Monday, June 12, 2006
Shut it down!
The graphic on the button says it all; click on it to sign a referendum to demand the shutdown of Guantanamo:
Is shutting down Guantanamo a magic answer? Of course not, especially if the prisoners are simply transferred to Bagram or Abu Ghraib or secret CIA prisons around the world. But Guantanamo does occupy a special place, both legally and symbolically. Legally, it's a place that is fully under (illegal, but de facto) U.S. control, but still outside the borders of the country, allowing the government to make arguments about the lack of jurisdiction of U.S. courts (or any other courts). And symbolically, it is the place above all others where the U.S. has declared its right to lock people up without a trial and throw away the key. Shutting it down would be a blow, albeit far from a mortal one, to the U.S. empire. Sign the petition!
And, while you're customizing the text being sent to your representatives, why not add a line about getting the U.S. out of Guantanamo altogether! Stop the illegal occupation of Cuban territory!
