If I suddenly disappear, you’ll know why. Here’s the
letter I just sent to the Prez.

Dear President Bush,

In the last week I read that you announced that we do
not torture prisoners and I read that Dick Cheney has
called for broad permission to treat prisoners in any
way needed to get them to give us information. I also
have heard that you have threatened to veto the bill
that contains John McCain’s amendment binding us to
the rules of the Geneva Conventions. All this shocks
me and makes me wonder what is going on in your
administration! We must not treat prisoners
inhumanely, even if they are terrorists! We are not
terrorists and must not act like them!

It is fine to say that Americans don’t torture
prisoners but we all saw the pictures. When my
husband served in the Army during the Viet Nam war, he
was taught that any thing his unit did was his
personal responsibility. We have watched low level
enlisted people be tried for their behavior at Abu
Gheraib prison, and we have heard that one general was
relieved of her post as a result. This is a weak
response in my opinion. Your own Attorney General
made statements indicating that your administration
did not necessarily feel bound by the Geneva
Conventions. Setting a tone like this cannot help
individual soldiers make good decisions. All of you
in Washington are partly responsible for the terrible
actions in Iraq, please take proper responsibility.

Last week I also heard that the CIA has set up secret
prisons in countries that allow torture. When this
news came out, there was a loud cry from the
Republicans in Congress to find and punish those
responsible for leaking this sensitive information.
This makes my stomach turn! When someone exposes an
agency of our government acting reprehensibly, we
should act to end the reprehensible behavior and
punish those who initiated the behavior not those who
brought it to light.

Several years ago, I visited a museum in Arizona that
had an exhibit of letters home from German POW’s.
Again and again, in those letters, the German
prisoners marveled to their families how well they
were being treated. Some even expressed the wish
that their families could enjoy the same care. What a
different message this sends to people who are at war
with us. When we live out Jesus’ command to love our
enemies, we make it possible for the enmity between
people to end.

You have a long way to go to earn my trust. When your
words do not match the actions of your administration,
and when your own Vice President is often heard saying
exactly the opposite of what you have said, I cannot
trust what I hear from you. I fear what will happen
if we continue on your present course.

I continue to pray for you.

Sincerely,

Mimi Ess