"She Always Knew There Was Something Wrong"

[berni_mccoy]

Years later she found herself Mississippi-bound
To help stop the legalized lynching
Of Mr. Willie McGee
But they couldn't stop it
So they thought that they'd talk to the governor
About what happened
And say we're tired of being used
As an excuse to kill black men
But the cops wouldn't let 'em past and
These women they struck 'em as uppity
So they hauled 'em all off to jail
And they called it protective custody
Then from her cell she heard her jailers
Grumbling about outsiders
And when she called him out
And said she was from the south they shouted
"Why is a nice southern lady
Making trouble for the governor?"
She said, "I guess I'm not your type of lady
And I guess I'm not your type of southerner.
But before you call me traitor
Well it's plainest just to say
I was a child in Mississippi
But I'm ashamed of it today."
-- excerpt from the Flobots song "Anne Braden"

This is how we should all feel about Torture. Torture should not have been carried out in our name. We need to rise up against it's use and insist that the Justice Department prosecute those who ordered it. We are all "children of America", but the torture that has gone on has made us all "ashamed of it today"

Anne Braden and other patriotic women like her knew there was something wrong with the south and its racism, violation of civil rights and murder of African American men. She did not allow the murderers to murder in her name. She rose up and went to jail for her beliefs and her attempts to try to stop the lynching.

This moment in history is calling upon us to do the same. And while the torture is being stopped, we must rise up and insist that those who tortured in our name be justly prosecuted. It is the least that we can do to honor patriots like Anne Braden. If we do not, we risk allowing others in the future to come forward and continue to commit crimes against humanity in our name.

[opihimoimoi]

1. The Pressure slowly builds toward the Red Zone....

K&R

[Echo In Light]

2. K&R

[OneGrassRoot]

3. I would venture to say it's the same 30% or so of the country....

sadly, not relegated to the South, who are pro-torture, just as they were pro-lynchings.

They're white, *cough, cough* Christians, with a dominionist streak.

[dreamnightwind]

5. yes

Like that study showing that the more you go to church, the more likely you are to support torture.

<http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=214&topic_id=207147&mesg_id=207147>

I can't stand that this was done in our country, in our name, with our tax dollars, and that we're going to just let them get away with it.

I agree with the OP, it's time to take a brave and forceful stance in favor of prosecution of these war criminals.

[AnotherDreamWeaver]

4. K&R