I was inspired by Shirlstars’ diary
(A Beautiful Sunday Morning To You)
this morning to write this diary of hope. I think we saw many signs of hope this week, including this nugget about Arlen Specter. Another example of the crashing and burning of the right.
PF
Specter eyes detainees’ rights
Will hold hearings on the treatment of terror suspects
By Jesse J. Holland, Associated Press | June 5, 2005
WASHINGTON — The continuing uproar about US treatment of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib has a top Senate Republican looking at the need to clarify in law the rights of foreign detainees.
-more below-
On the heels of Amnesty International calling the US detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, ”the gulag of our time,” Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Arlen Specter, Republican of Pennsylvania, will hold hearings this month on the treatment of foreign terrorism suspects there.
(snip)
The White House yesterday said the Koran abuses were not widespread. ”It is unfortunate that some have chosen to take out of context a few isolated incidents by a few individuals,” presidential spokesman Scott McClellan said in a statement.
The Pentagon is working on new guidelines for handling people captured during wartime, including an explicit ban on inhumane treatment. The 142-page draft document is being written by the office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and is not intended to set policy but rather to provide the military with guidance to implement policies set by civilian authorities.
Specter is in the preliminary stages of drafting a bill to establish procedures for detentions and exploring the possibility of making the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Court the venue for challenging them, an aide said.
Amnesty International has called on the United States to close its Guantanamo prison, where about 540 men are being held on suspicion they have links to Afghanistan’s ousted Taliban regime or Osama bin Laden’s Al Qaeda terror network.
While the human rights watchdog worries about Congress putting into law ”enemy combatant” status, which it says is a category of prisoner not sanctioned by international and humanitarian treaties, it applauded Specter for looking into the issue.
”Any kind of sunshine would be a good antiseptic for this situation,” said Jumana Musa, advocacy director for human rights and international justice at Washington-based Amnesty International USA.
Specter’s hearing will focus on the detention of enemy combatants at both Guantanamo and in the United States, and whether trying them before military tribunals provides them adequate due process, the senator’s aide said.
Witnesses from the Justice Department and Defense Department are expected to be called to testify, the aide said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the hearing hasn’t been announced.
Another nuggett of hope can be found on this site:
http://www.theconservativevoice.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=6057
which has an article on Kerry seeking impeachment charges against Bush. You really should read some of the comments there as either most posters are Libs. or Reps. are changing their tune. Pretty interesting as this site rarely gets many comments on article and this one has dozens.
So what are your signs of hope, what have you seen or heard this week that gives you hope for the future of this world and this country?
And don’t forget this one:
Sen. Arlen Specter Angry Over Bush’s Stem Cell Position
Pennsylvania Senator Fighting Hodgkin’s Disease
POSTED: 7:26 pm EDT May 25, 2005
UPDATED: 8:10 pm EDT May 25, 2005
Stem cell research is a hot topic in Washington and after an emotional debate, a controversial bill that would allow federal funding for the research cleared the house Tuesday.
The bill now heads to the Senate.
On Wednesday, Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter took center stage in the issue in a very personal way.
Specter was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s disease in January. Hodgkin’s is a cancerous growth of cells in the lymph system.
Specter is a strong supporter of embryonic stem cell research. He said that millions of people with diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s could be treated or even cured with stem cells.
Specter has lost all of his hair from his recent round of chemotherapy treatments. He said that he is frustrated that President George W. Bush promised to veto the stem cell bill.
Bush is against using stem cells from leftover fertility clinic embryos because he believes it is morally wrong.
“It is scandalous, absolutely scandalous that there are so many people with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s and heart disease and cancer. I know some of them myself. I look in the mirror and barely recognize myself, and not to have the availability of the best medical care is simply atrocious,” Specter said.
comes from the deep inner knowing that this universe operates on physics, and a faith in the divine human. . .
When one opens the door to a dark room, the Light rushes in to overcome the darkness. Never is the light overcome by the darkness.
So I light one candle, and that candle is me, and it is my hope that the candle I light will encourage others to light their own candles. Where there is Light, darkness cannot exist.
And a quote from my favorite guy, Albert Einstien,
Hey – wait a minute! Did he steal that concept from GHWBush? That beautiful, heartfelt sentiment of 1,000 points of light?
Ya know, the sad part for me is – in theory – I think 1,000 points of light really is a wonderful, beautiful concept. But the cynical side of me simply cannot separate it from the person who presented it – and his evil henchmen (well, henchwoman – in the form of Peggy Noonan).
Oh man. . .and there I went, ruining a lovely post of yours, Shirlstar. But apparently I didn’t feel all that terrible, or I would’ve deleted this post. (I guess I’m seeking “bad attention” this evening :^)
It’s probably best that you not encourage me at the moment. I just finished three major client projects and I’m feeling a bit irresponsible. ;^)
But thank you (and Oui and Shirlstar) for posting such lovely, heart warming comments today – comments that I could lean back on during the midst of the most stressful moments – when sometimes it felt that things were on the verge of tanking before my eyes.
So to add my little ray of light to this diary, I feel compelled to mention (yet again) that this site offers the most delightful refuge of diversion and discourse among the kindest of folks. Whatever the mood – I can visit here and tap into the conversation of my choosing – any of which serve to brighten my day in one way or another.
So thank you, my dear, for posting this diary full of sunshine!
Not trying to encourage you tonight(as you said above) but you too bring a ray of hope, light and joy to this site.
