that you think it is essential that the anti-torture provision in the bill becomes law. You can use a sample email that we have prepared to contact the President, or you can call the White House at 202-456-1111. Click here for the sample http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2162/t/3805/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=21961.
Please feel free to personalize the email.
We would also like to remind you of two important torture-related events on March 7th and 8th in Washington, DC. There will be an Interfaith Mini-Conference (http://www.nrcat.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=148&Itemid=103) on U.S.-sponsored torture, as well as a workshop: Torture and What Churches Can Do (http://www.nrcat.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=150&Itemid=103), at Ecumenical Advocacy Days (http://www.advocacydays.org/). Many people of faith will be in Washington that weekend for Ecumenical Advocacy Days and/or Interfaith Peace Witness (http://olivebranchinterfaith.org/welcome) sponsored by the Christian Peace Witness for Iraq/The Olive Branch Interfaith Peace Partners.
Thank you for all that you do to end U.S.-sponsored torture.
Sincerely,
Linda Gustitus, NRCAT President
Richard Killmer, NRCAT Executive Director
National Religious Campaign Against Torture
316 F Street NE, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20002
Earlier this month Congress passed H.R. 2082, a bill that would prohibit all U.S. intelligence agencies, including the CIA, from subjecting detainees to waterboarding, stress positions, hypothermia, and other forms of torture. The President’s signature is all this bill needs to become law.
Unfortunately, President Bush has said he plans to veto the bill. If he does not change his mind, this important anti-torture legislation will not become law.
Please contact the White House and tell President Bush’s staff that you support H.R. 2082 (the Intelligence Authorization bill), and that you think it is essential that the anti-torture provision in the bill becomes law. You can use a sample email that we have prepared to contact the President, or you can call the White House at 202-456-1111. Click here for the sample http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2162/t/3805/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=21961.
Please feel free to personalize the email.
We would also like to remind you of two important torture-related events on March 7th and 8th in Washington, DC. There will be an Interfaith Mini-Conference (http://www.nrcat.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=148&Itemid=103) on U.S.-sponsored torture, as well as a workshop: Torture and What Churches Can Do (http://www.nrcat.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=150&Itemid=103), at Ecumenical Advocacy Days (http://www.advocacydays.org/). Many people of faith will be in Washington that weekend for Ecumenical Advocacy Days and/or Interfaith Peace Witness (http://olivebranchinterfaith.org/welcome) sponsored by the Christian Peace Witness for Iraq/The Olive Branch Interfaith Peace Partners.
Thank you for all that you do to end U.S.-sponsored torture.
Sincerely,
Linda Gustitus, NRCAT President
Richard Killmer, NRCAT Executive Director
National Religious Campaign Against Torture
316 F Street NE, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20002
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Waterboarding and United Methodist Social Principles
Is waterboarding a violation of the United Methodist Social Principles (http://archives.umc.org/interior.asp?mid=1686)?
The Social Community (http://archives.umc.org/interior.asp?mid=1713) defines how we are to live within the family of people. The Basic Freedoms and Human Rights (http://archives.umc.org/interior.asp?mid=1824) section under the Political Community (http://archives.umc.org/interior.asp?mid=1823) includes the language
"Furthermore, the mistreatment or torture of persons by governments for any purpose violates Christian teaching and must be condemned and/or opposed by Christians and churches wherever and whenever it occurs."
So long as waterboarding = torture, see (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterboarding), then it would be against the Social Principles in all cases, irrespective of the justification (The ends do not justify the means), consistent with the Social Principles language extracted above.
If so, how should we respond to the fact of our country using that on a single human being, much less 3 and announcing that under the right circumstances we will again?
Again, based on the Social Principles, we are called as United Methodists to "condemn and/or oppose it whereever and whenever it occurs."
In a meeting at the church this morning, the question was asked what had happened in the last week or so that we wanted to share with the group, or something like that. I was second after Reverend Blackadar and I said that I was very concerned about our country using waterboarding.
One of the other people there said, we should do "whatever it takes" regarding the terrorists.
This position just proves more needs to be done. We need to follow our Social Principles and speak out. There should be more outrage, more debate, more shame about this.
We need to find ways to move beyond the "whatever it takes" position.
We need to remember what Christ taught in the lesson of the Good Samaritan, in Luke 10:25-37, that even our enemy is our neighbor. So, when we are to love our neighbor, we are to love our enemy. We are to treat them as we would wish to be treated.
We are to fight hate with love.
