President Obama-- "Sunlight is the best disinfectant."

I've been terribly disappointed by many of the Obama administration's policies and decisions during the last several months, and in particular with the direction-- or lack of changing direction-- that many of his policies embrace. But none disturbs me more than his decision to endorse and continue the Bush administration's efforts to hide the evidence of war crimes against Iraqis and Afghans detained by American occupiers.

I have little doubt that he is correct in characterizing photos of barbaric detainee treatment as liable to "inflame anti-American sentiment." What he is missing, I think, is that anti-American sentiment in much of the world, where for-profit war creates brutal military operations against civilian populations and imperialist occupation, is already justifiably terrible, and that stonewalling U.S. war crimes will only make it worse. World opinion is not likely to get any better unless the United States shows the rest of the world that it has the will to confront its past injustices and to atone for them.

The first step is acknowledging the crimes, without dissembling. Releasing those photos is essential, not simply because it is cathartic, but because it specifically identifies the crimes and in many cases, if not most, the people who committed them and the circumstances in which they were committed. That is the first step toward holding those responsible accountable, and toward making restitution to the victims.

We MUST publicly investigate, charge, try, and punish everyone responsible for barbarism committed in our names. Doing so in secret is not much better than not doing it at all-- we must face the world, admit our crimes, and accept responsibility. That is the ONLY thing that will begin to heal anti-Americanism in the middle east and much of the rest of the world. We must shine a bright light on our military's crimes, and upon the civilian leadership that planned and abetted those crimes. If we try to keep them hidden, no amount of actual justice will be enough to undo the damage done by the cover up.

We must also publicly examine the foreign policy that drives such barbarism. In full sunlight.

Justice is a community endeavor-- it is shared catharsis for wrongdoing and restitution to the injured. Secret justice is almost as bad as no justice at all-- without community participation, there is no catharsis, no possibility of starting anew. Not as long as anyone remembers the injustice. Secret justice is justice denied, for all intents and purposes. Even worse, the absence of illumination is liable to conceal the lack of any justice whatsoever, a truth that will not be lost on ANYONE.

The only way to prevent that is by shining the brightest light possible, and to face it.

"Sunlight is the best disinfectant." --U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis

respected your opinions here, and I'm very relieved to see your opinion on this issue, and I hope your post is kicked and rec'd and read and evaluated by everyone who reads it.

Thanks.

:hi:

prosecutions or lose all credibility. To me, the photos are not needed yet if they were actively pursuing investigating and bringing to justice
those who did these terrible acts, then they could release them after the fact and show that they had acted to make amends and restore our honor.

As it stands, we refuse to face or take responsibility for these crimes committed in our names. It's very discouraging.

...to have the injustices committed against them swept under the rug and forgotten. Frankly, that is my biggest fear.

As for restoring our honor-- that requires that we be able to stand in public without shame-- something that will never happen, IMO, until we illuminate and hose out our own nests of cockroaches.

As a Progressive I know that the only way to become better and more enlightened is to know and face the truth. It means sincere introspection, facing our mistakes and learning to become more because of the error of our ways. It's the dark side of every sentient being or national psyche that needs to be faced down, but that will never happen when full sunlight is denied. Without a good hard look at ourselves we will never have any reason to change, or progress or strive to become our better angels.

It's really not hard to comprehend. But everyone must be willing to look at what the sunlight shows us.