Encouragement and despair

Read this truly encouraging story yesterday, which helped (somewhat) to balance out this truly discouraging story. I like that Bush said that Gonzales has "helped shape" the current administration's policies--"policies designed to protect the security of all Americans while protecting the rights of all Americans." Yeah, right, all Americans. Because we're the only ones to whom that silly old "quaint" Geneva convention should apply, right? Right?

Sigh.

Open letter to our state's senators and representatives (which I also sent, by the way):

I am writing as your constituent to express my absolute opposition to the confirmation of Alberto Gonzales as Attorney General.

Perhaps Mr. Gonzales has many admirable qualities. Unfortunately, respect for human rights does not seem to be among them. His dismissal of the Geneva Convention as "quaint" is extremely disturbing and is grounds, in and of itself, for disqualification from the role of Attorney General.

I am neither naive nor ignorant. I understand the complexities of war and politics. I know that it is possible to rationalize and excuse any action. However, I do not wish to be counted among those who allow their leaders to rationalize torture. Furthermore, how can we, as a nation, condemn those who abuse human life when we ourselves have decided that we have the right to do so?

I am particularly interested in Congressional Resolution 31, in which you and your fellows expressed outrage at Iraq's disregard for the Geneva Convention and its abuse of American soldiers, including Iraq's subjection of "American prisoners of war to humiliation, interrogating them publicly and presenting them as objects of public curiosity and propaganda in clear contravention of international law and custom..." If you support the nomination of Mr. Gonzales, then it would appear that you are hypocrites.

I encourage you to demonstrate honor, resolve, and respect for the rights of all people by opposing the nomination of Mr. Gonzales as Attorney General.