We are to be peacemakers
We are to follow Christ's example when he said, "foregive them, for they know not what they do", even as he was dying on the cross.
How can we as United Methodists act together, against these acts of torture sanctioned by our own government?
How can we heal divisions within our own churches, if we do speak out?
The Social Community (http://archives.umc.org/interior.asp?mid=1713) defines how we are to live within the family of people. The Basic Freedoms and Human Rights (http://archives.umc.org/interior.asp?mid=1824) section under the Political Community (http://archives.umc.org/interior.asp?mid=1823) includes the language
"Furthermore, the mistreatment or torture of persons by governments for any purpose violates Christian teaching and must be condemned and/or opposed by Christians and churches wherever and whenever it occurs."
So long as waterboarding = torture, see (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterboarding), then it would be against the Social Principles in all cases, irrespective of the justification (The ends do not justify the means), consistent with the Social Principles language extracted above.
If so, how should we respond to the fact of our country using that on a single human being, much less 3 and announcing that under the right circumstances we will again?
Again, based on the Social Principles, we are called as United Methodists to "condemn and/or oppose it whereever and whenever it occurs."
In a meeting at the church this morning, the question was asked what had happened in the last week or so that we wanted to share with the group, or something like that. I was second after Reverend Blackadar and I said that I was very concerned about our country using waterboarding.
One of the other people there said, we should do "whatever it takes" regarding the terrorists.
This position just proves more needs to be done. We need to follow our Social Principles and speak out. There should be more outrage, more debate, more shame about this.
We need to find ways to move beyond the "whatever it takes" position.
We need to remember what Christ taught in the lesson of the Good Samaritan, in Luke 10:25-37, that even our enemy is our neighbor. So, when we are to love our neighbor, we are to love our enemy. We are to treat them as we would wish to be treated.
We are to fight hate with love.
We are to be peacemakers
We are to follow Christ's example when he said, "foregive them, for they know not what they do", even as he was dying on the cross.
How can we as United Methodists act together, against these acts of torture sanctioned by our own government?
How can we heal divisions within our own churches, if we do speak out?
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
Waterboarding = Torture
Waterboarding is torture - always!
There is no process that makes it anything other than torture.
America must never use torture.
America must never use waterboarding!
I am horrified that members of our government have engaged in waterboarding and I am even more horrified that people in our government are working to justify it, both before they did it and now.
You do not fight terrorism with terror.
How can we demand that other parties follow the rule of law when we do not?
http://people.howstuffworks.com/water-boarding.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterboarding
There is no process that makes it anything other than torture.
America must never use torture.
America must never use waterboarding!
I am horrified that members of our government have engaged in waterboarding and I am even more horrified that people in our government are working to justify it, both before they did it and now.
You do not fight terrorism with terror.
How can we demand that other parties follow the rule of law when we do not?
http://people.howstuffworks.com/water-boarding.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterboarding
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Authentic Prayer - sermon by Ray Foss for Basic Lay Speaker class, September 29, 2007, Warren United Methodist Church
The passage from 1st Timothy 2:1-7, is a rich piece of scripture, because it speaks of the need to pray, so as to be at peace with the world, a holy peace so as to go on to make disciples, as we are all called in the Great Commission of Matthew 28:18-19, disciples of the one true God, who loved us enough to sacrifice his son.
As Paul himself said in 1 Timothy 1:15, when he was still Saul, he had persecuted the followers of Christ. Now he himself knew the struggle of spreading the Good News throughout the Middle East and beyond.
Like the Attorney in Luke 10:25-37, Paul had tried to live the pious life Jews were called to in Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18 (to love God and to love your neighbor as yourself); but it was only the saving grace of Jesus Christ who gave him the tools to be the Good Neighbor, to bring the balm, the healing of Christ, to the Gentiles.
But what of Timothy the young pastor in Ephesus, the recipient of these instructions, these teachings? We know quite a bit about him, again through the Book of Acts, where we learn of his growing up, the son of a Greek father and a Jewish mother, Eunice, herself the daughter of Lois, a believer in Christ, a follower of the Risen Lord.
But, what kind of prayer was Paul calling Timothy to, in his personal letter to his protégé? This peace, to allow him to be the servant he was called to be? How can we make the same plea to other followers, perhaps to other followers who, might be newer in their faith than we, just like Timothy was when compared to Paul, the Billy Graham of his time. What can we say to help them know the Good News, and to bring it to others themselves, to remove the clutter?
