Unfettered wind*

1.
We were the dusky maya.
Sometimes we flitted
among the enameled branches
of the hacendado's cage.
We mostly skipped and hopped
with pruned wings.

2.
Then we read:

"Upon freedom
from men administering men
Man will evolve to the next Unity
in the realm of Nature.

"We will be the eagle
over the bluffs
sailing the currents
of the east wind --
our nature unfettered. 

"Our mind and body
uncaged."

3.
Meanwhile
we are growing back
our heart
and our wings.




*Chapter 10, Fractured Memories

Haiku 102209

miles high
the left wing slices
dense clouds


***************

Recently, we read the following:

Washington Post: “Italian court convicts 23 Americans in CIA rendition case” by Craig Whitlock

“An Italian court on Wednesday convicted 22 CIA operatives and a U.S. Air Force colonel of orchestrating the kidnapping of a Muslim cleric in Milan in 2003 and flying him to Egypt, where he said he was later tortured….”

***************

And we thought:

… Will the policy makers and decision makers at that time be made accountable, too -- for the thick web of lies they spun?....

Haiku 101609

she ducks
behind wild bushes
delay of game

***************

Recently, we read the following:

San Francisco Chronicle: “Uruguay Supreme Court rules out dirty war amnesty” by Raul O Garces (AP)

"Uruguay's Supreme Court on Monday declared unconstitutional a law that has provided amnesty to military officials accused of murders, disappearances and other human rights violations during the country's dictatorship.

"Ruling in the case of a young communist detained and slain by the military in 1974, the justices said the amnesty law violates Uruguay's separation of powers and failed to pass by a required supermajority — arguments sure to be made in other dirty war prosecutions.

"The law remains on the books, but the ruling could swing voters in favor of overturning it altogether in a plebiscite being held Sunday along with presidential elections. Until now, polls have shown the plebiscite failing.

"Former vice president and constitutional scholar Gonzalo Aguirre told The Associated Press that the ruling 'supports the conviction that on Sunday the law should be annulled by popular vote and that this will lead to the reopening of dozens of cases that could not be prosecuted because of the amnesty…'

"Amnesties for human rights violators were key to enabling democracies to emerge from the dictatorship era in South America, but they have been increasingly challenged recently…"

***************

And we thought:

… Human rights violators who had run brutal dictatorships like Uruguay back in the 70s and 80s cannot be allowed to duck behind anomalous laws passed to shield them from prosecution. For the people of Uruguay to realize peace and progress, justice and democracy must be allowed to play out at some point. Reason dictates that the process of justice and democracy cannot be delayed indefinitely...

Haiku 100809

unmade bed
soiled clothes on the floor
low tide

***************

Recently, we read the following:

NPR: “France Razes Immigrant Camp Known As 'The Jungle' “ by The Associated Press

“French police cleared out, then bulldozed, a squalid forest camp near the northern city of Calais on Tuesday, detaining hundreds of illegal immigrants who had hoped to slip across the English Channel into Britain.

“French Immigration Minister Eric Besson called the site — known as the ‘Jungle’ — a ‘base camp for human traffickers’ who promise the migrants passage for enormous fees or dump them there after bringing them across Europe.

“The people who camped here — mainly immigrants from Afghanistan — have strained relations between Britain and France and become a symbol of Europe's struggle with illegal immigration…

" ‘This operation is not targeting the migrants themselves, it is targeting the logistics of the human traffickers ... who exploit them,’ he said…

“For France, the Jungle was inhumane and a sign of what is wrong with European immigration policy. The EU's 27 nations each maintain their own immigration policy, complicated by some open borders, creating a confusing mix of laws, accords and bilateral agreements…”

***************

And we thought:

…Illegal immigration is one of Europe’s dirty laundry. This politico-economic problem -- with human rights implications besides -- has to be addressed by the European Union as a whole. Dumping the problem onto a neighbor's backyard is shortsighted and untenable. Like the financial crisis that hit the world over the last year, resolving illegal immigration requires a multi-stakeholder, collaborative effort…