I am glad to hear you have finished your projects, as I have been following your comments in recent days. I especially liked your comment about your husband being worried when you weren’t at your computer.
Thanks for the kind words, Diane. :^)
Okay, between the two of us we’ve managed to mangle my screen name a bit too much (I more than you) so I’d like to propose that we both stick to “Steve”.
– Good night,
Steve
Oh yeah – during a late night break last night I happened upon your enthusiastic commentary about impeachment proceedings. And although I shouldn’t have taken the time to do so, I checked into every link you shared, but I couldn’t find anything that specifically mentioned impeachment. Were you just getting me all excited with speculation?
The item about impeachment was, I guess, the surmising of the writer based on comments Kerry had made, and I think I originally found the article on Boston Globe, and then I referenced the discussion on Conservative Voice.
http://www.theconservativevoice.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=6057
I guess we shall see this week what Kerry actually does, but I for one hope that this issue is taken up in congress.
Anyway I am not sure if Kerry himself actually said those words (Impeachment) but he seems to be trying to start or get something going with a Downing Street Memo, investigation.
Have you signed an impeachment petition yet. There are quite a few out there, including meetup.com, I believe.
Here is another ray of hope, John Conyers petition:
http://downingstreetmemo.com/
More about this can be found on Oui’s diary:
http://www.boomantribune.com/
Am I the only hopeful person here today?
.
Hi Diane101, great diary!
You’ve added another Ray of Hope.
Easy link for any late arrivals:
Pax
Oui – Liberté – Egalité – Fraternité
And you are on the list of a ray of hope as are all members on this site.
I would like to list you all, to be sure.
You know as I look around these diaries today, I see many rays of hope. I guess I will have to gather some up and post them here.
Qui, can you help me!!! You are good at gathering.
.
Thanks for invite.
In a few hours, I’m just gathering some hours of sleep now. Take care.
Oui – Liberté – Egalité – Fraternité
My “ray of hope” this week came the other day when I checked my e-mail. Amongst the usual action alerts, stock tips and pharmaceutical ads were two e-mails from old friends I speak with once or twice a year at most. Neither of them is particularly politically active or overtly partisan, in fact I can’t remember ever discussing politics with them. (Which as anyone who knows me can tell you I tend to discuss ad-nauseam).
The topics of their e-mails were the same: Go to John Conyers website and sign his petition about the DSM.
At the time I just smiled and thought to myself: WOW the word really IS spreading. If these guys have spent the time to e-mail ME with this, we really are starting to make some progress.
WE had the same thought re: Conyers, I was posting the same thing as you posted this. Yes indeed that is a ray of hope and I hope we are all spreading around this web site, you can drop the link on message boards for news websites, for example. Drop Booman Trib. link as well.
I hope you and others checked out the Conservative Voice(as linked in the diary), some unravelling going on over there. Good time to post comments. No ratings there.
Good news about your friends Duke, can we dare to hope that there is a great awakening going on here is the good old brain washed US of A.
And lest we not forget the great work of Booman and susanhu (as well as all the other great members of this site)for shedding light and bringing attention to all these important issues and carrying the message all around the world. Little spots of hope springing up all over the place.
We will prevail. Keep the faith.
Bring back the slogans of the Vietnam era, anyone have some to list.
Add this little tidbit from the moderate voice:
by Joe Gandelman
http://www.themoderatevoice.com/posts/1117952510.shtml
(snip)
John R. Bolton flew to Europe in 2002 to confront the head of a global arms-control agency and demand he resign, then orchestrated the firing of the unwilling diplomat in a move a U.N. tribunal has since judged unlawful, according to officials involved.
A former Bolton deputy says the U.S. undersecretary of state felt Jose Bustani “had to go,” particularly because the Brazilian was trying to send chemical weapons inspectors to Baghdad. That might have helped defuse the crisis over alleged Iraqi weapons and undermined a U.S. rationale for war.
Bustani, who says he got a “menacing” phone call from Bolton at one point, was removed by a vote of just one-third of member nations at an unusual special session of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), at which the United States cited alleged mismanagement in calling for his ouster.
The United Nations’ highest administrative tribunal later condemned the action as an “unacceptable violation” of principles protecting international civil servants. The OPCW session’s Swiss chairman now calls it an “unfortunate precedent” and Bustani a “man with merit.” (more on site)
for without Hope, we have nothing ; )
Swiss vote yes to Gay/Lesbian partnership rights
http://www.boomantribune.com/?op=displaystory;sid=2005/6/5/135854/7644
Ray
Those of us who care about unprovoked wars owe the patriot who gave this latest British government document to The Sunday Times a debt of gratitude. Unauthorized disclosures are gathering steam. They need to increase quickly on this side of the Atlantic as well–the more so, inasmuch as Congress-controlled by the president’s party-cannot be counted on to discharge its constitutional prerogative for oversight.
In its formal appeal of Sept. 9, 2004 to current U.S. government officials, the Truth-Telling Coalition said this:
We know how misplaced loyalty to bosses, agencies, and careers can obscure the higher allegiance all government officials owe the Constitution, the sovereign public, and the young men and women put in harm’s way. We urge you to act on those higher loyalties…Truth-telling is a patriotic and effective way to serve the nation. The time for speaking out is now.
If persons with access to wrongly concealed facts and analyses bring them to light, the chances become less that a president could launch another unprovoked war–against, say, Iran.
Ray McGovern served 27 years as a CIA analyst and is now on the Steering Group of Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity. He works for Tell the Word, the publishing arm of the ecumenical Church of the Saviour.