This was part of the challenge I faced in my Middle High Sunday School class last week. We too had this same lectionary. And, as with Paul, there was a distance between me and the kids in where we are in our faith journeys. Though there are times when they stretch my faith, and show me a trust that many of us adults have lost.
I sat in the circle in the Parlor, thinking, “So what was I going to tell them about this letter, the meaning and importance of Paul’s words to Timothy, for us now?”
As Methodists, we believe in the ministry of all believers, the Great Commission; but, do we spend enough time in prayer to be centered and ready to do that work, truly loving our neighbors, even our enemies, as ourselves?
When our church was beginning a strategic planning effort a couple of years ago now, Penny Thurston, a widow of a retired United Methodist pastor, was often asked to lead us in centering prayer. I wrote this poem about one of her prayers.
Spirit
We sat silent in centering prayer
my diaphragm and chest rose and fell
silently, in time with my heart
your word, the one you put in my mind
It was Spirit, Your Holy Spirit
living in the room with us
flickering in the Christ candle before us.
A call for your spirit to act,
guide us, be present in each one
leading us in prayer and action
Do we trust God for everything in our lives? Do we pray for neighbors, for leaders, for others? Or do we merely pray for our own small troubles? Do we even know how to pray, to really pray, as Paul was describing.
Paul reminded Timothy of the context of prayer, the kinds of prayer, the way he should pray, and the state of grace from which he could live his call, in these few words in this 1st letter to Timothy.
I told my Middle High Sunday School class about my first experience with the five-finger prayer, as taught to me by Rolling Ridge Director, Rev. Larry J. Peacock, at Wesley United Methodist Church. It is a simple way of praying, that puts the pieces that Paul was describing in this passage from 1 Timothy 2:1-7.
Our hand, our fingers, give us a wonderful way to remember how to pray as Paul instructed Timothy. Look at your hand, your fingers,
- Praise – the one true God, Creator, Sustainer, Father, Son and Holy Spirit
- Thanksgiving – for all He has done and is doing in the life of the world, in our lives
- Confession – for where we all have fallen short, individually and as the human race
- Supplication – prayers for others, including the leaders, even your enemies
- Intercession – prayers for yourself, for your needs, to clear the clutter and help you do God’s will, to follow his call.
What would we pray for, how would we take this lesson from Paul, the five fingers of prayer, consistent with Paul’s call to a prayer that leads to peace? What would the children say, those young and growing in their faith?
How can we as Christians be mentors and examples to those, like my middle high school class?
What are the authentic prayers of the children? Listen to the wisdom, the truth, the faith in their words. Like Paul, we want them to succeed in their journey. We want them to make disciples, as we must. Listen to the words of prayer of the children. Listen to their authentic words.
Caleb Hawkins
“We give you thanks, O God:
for friends that help me
for food that tastes good
for a good, fun family
for a house to live in
for Education
for My health and fitness
God be near and help us:
for my focus at school
for my family’s problems
for my injuries and sickness
for my friend’s mom and her cancer
for my friends and whatever they’re needing
Amen”
--
Dear God,
I thank you for my guinea pig, my dog, and my hermit crabs.
I thank you for my friends and family
I give you thanks for horses
And all the wild animals
And all the domestic animals
I Am sorry for all the paper and plastic and
aluminum that I throw away instead of
recycling it. I am sorry for the water I’ve wasted
and the pollution I have caused. I know it is
important to preserve your Earth because it is a
gift to us.
Help people realize that slaughtering horses for pet
food is cruel, and protect them from the trouble they
get themselves into. Help them understand that
animals are a gift and they should be kind to them
Also help them to understand that Earth is a
gift from You as well and they shouldn’t trash such
a precious gift.
And please, help me to achieve good grades in
school and high marks on my tests and quizzes
Finally, keep my pets, family, and friends safe and
healthy. Peace Out. Amen.
Jessa Fogel
---
Dear God,
Thank you God for coming down to earth
and saving us. Thank you for friends and family
who love me and support me. Thank you for
food and shelter that my parents provide for me.
God, we give you great thanks. For life and happiness,
we give you thanks o’ God. Thank you for baby
back ribs that come right off the grill. And most
of all, thank you for you. In your name I pray,
Amen
--
I am thankful for all that you have
done for me. I am sorry about
your family loss and I am sad about
it too. My Gia Gia (gramma in Greek)
was very close to me and she must
be with you. I really miss her So please
take good care of here. Thank you for
my family, friends, my sisters, my dads,
my mom, and my friends.
Love,
from your servant
Erica
--
A Prayer from Timothy
Holy God,
Creator and sustainer
of the earth, I offer this prayer
for myself and the world.
