Where Everybody's Crazy

Five years ago today, the first "detainees" arrived at Guantanamo Bay. Since then, hundreds have been shipped into legal limbo, often through kidnapping, to face torture, degradation, isolation and the loss of legal and human rights. They have not been convicted of any crime, and so must be considered innocent - although someone somewhere thinks they might be a terrorist. But no evidence has been presented, nor will it be; they are being held there, in an extra-legal situation, precisely to avoid bringing them to justice. Several have gone insane. This is a disgusting, sick affront.

And for five years we have allowed it to continue. I don't want to beat up on America too much, because even though it's an obvious reminder that everything America claims to stand for has no actual cash value, no other country has seriously done anything about it either. We all seem to believe this is acceptable behaviour. And as much as the stain of torture and injustice reflects badly on the world, the fact that I have allowed it to continue reflects badly on me.

I can't do much. I'm just one guy blogging. But this I can do: I can refuse to be lulled into accepting this as the status quo. I can remember that this is an outrage, and that it should not slip off the radar of my conscience. If it becomes accepted, then Guantanamo Bay will never close down, and will continue to kidnap, torture and break people for many more years to come. Don't accept it. Pray against it; it is wrong. Speak about it in your churches, if they'll let you. Get your organisations to support and endorse Witness Against Torture. You may have noticed that for the past couple of days I've been displaying their web button over there on the right. It's going to stay there until this abomination has been shut down - so that I do not fall into the trap of accepting it. I encourage you to do the same.