Haiku 091209

among boats
a toy helo hovers
lily pads

***************

Recently, we read the following:


TIME.com: “Man vs. Goose: Taking the Fight to the Unruly Flock” by Bryan Walsh

“Rikers island has held New York City's tough-guy prisoners for more than a century, but it is also populated by a much flightier group that stands accused of crimes against New Yorkers: Canada geese. Attracted by the vacant fields and easy access to water, thousands of geese have come to live on the fringes of the island, which is less than a mile from La Guardia Airport. But because the big birds have shown a propensity for colliding with jets… on June 11, Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced a plan to remove up to 2,000 geese from city-owned properties like Rikers…

“Canada geese are also prolific poopers, and with excretions adding up to as much as 1 lb. a day per bird, the health hazards are serious. The birds have been blamed for fecal contamination that has led to beach closings…

“… [B]irds in many areas are being captured and gassed with carbon dioxide. Also, at some airports, workers are being trained to use shotguns, in case birds get too close to active runways…

“But animal lovers are livid over what they see as needless slaughter — a debate repeated almost everywhere Canada geese are being culled… ‘Are we going to extinguish every single bird in the sky?’ asks Edita Birnkrant, New York director of Friends of Animals.

“… There are believed to be some 25,000 resident Canada geese in the New York City area, way more than the 2,000 that officials are sending to permanent dreamland…

“Killing geese because they get in our way is a bit unfair… Canada geese aren't the best neighbors, but that doesn't mean they deserve the death penalty.”

***************

And we thought:

… So where do people want New York City to land in this turf war between man and goose? Why is the culling of 10% of Canada geese in New York City “needless slaughter”, if it means lessening the risk of geese-plane collisions and potential death and injury to thousands of passengers each day? Or avoiding health-related risks caused by 25,000 pounds of geese excretions per day?

Should New York allocate money to find alternate plane routes or build another airport for the planes currently using La Guardia? Should it continue expending resources to clean up after the geese? Or should it instead use increasingly scarce city resources for more critical programs like affordable housing, health care, or similar human services?

Choosing between animal rights, on the one hand, and people’s safety and health, on the other, shouldn’t really be a tough call. Why isn't that a no-brainer?...

Red rose*

1.
At the former seminarian’s funeral march
along the route of red flags and angry banners
the dictator’s black-garbed enforcers stood.
Peering through helmet slits, their eyes betrayed
a sense of disbelief, and maybe respect --
Loyola Heights was a white area after all.

The eyes of Bill’s comrades reflected clenched fists
raised, and tempered resolve.
The grief of the mourning marchers was morphing
into courage, burning the fog of their fears.

Loyola Heights was a white area -- but not then.

2.
On his casket a single red rose Bill’s brother laid.
Stepping back, he saluted crisply and mourners noticed
his uniform with U.S. Air Force patches.

Bill had chosen the road less taken.

As the casket sought the moist earth
Bill’s comrades burst into the Internasyonal
pumping their arms to its pulsing tempo.
As more mourners joined the chorus
the strokes of fists rose higher, punching the heavens
invoking justice as their human right.
Bill’s comrades and the mourners became one.

The hammer loomed larger back then.

3.
The pretenders in the palace would have wanted
the mourners to see and hear
none of the truths
that were freed back then.

But that day
the hammer did loom larger.




*Chapter 6, Fractured Memories

[In memory of William (Bill) Begg, killed by the Marcos dictatorship’s soldiers in 1975 in the Philippines.]

Haiku 072609

she fans the coal
and keeps us cool
summer breeze

***************
Recently, we read the following:

London Times: “Rebiya Kadeer accused of being behind Uighur violence in East Turkestan” by Jane Macartney

"When I first met Rebiya Kadeer in 1998 she was a slim, dignified woman surrounded by fawning Chinese officials eager to hang on the coattails of the most successful Uighur entrepreneur in the country...

