Senator Graham: Let’s Hear it for New York

November 4, 2009 at 10:45 PM

Dear Senator Graham,

Sometime tomorrow, Thursday, likely before noon, the Senate will probably vote on the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2010 and on your proposed amendment to that act that would block Guantanamo detainees from having trials in US federal courts.

I urge you to drop your amendment. And I’ve called my Senators, Gillibrand and Schumer, and urged them to oppose it, using the script below. I’ve encouraged others to call their Senators too.

Why? Because I live in New York City. I’m watching the Yanks as I write this.

And I could see the Twin Towers from my living room. I saw the second Tower fall with my own eyes, from the corner of West Broadway and Canal. I want the people responsible brought to justice.

Instead we got 8 years of indefinite detention and military commissions at Guantanamo; 8 years of illegal detention at CIA “black sites”, Bagram and other US prisons in Afghanistan and Iraq; 8 years of murdered civilians; 8 years of the American torture program, and 8 years of impunity for these crimes.

And yet no one responsible for 9/11 has been brought to justice. No one.

Enough is enough. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and other Guantanamo detainees accused of planning 9/11 should be brought to a fair federal trial in New York City, where those of us who lost friends and family and parts of our city can watch and finally after more than 8 years have some sense that justice is being served.

You, Cheney and Bush had your chance to ensure justice for 9/11. You failed. Miserably. Now, step aside and let us try a tried and true approach: fair trials.

Thanks,
Zeke Johnson
NYC

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Please call your Senators as soon as possible!

We need you to call your Senators right now — before mid-morning tomorrow (Thursday, November 5th) — and tell them to oppose Senator Graham’s amendment! Essentially, Senator Graham’s amendment would tie President Obama’s hands in closing Guantanamo. We need real justice for acts of terrorism. And real justice requires a real court–a US federal court. Don’t let Senator Graham’s amendment block fair trials and keep Guantanamo open. We can win this fight–but we need you.

Please call right away. Some Senators will have a comment line to leave your message–others won’t and you’ll need to call back in the morning when they’re open. Please be persistent.

You can use our script below and look up the names and Washington DC phone numbers of your two Senators here:

http://www.amnestyusa.org/elected_officials

Dear Senator ___________,

My name is _________ and I live in _______________ (City/State).

I am calling to strongly urge you to oppose Senate Amendment 2669 (known as the Graham amendment) to the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2010 . I believe that each Guantanamo detainee should either be charged and fairly tried in US federal court, or be released.

Thank you,

_____________.

Please let us know you called: email [email protected].

Thank you for taking action for human rights!

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8 thoughts on “Senator Graham: Let’s Hear it for New York”

  2. About half an hour ago, Lindsey Graham defended his amendement to the Senate. At the end, he mind-bogglingly said that trying accused terrorists in federal courts would create a legal hodge-podge–how could using an established court system be a legal hodge-podge compared to a legal system cooked up by politicians to ensure prosecutions and hide evidence of torture?

    After Graham, Senator Leahy (D-VT) offered a powerful rebutal, and mentioned Amnesty International, the National Institute of Military Justice, Human Rights First and other groups opposing Graham's amendement. We'll keep you updated on the vote. Thank you for taking action!

  7. About half an hour ago, Lindsey Graham defended his amendement to the Senate. At the end, he mind-bogglingly said that trying accused terrorists in federal courts would create a legal hodge-podge–how could using an established court system be a legal hodge-podge compared to a legal system cooked up by politicians to ensure prosecutions and hide evidence of torture?

    After Graham, Senator Leahy (D-VT) offered a powerful rebutal, and mentioned Amnesty International, the National Institute of Military Justice, Human Rights First and other groups opposing Graham’s amendement. We’ll keep you updated on the vote. Thank you for taking action!

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