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Letter: Help End Torture

Pat Westwater-Jong
Harvard Post
August 4, 2006

To the Editor:

It seems clear that the United States has ordered people representing us to engage in practices considered to be "torture." In the past, the USA has led the world in upholding decent and lawful behavior. The reason given for the change is that this is a new world of terrorism, therefore we need to do "whatever we must to get information" from whomever our government wishes. I believe this is a move backwards in morality and decency and is illegal, immoral, unethical, against the teachings of major religions and ultimately self-destructive.

I have called the White House and my senators and congressman countless times, asking that our country stop torturing people, and that the GuantanamoBay prison be closed. Although I hear that some soldiers are being prosecuted for illegal behavior, still the people in our highest offices make contradictory statements about "torture." My conscience demands that I do more. So Saturday, Aug. 5, from 1 to 2 p.m., I will stand in Boston Common, with a sign asking for my country to stop torturing people and to close the GuantanamoBay prison. I invite anyone who shares my feelings to stand with me, in Boston or in your own town, anywhere publicly or privately, to call or pray for an end to this behavior by our government.

Most of these prisoners, and others sent elsewhere to be tortured, have not been accused of any crime. This is not a way to treat people, whether they've committed crimes or not. Regarding those who may have information of crimes, experience has shown that information gleaned during torture has been unreliable - we cannot count on it to save any lives. Surely, for every person that we torture we create new enemies in their friends, families and others. In addition to increasing the ranks of terrorists, who seek revenge, we lose allies who might otherwise help stop terrorists.

For those who say there are terrorists in the world who torture people, so we must also torture people -I say that we should not let the behavior of terrorists determine our moral character. We need to obey our laws so when we capture people, they are accused of crimes and have their day in court. Torture is against the Geneva Convention and the U.S. Constitution.

So on Saturday, I will stand peacefully, with compassion for all torture victims, with compassion even for those who committed torture and for those who order it, for I believe feeling hateful toward them will not help. My father fought in World War II, in part so "never again" would governments sanction torturing people. I owe it to those we are torturing and to the memory of my dad and to those Americans who are ordered to commit these acts - and to myself - to at least stand up, and ask that it stop.

Maybe if enough of us call for peace, we can help our country behave legally and ethically and stop a little of today's senseless violence.

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