I thank you Lord, for my family,
for this beautiful Sunday, for this church
and church family, for the changing seasons
this season of fall, and especially for your presence.
Lord, I confess that I have fallen short of your grace,
that I have not communicated with my family,
that I have struggled in my work and I have not
put my whole trust in you.
I pray for this torn world, where strife and poverty
are too common, where one in seven Americans
are without health insurance, and where
too many know war and disease.
Lord, I pray for President Bush and the Congress,
may they find a way to end war
I pray also for this church, as we prepare for
a capital campaign and budget,
for the Iraqi government and its people
I ask for your peace for them and for
those who seeks after peace in the Middle East.
I pray Lord too, for the world, for global warming
and the melting ice caps. May we come to grips
with these challenges before it is too late.
Lord, I ask for your guidance, your strength
to get more done, to be more available to Ruth,
and to help the girls more.
I ask all these things in Your son’s precious name.
Amen
Okay, so that last one was the prayer I wrote last Sunday morning, when we were all centering, quieting ourselves in prayer, when we were at peace, in God’s house, thinking about ourselves and others, and seeking God’s Peace, His Strength.
What about you? Right now? In this place, this house of God? Remember, we all are to be ministers like Timothy; that is what we as United Methodists believe.
What prayers for peace in the world, for supplication, for intercession, for thanksgiving, and for praise do these words of 1st Timothy call you? What joys or concerns do you need to bring to the Lord this day? What is standing in the way of your getting on with the work you feel God has called you to do, to minister to his flock and to go out and make disciples of all the nations?
AMEN.
As Paul himself said in 1 Timothy 1:15, when he was still Saul, he had persecuted the followers of Christ. Now he himself knew the struggle of spreading the Good News throughout the Middle East and beyond.
Like the Attorney in Luke 10:25-37, Paul had tried to live the pious life Jews were called to in Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18 (to love God and to love your neighbor as yourself); but it was only the saving grace of Jesus Christ who gave him the tools to be the Good Neighbor, to bring the balm, the healing of Christ, to the Gentiles.
But what of Timothy the young pastor in Ephesus, the recipient of these instructions, these teachings? We know quite a bit about him, again through the Book of Acts, where we learn of his growing up, the son of a Greek father and a Jewish mother, Eunice, herself the daughter of Lois, a believer in Christ, a follower of the Risen Lord.
But, what kind of prayer was Paul calling Timothy to, in his personal letter to his protégé? This peace, to allow him to be the servant he was called to be? How can we make the same plea to other followers, perhaps to other followers who, might be newer in their faith than we, just like Timothy was when compared to Paul, the Billy Graham of his time. What can we say to help them know the Good News, and to bring it to others themselves, to remove the clutter?
This was part of the challenge I faced in my Middle High Sunday School class last week. We too had this same lectionary. And, as with Paul, there was a distance between me and the kids in where we are in our faith journeys. Though there are times when they stretch my faith, and show me a trust that many of us adults have lost.
I sat in the circle in the Parlor, thinking, “So what was I going to tell them about this letter, the meaning and importance of Paul’s words to Timothy, for us now?”
As Methodists, we believe in the ministry of all believers, the Great Commission; but, do we spend enough time in prayer to be centered and ready to do that work, truly loving our neighbors, even our enemies, as ourselves?
When our church was beginning a strategic planning effort a couple of years ago now, Penny Thurston, a widow of a retired United Methodist pastor, was often asked to lead us in centering prayer. I wrote this poem about one of her prayers.
Spirit
We sat silent in centering prayer
my diaphragm and chest rose and fell
silently, in time with my heart
your word, the one you put in my mind
It was Spirit, Your Holy Spirit
living in the room with us
flickering in the Christ candle before us.
A call for your spirit to act,
guide us, be present in each one
leading us in prayer and action
Do we trust God for everything in our lives? Do we pray for neighbors, for leaders, for others? Or do we merely pray for our own small troubles? Do we even know how to pray, to really pray, as Paul was describing.
Paul reminded Timothy of the context of prayer, the kinds of prayer, the way he should pray, and the state of grace from which he could live his call, in these few words in this 1st letter to Timothy.
I told my Middle High Sunday School class about my first experience with the five-finger prayer, as taught to me by Rolling Ridge Director, Rev. Larry J. Peacock, at Wesley United Methodist Church. It is a simple way of praying, that puts the pieces that Paul was describing in this passage from 1 Timothy 2:1-7.
