Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Why photos? ACLU of Wisconsin Director answers questions on WPR

Did anyone catch ACLU of Wisconsin Executive Director Chris Ahmuty Joy Cardin's Wisconsin Public Radio show on Monday morning? You can still listen through their archives.

Ahmuty answered questions about why the ACLU is demanding that torture photos be released. Listen to the show to find out:

Why is the ACLU demanding photos? It's not that we want to see photos: we want to see justice and an end to torture. Photos and memos and orders are all evidence of illegal behavior on behalf of the Bush administration. Gathering evidence is the only way to get transparency and ultimately accountability. Attorney General Holder should appoint a special prosecutor to gather evidence and make the case. You can email Holder and tell him yourself.

Why is the ACLU defending detainees? How we treat enemy combatants, how we treat even the “worst of the worst” in our criminal justice system, reflects on our entire justice system. The justice system in our country and internationally has rules. The rules are needed for credibility. We can’t break the rules by not recognizing the same rights for everyone. You can learn more about the John Adams Project on the ACLU website.