I recently sent off a quick email before going to work with the below message to the wonderful people on the local morning radio show on KPOJ. I felt compelled to add my voice to the conversation in response to the debate which was happening on whether or not it was best to release the torture photos. Barack Obama had just made the decision to not release the latest photos, which are already being seen in other countries. I disagreed with the President's decision and my message communicates why. (The local morning show from 6-9am is followed by Thom Hartmann's national show from 9-12:00.) Peace ~ Molly
* * *
Hi, Carl, Christine, Paul, and Thom. I really appreciate your conversation this morning about the release of photos. I can truly see and could argue both sides. However, I do come out on the side of releasing these photos. I have been deeply politically involved for a few years now, and have attended numerous events, including Winter Soldier speaker panel conferences, Iraqi speaker events, just seeing Archbishop Desmond Tutu on May 4th, and more. The thing is, people around the world already know that this torture has been happening. The killing of American soldiers has already been passionately undertaken for years now due to this knowledge of atrocities committed in our name.
I believe that the best way to begin to scratch the surface of what Americans have done is to own it. The Muslim world and the rest of the world needs to see America become accountable. We have been like a hugely dysfunctional family. We cannot make amends as a nation as long as we continue to hide behind minimizations, secrecy, denials, justifications, and the shame of the profound horror of what has been done in our name.
Because American atrocities are so well known by the rest of the world, I believe that the only way to begin to stop the hatred that is directed toward the West and the recruitment of terrorists to kill Americans is to come out - come out in the open and own it all. No more secrets, no more hiding, no more denials. We need to proceed with investigations, with prosecutions, with venues for truth and reconciliation. We need to show the world our humility, our profound sorrow at what we have done, our courage, and our passion to absolutely and totally own and transform all the enormity of this horror of what Americans have done by coming out. As long as we hold back at all, it will be seen as justification to continue to propel acts of vengeance against Americans.
Sometimes things do get worse before they get better. My heart goes out to all who have loved ones in the Iraq and Afghanistan. There are friends of my my sons who are there now. I do hear them in their terror of the impact of releasing the actual photos. And, yes, there is bound to be an initial profound negative reaction. What I am doing is seeing a bigger picture beyond that initial reaction. In the bigger picture, there can be no solution for problems denied, minimized, not fully owned. In the bigger picture, the rest of the world needs to see Americans owning fully what we have done.
Americans also are prevented from this opportunity for healing as long as we are shielded from reality. We need to know the truth. Everyone does. There is a saying that I believe - the truth shall set us free. America needs to embrace our shadow side and allow the light of day to illuminate this horror and others for there to be full acknowledgment, healing, and transformation of all this pain and tragedy we have carried in our cells since the first native peoples were killed by our ancestors. Otherwise our words of morality and values are compromised and experienced as disengenuous by much of the rest of the word. There is a deep need to walk our talk and to have the deep courage to stand in truth, accountabilty, humility, and the values and visions we hold most dear. It is time.
Thank you so much for the incredibly awesome job you all do. I am deeply appreciative of this great service and the wonderfulness I experience in each of you.
Blessings,
Molly Strong
Gresham, OR
* * *
There is nothing to fear except the persistent refusal to find out the truth, the persistent refusal to analyze the causes of happenings... Fear grows in darkness; if you think there's a bogeyman around, turn on the light. ~ Dorothy Thompson
Most truths are so naked that people feel sorry for them and cover them up, at least a little bit. ~ Edward R. Murrow
Reformers who are always compromising, have not yet grasped the idea that truth is the only safe ground to stand upon. ~ Elizabeth Cady Stanton
I believe that ignorance is the root of all evil. And that no one knows the truth. ~ Molly Ivins
The world is too dangerous for anything but truth and too small for anything but love. ~ William Sloane Coffin
No comments:
Post a Comment