Legal Commentary

Don't Do Nothing

By Professor University of Miami School of Law

A long, hard, sad read from Group News Blog, but worth it: Habiiti Dawo Ga’an, Habi’do’atiil (I Didn’t Choose These Ghosts, They Chose Me). Here’s a taste of the start:

One of the strange things about haunting is that one doesn’t get to choose the shit that sticks.

I am nobody’s hero, I’m flawed grievously. There were a few times when I performed well and was noticed. There were many other times when I fell very short of any mark or goal. Probably those times of shortfall were the bulk of experience.

The main reason I am so worked up over the failure to take a firm, and legal stand against torture is that I know very well the price to be exacted from doing nothing.

While I was in Vietnam, and later Africa, I saw instances of atrocity, murder, torture, and rape. I either did nothing at all, or when I was told it wasn’t my business, I shut up, rucked up, and moved on.

I’m told that the author of this piece is a member of the Apache Nation, did three tours in Vietnam with Seal Team Two and was awarded the Silver Star and three Purple Hearts.

Full post as published by Discourse.net on April 29, 2009 (boomark / email).