Two wrongs don’t make a right. An eye for an eye leaves the world blind.
Here is a note from Sabina Alkire, a friend at Harvard who is both an economist and an ordained Episcopal worker priest:
From: Sabina Alkire
Date: Wed May 12, 2004 10:58:07 AM US/Eastern
To: James Moore
Subject: Apology for Iraq
Attachments: There is 1 attachment
Hi Jim,
A friend of mine is urging us to try to figure out a way
Americans can apologize mother-to-mother, people-to-people, to the
people of Iraq. She drafted this and asked me to try to figure out if
it is useful. You’re welcome to use it in any way you see fit.
Lunch in a couple weeks?
Sabina
Why average US citizens should apologize for actions of torture and humiliation against prisoners in United States custody:
It is a separate issue from whether
or not we as individuals or groups supported the decision to go to
war. Even if you did not support the war, these actions were
taken by members of our Armed Forces and employees of agencies of the
U.S. government. Our federal tax dollars funded their mission. For
those who have been generally supportive of U.S. policy towards Iraq,
the apology does not negate this support.
It does not mean that we are not concerned with the wellbeing of those men and women serving in Iraq and elsewhere.
It does not mean that we condone terrorism and its perpetrators.
It only means that we are sorry.
It means that we will take steps to
prevent it from happening again. That we will insist on whatever
changes that need to be made in order to ensure this.
This is not a “red” or “blue” issue. This was done in our name. We should apologize.
The apology may not be accepted. It may be ridiculed. Some will use any apology for their own purposes.
We should apologize anyway.
Regardless of which Geneva Convention
was contravened, these actions clearly violate human decency and as a
nation we should apologize.
To whom do we apologize?
We apologize to the victims and their
families. The hurt extends much further, but these are the individuals
to whom direct harm was done.
It’s simple:
We as American citizens apologize for
the torture and humiliation inflicted on those prisoners in the custody
of United States Armed Forces and other US government agencies. We
pledge in our individual lives to take steps to ensure that such abuses
are never undertaken in our name again and that restitution is made to
those prisoners who were made to suffer this abuse.
