This month is Torture Awareness Month, and so I have been making an extra effort to write articles that keep the issue of torture in reader’s minds. Of course, I also write about torture throughout the rest of the year, not just in June.
In 2007, I received a great deal of satisfaction writing about the issue of torture as it related to one of the Democratic presidential candidates in particular: Chris Dodd. Dodd ran for President largely on the issue of overturning the Military Commissions Act, a corrupting law that legalized torture and effectively ended the right of habeas corpus.
- John McCain voted for the Military Commissions Act. Barack Obama voted against it. -
In addition to his central presidential campaign web site, Chris Dodd established Restore-Habeas.org. That web site focused Democrats on the issue of the Military Commissions Act in a way that no other web site related to the presidential campaign did.
Sadly, Senator Dodd’s legislation to repeal the Military Commissions Act did not pass. The Military Commissions Act remains in effect.
Now, in the summer of 2008, I have discovered that the Restore-Habeas.org web site does not remain in effect. The web site has been dismantled, taken off-line.
One thing we’ve all learned over the last seven years is that standing up against attacks on American liberty is not a short-term project. It isn’t something we deal with in just one month, or even just one year.
With the Military Commissions Act still in place, torture remains legal, and habeas corpus remains defunct.
Please, Senator Dodd – restore Restore-Habeas.org
