By Benjamin G. Davis, Associate Professor of Law, University of Toledo College of Law, Advocates for US Torture Prosecutions
Talk about a double standard!
Some punks experience depressive overload and riot burning property and stealing stuff from stores in a small town in America – this time Ferguson. Calls for prosecuting those persons to the full extent of the law ring out across the political spectrum including from Obama.
But, from that same White House the Chief of Staff is slow walking the release of the SSCI torture report in the waning days of the current Congress – stalling for time – as next term fascists will bury it.
As if whether the report is released or not changes the fact that the crimes were committed. The crimes were committed, the only question is only whether and to what extent ordinary Americans will be informed of these official crimes by the officials who are trying to cover up the criminality they are shielding.
This sure smells of abuse of power and violation of the public trust.
Scream about private social violence and criminality while you go mute on public social violence and criminality is a fundamental contradiction. It has gone on for six years. It has been called out by the UN Committee Against Torture in their Concluding Observations just last week.
It is obstruction of justice.