An excellent artist has joined dA

Mood: Hopeful
Listening to: No Bravery by James Blunt

is now a member of dA.

She has some beautiful work she did this spring uploaded already.





She has other beautiful works. Check out her page!


Check out the James Blunt song "No Bravery" set to a slide show (with lyrics). [link]


per a request from my previous journal... here are actions that individuals can take to stop torture by the U.S.

First... here is my entry about torture.

I heard a talk given by Sue Raufer. She is head of one of the nine Homeland Security offices around the U.S. that evaluate whether people asking for asylum to escape torture can stay in the U.S. She used to be quite proud of being able to help people in this way and proud of her administration for allowing the U.S. to be a sanctuary for these torture survivors.

There were descriptions of various types of horrendous torture. It was the U.S. itself though that was doing these types of torture.

The current administration stanch that redefines torture so that it can be practiced here disturbs her greatly. It is a vile practice and should be immediately stopped. It not only is harmful to the prisoner, it is very harmful to everyone in the U.S. She also talked about Rendition. (A practice where the U.S. sends prisoners to other countries where they practice even worse types of torture for more intense interrogations.) Information gained through torture is inherently unreliable. It reflects what the interrogator wants to hear and not the truth.

She is no longer proud to be a person helping torture survivors if it means working for this administration.

She ended her talk by indicating how ashamed she was that the U.S. public has not ousted this administration since learning of the terrible abuses being done.

I believe it is great that someone high up in Homeland Security is willing to take this risk of speaking out against this administration.

I think the whole world should also be ashamed that this torture is not being stopped. Enough outcries both in and out of the U.S. can make a difference.


Now here are actions that can be taken that will have an effect.

from [link]
"On 28 March 2006, the US Supreme Court began to hear arguments in the case of Salim Ahmed Hamdan regarding the legality of trials before military commissions at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.

Meanwhile, the US government is going ahead with proceedings before the commissions, with pre-trial hearings scheduled to take place while the Supreme Court hears the Hamdan case.

Military commissions will not deliver fair trials

They are still not independent of the executive branch of the US Administration and deny the ability to appeal to an independent tribunal.

Rules will permit use of information extracted under torture.

Lack of proper rules of evidence mean that hearsay evidence and evidence obtained by torture or other ill-treatment can be used against those charged. An interrogator could testify to a confession made by an unknown detainee who may have been tortured. It is difficult to defend yourself against such allegations if you cannot test the original confession or how it was obtained.

They will be able to impose the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment – the death penalty.

Please write to the US Ambassador in your country or, if you are in the United States, to President George W Bush."

Emails, letters and phone calls are the best ways to sway politicians.

An example letter and Bush's address is given at the bottom of that web page.

For U.S. citizens, also go here [link] to get the email addresses and phone numbers of your U.S. Representative and Senators. Even politicians clamoring to end torture should be written so that they know their constituents support them on this.

Petitions against torture: [link] [link] [link]
[link] [link] [link]

“Amnesty International’s 12-Point Programme for the Prevention of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment by Agents of the State” is here [link]

If everyone who is concerned will act, there can be real change.





clubs I'm in,

They all have great members who I have been visiting as much as I can. Thanks to everyone who have visited my page.

Oh a last note... I found a site that has a comprehensive list of communities/clubs/groups and what each specializes in. It is even organized by the type of club. Anyway it is