It's about right and wrong, pure and simple. We're arguing semantics on a hugely important civil liberties issue, and if you could simply open your eyes you might see it that way.
There's a new bill getting passed that Obama supports. In that bill, there is a provision called detainee photographic records protection.
Here's a link to the bill:
http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-h2 ... t0:eas:700This bill circumvents the freedom of information act, a step that Bush never took, and allows the suppression of any photo the government deems appropriate in an 8 year period. The provision can be renewed indefinitely.
In layman's terms, they don't want any photos of detainee abuse coming out - ever. This is a cover up, pure and simple, with no expiration date, that would prevent anyone, including a court, from obtaining them. What an awful precedent. You should be concerned if the president you elected on the grounds that he was open and transparent is circumventing something called the "Freedom of Information Act". You should also ask yourself, after 8 years of expanded executive power, if this is a good precedent to establish.
What kind of a country would give its leader the power to suppress evidence of the state
torturing people? Here's an editorial from the Washington Post:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 02036.htmlFurthermore, this is Obama continuing a trend of the Bush administration of retroactively changing a law when they don't feel like following it. Remember FISA Telecom Immunity? Remember the Military Commission Act? What's the point about having laws holding the government accountable if the government simply changes the law after wantonly violating it? Open government doesn't work on a case by case basis, it has to be open government in ALL cases, or it's not really open government.
Quote:
Sec. 1305. (a) Short Title- This section may be cited as the ‘Detainee Photographic Records Protection Act of 2009’. CommentsClose CommentsPermalink
(b) Definitions- In this section: CommentsClose CommentsPermalink
(1) COVERED RECORD- The term ‘covered record’ means any record-- CommentsClose CommentsPermalink
1
(A) that is a photograph that was taken between September 11, 2001 and January 22, 2009 relating to the treatment of individuals engaged, captured, or detained after September 11, 2001, by the Armed Forces of the United States in operations outside of the United States; and CommentsClose CommentsPermalink
(B) for which a certification by the Secretary of Defense under subsection (c) is in effect. CommentsClose CommentsPermalink
(2) PHOTOGRAPH- The term ‘photograph’ encompasses all photographic images, whether originals or copies, including still photographs, negatives, digital images, films, video tapes, and motion pictures. CommentsClose CommentsPermalink
(c) Certification- CommentsClose CommentsPermalink
(1) IN GENERAL- For any photograph described under subsection (b)(1)(A), the Secretary of Defense shall certify, if the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, determines that the disclosure of that photograph would endanger-- CommentsClose CommentsPermalink
(A) citizens of the United States; or CommentsClose CommentsPermalink
(B) members of the Armed Forces or employees of the United States Government deployed outside the United States. CommentsClose CommentsPermalink
(2) CERTIFICATION EXPIRATION- A certification submitted under paragraph (1) and a renewal of a certification submitted under paragraph (3) shall expire 3 years after the date on which the certification or renewal, as the case may be, is submitted to the President. CommentsClose CommentsPermalink
(3) CERTIFICATION RENEWAL- The Secretary of Defense may submit to the President-- CommentsClose CommentsPermalink
(A) a renewal of a certification in accordance with paragraph (1) at any time; and CommentsClose CommentsPermalink
(B) more than 1 renewal of a certification. CommentsClose CommentsPermalink
(4) CERTIFICATION RENEWAL- A timely notice of the Secretary’s certification shall be provided to Congress. CommentsClose CommentsPermalink
(d) Nondisclosure of Detainee Records- A covered record shall not be subject to-- CommentsClose CommentsPermalink
(1) disclosure undersection 552 of title 5, United States Code (commonly referred to as the Freedom of Information Act); or CommentsClose CommentsPermalink
(2) disclosure under any proceeding under that section. CommentsClose CommentsPermalink
(e) Nothing in this section shall be construed to preclude the voluntary disclosure of a covered record. CommentsClose CommentsPermalink
(f) Effective Date- This section shall take effect on the date of enactment of this Act and apply to any photograph created before, on, or after that date that is a covered record.