Our hand, our fingers, give us a wonderful way to remember how to pray as Paul instructed Timothy. Look at your hand, your fingers,
- Praise – the one true God, Creator, Sustainer, Father, Son and Holy Spirit
- Thanksgiving – for all He has done and is doing in the life of the world, in our lives
- Confession – for where we all have fallen short, individually and as the human race
- Supplication – prayers for others, including the leaders, even your enemies
- Intercession – prayers for yourself, for your needs, to clear the clutter and help you do God’s will, to follow his call.
What would we pray for, how would we take this lesson from Paul, the five fingers of prayer, consistent with Paul’s call to a prayer that leads to peace? What would the children say, those young and growing in their faith?
How can we as Christians be mentors and examples to those, like my middle high school class?
What are the authentic prayers of the children? Listen to the wisdom, the truth, the faith in their words. Like Paul, we want them to succeed in their journey. We want them to make disciples, as we must. Listen to the words of prayer of the children. Listen to their authentic words.
Caleb Hawkins
“We give you thanks, O God:
for friends that help me
for food that tastes good
for a good, fun family
for a house to live in
for Education
for My health and fitness
God be near and help us:
for my focus at school
for my family’s problems
for my injuries and sickness
for my friend’s mom and her cancer
for my friends and whatever they’re needing
Amen”
--
Dear God,
I thank you for my guinea pig, my dog, and my hermit crabs.
I thank you for my friends and family
I give you thanks for horses
And all the wild animals
And all the domestic animals
I Am sorry for all the paper and plastic and
aluminum that I throw away instead of
recycling it. I am sorry for the water I’ve wasted
and the pollution I have caused. I know it is
important to preserve your Earth because it is a
gift to us.
Help people realize that slaughtering horses for pet
food is cruel, and protect them from the trouble they
get themselves into. Help them understand that
animals are a gift and they should be kind to them
Also help them to understand that Earth is a
gift from You as well and they shouldn’t trash such
a precious gift.
And please, help me to achieve good grades in
school and high marks on my tests and quizzes
Finally, keep my pets, family, and friends safe and
healthy. Peace Out. Amen.
Jessa Fogel
---
Dear God,
Thank you God for coming down to earth
and saving us. Thank you for friends and family
who love me and support me. Thank you for
food and shelter that my parents provide for me.
God, we give you great thanks. For life and happiness,
we give you thanks o’ God. Thank you for baby
back ribs that come right off the grill. And most
of all, thank you for you. In your name I pray,
Amen
--
I am thankful for all that you have
done for me. I am sorry about
your family loss and I am sad about
it too. My Gia Gia (gramma in Greek)
was very close to me and she must
be with you. I really miss her So please
take good care of here. Thank you for
my family, friends, my sisters, my dads,
my mom, and my friends.
Love,
from your servant
Erica
--
A Prayer from Timothy
Holy God,
Creator and sustainer
of the earth, I offer this prayer
for myself and the world.
I thank you Lord, for my family,
for this beautiful Sunday, for this church
and church family, for the changing seasons
this season of fall, and especially for your presence.
Lord, I confess that I have fallen short of your grace,
that I have not communicated with my family,
that I have struggled in my work and I have not
put my whole trust in you.
I pray for this torn world, where strife and poverty
are too common, where one in seven Americans
are without health insurance, and where
too many know war and disease.
Lord, I pray for President Bush and the Congress,
may they find a way to end war
I pray also for this church, as we prepare for
a capital campaign and budget,
for the Iraqi government and its people
I ask for your peace for them and for
those who seeks after peace in the Middle East.
I pray Lord too, for the world, for global warming
and the melting ice caps. May we come to grips
with these challenges before it is too late.
Lord, I ask for your guidance, your strength
to get more done, to be more available to Ruth,
and to help the girls more.
I ask all these things in Your son’s precious name.
Amen
Okay, so that last one was the prayer I wrote last Sunday morning, when we were all centering, quieting ourselves in prayer, when we were at peace, in God’s house, thinking about ourselves and others, and seeking God’s Peace, His Strength.
What about you? Right now? In this place, this house of God? Remember, we all are to be ministers like Timothy; that is what we as United Methodists believe.
What prayers for peace in the world, for supplication, for intercession, for thanksgiving, and for praise do these words of 1st Timothy call you? What joys or concerns do you need to bring to the Lord this day? What is standing in the way of your getting on with the work you feel God has called you to do, to minister to his flock and to go out and make disciples of all the nations?
AMEN.
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