12/10/05: There's Much We Can Do To Celebrate Human Rights Day - Jean McElhaney

There's Much We Can Do To Celebrate Human Rights Day

Dear Editor:

Today is Human Rights Day. In 1948 on this date, the United States, along with 47 other members of the United Nations, adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Almost all new members of the United Nations have adopted it since. As citizens, we can affirm the importance of human rights by urging our government to do the following:

Adopt the McCain legislation banning torture. This amendment is attached to the defense authorization bill, which is moving through Congress right now. Although it appears obvious that the United States, a purported champion of human rights, should ban torture in its national legislation, the Bush administration has been fighting this step.

Oppose the Graham amendment, also attached to the defense authorization bill, which would suspend habeas corpus rights for those detained at Guantanamo Bay. Without the right to challenge their detention or treatment, people can be held indefinitely by the United States and possibly mistreated or tortured, with no recourse, whether guilty or innocent.

Oppose the practice of rendition, in which the government sends prisoners to countries suspected or known to practice torture. Hiding behind diplomatic assurances that they will not be mistreated is unacceptable. The international legal ban on torture prohibits transferring people, regardless of their suspected crime, to a place where they would be at risk of torture.

Abolish the practice of secret detention. Allegedly an unknown number of "war on terror" detainees are being held secretly in undisclosed locations. Holding people in custody without disclosing where they are or even that they are being held amounts to "disappearing" them. This itself constitutes torture or ill treatment of them and the families who have no information about them.

Prohibit the use of statements obtained under torture and cruel treatment, such as waterboarding, regardless of where the interrogation occurred. These statements are often useless anyway because people will say whatever they think the interrogators want to hear, true or not, just to make the torture stop.

Jean McElhaney Lone Rock