Their Job is to Say No!

Political leaders who commit human rights violations, commit torture or genocide do not admit to committing a crime–they blame their actions on the public they supposedly represent. Ghastly, inhuman acts committed are always justified by the acts of the other or someone else…never the person committing the act. And so it was when American military people committed unspeakable acts of violence and horror against American Indian tribes in the 18th and 19th centuries they justified their acts by describing their victims as uncivilized savages. When Adolph Hitler’s government and companies working for the government committed horribly unspeakable acts against Jews, Slavs, Roma and homosexuals their acts were justified by those committing the crimes by claiming their victims were uncivilized and subhuman.

Now the American government’s President George Bush and his Vice President Richard Cheney justify their authorized acts of torture against individuals only George Bush could identify as combatants and terrorists as being within the law–made so in a series of memorandums written at the request of Bush and Cheney cronies.

Criminal acts are criminal acts and war crimes are war crimes. Political leaders are supposed to have the good sense to say No! when the urge to act against the law arises. Failure to exercise good judgment and act humanely cannot fail to be punished otherwise those who allow and commit acts of genocide, ethnocide, torture, and murder join in a great conspiracy that degrades the human spirit. Representatives in the United States Congress are now discussing ways to investigate and indict those who committed crimes during the eight years of George Bush’s government must be encouraged. Citizens of 145 other countries in the world that signed anti-torture agreements must be vigilant to seek out those who successfully illude trials in the United States.

I only wish that such actions had been taken against those who committed crimes against Indian peoples all over the Americas.