Punish Bush and Cheney First

Hypocrisy will get you nowhere.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "RootsAction, David Swanson" <info@rootsaction.org>
Date: May 1, 2012 12:35 PM
Subject: Punish Bush and Cheney First
To: <aquarianm@gmail.com>

Punish top criminals first. Justice trickles down better than tax breaks. Share this action on Facebook Share this action on Twitter Dear Daniel, The United States Congress is outraged because Russia appears to have imprisoned, tortured, and murdered a whistleblower. In a chorus of bipartisan unity, members of the U.S. House and Senate have introduced legislation aimed at punishing those members of the Russian government presumed responsible: imposing travel bans and freezing their assets. Meanwhile George W. Bush and Richard B. Cheney are selling books in which they openly confess to the crime of war and all that comes with it, including lawless imprisonment and torture. They have openly confessed in their books and on television, repeatedly, to a form of torture that the current Attorney General of the United States admits is torture. And, although it is little mentioned in U.S. media, the policies of Bush and Cheney led directly to the torture of over 100 people to death. In U.S. efforts to shape Russian policies, action might speak more loudly than words. Tell Congress to punish Bush and Cheney first! Freeze their assets. Ban their travel.  Impeach them, convict them, and remove their pensions while banning them from ever again holding federal office. Censure them. Expose the evidence. Refer criminal prosecutions to the Department of Justice. (Also, let's protect whistleblowers in our own country.) Under U.S. law, Bush and Cheney are openly felons in violation of the Anti-Torture Statute and the War Crimes Statute. When a victim has been murdered by torture, there is no statute of limitations. And even for crimes not resulting in death, including torture, imprisonment, kidnapping, and warrantless spying, there is arguably, right now, almost two years still available in which to prosecute Bush and Cheney. Tell Congress to address its own failings and speak to Russia by example rather than rhetoric. The U.S. military's own autopsy reports record many of its murders by torture. There have been more than 100. For specific examples, read the articles listed below. Then do something about it! Please forward this email widely to like-minded friends. Onward, Aimee, David, Sarah and the RootsAction team P.S. Our small staff is supported by contributions from people like you; your donations are greatly appreciated. P.P.S. RootsAction is an independent online force endorsed by Jim Hightower, Barbara Ehrenreich, Cornel West, Daniel Ellsberg, Glenn Greenwald, Naomi Klein, Bill Fletcher Jr., Laura Flanders, former U.S. Senator James Abourezk, Coleen Rowley, and many others. Resources NPR: Bill Could Complicate U.S.-Russia Relations The Daily Beast: John Sifton: The Bush Administration Homicides Salon: Glenn Greenwald: The Suppressed Fact: Deaths by U.S. Torture ACLU: Autopsy Reports Reveal Homicides of Detainees in U.S. Custody Click here to unsubscribe and stop ALL email from RootsAction. To modify your email communication preferences or update your personal profile, visit your subscription management page at: http://hq-salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/6503/profile/