"At the height of her success in China her wealth was estimated at 270 million yuan (£24 million) based on her trading firm, a department store, property investments, interests in a leather factory in neighbouring Kazakhstan and a store in Uzbekistan.

"But she somehow fell foul of the authorities — possibly over suspicions involving the activities of her husband, who was living in the US and made no secret of his support for Xinjiang’s independence. She was arrested and stripped of her once prestigious position on one of China’s top advisory bodies…

"She has now been accused of being the mastermind behind the latest violence in her native region, known by independence activists as East Turkestan…. "

***************
And we thought:

... The Beijing overlord -- both fawning patron and heavy-handed mandarin. How should the majority nationality handle contradictions with minority nationalities? ...

a contemporary haiku and current events blog. occasional notes on [and pokes at] nature and society. and some of their maddening stuff…like the economy finance capital mergers energy health care insurers surplus labor jobs retirement politics government congress courts conflicts united nations human rights lennon peace culture mores education alienation religion erving goffman artifacts history social change twitter scientific method sports travel environment wildlife carbon footprint global warming earth...

Haiku 072209

bugs lay siege
on the street lamp
summer night

***************

Recently, we read the following:

International Press Institute: “Russian Editor-in-Chief Fears Killers of Human Rights Activist and Journalist Won’t Face Justice”

“A Russian editor-in-chief has expressed concern that the killers of a prominent human rights activist and journalist brutally slain on 15 July will never face justice.

“ ‘Unfortunately the Russian authorities, although using hard wording to condemn such crimes, do almost nothing to find their organisers, bring the cases to court and punish the killers,’ Galina Sidorova, editor-in-chief of the Russian monthly Sovershenno Secretno, and a member of the IPI board, told IPI researchers.

”Natalia Estemirova, known for her fearless exposure of human rights abuses in Chechnya and a regular contributor to the newspaper Novaya Gazeta, was abducted on the morning of 15 July in the Chechen capital, Grozny, while she was on her way to work. Witnesses saw her being forced into a car by four men and heard her shout that she was being kidnapped. About nine hours later, her lifeless body was found in the neighbouring province of Ingushetia. She had been shot twice in the head at short range.

“ ‘Estemirova is the fourth journalist to be killed in Russia this year, in what appears to be a concerted move to eliminate critics of the government,’ said IPI Director David Dadge.


***************

And we thought:

…. The more things change, the more they remain the same. Still, in non-communist Russia, to write about human rights abuses is to live dangerously. Journalists have become victims themselves of the mindless violence they report to the world....

Haiku 071609

summer dawn
thick fog hides
unmowed grass

***************

Recently, we read the following:

New York Times: “Cheney Is Linked to Concealment of C.I.A. Project” by Scott Shane

“The Central Intelligence Agency withheld information about a secret counterterrorism program from Congress for eight years on direct orders from former Vice President Dick Cheney, the agency’s director, Leon E. Panetta, has told the Senate and House intelligence committees, two people with direct knowledge of the matter said Saturday.

“The report that Mr. Cheney was behind the decision to conceal the still-unidentified program from Congress deepened the mystery surrounding it, suggesting that the Bush administration had put a high priority on the program and its secrecy.

“Mr. Panetta, who ended the program when he first learned of its existence from subordinates on June 23, briefed the two intelligence committees about it in separate closed sessions the next day….

“The disclosure about Mr. Cheney’s role in the unidentified C.I.A. program comes a day after an inspector general’s report underscored the central role of the former vice president’s office in restricting to a small circle of officials knowledge of the National Security Agency’s program of eavesdropping without warrants, a degree of secrecy that the report concluded had hurt the effectiveness of the counterterrorism surveillance effort….

“In the tense months after Sept. 11, when Bush administration officials believed new Qaeda attacks could occur at any moment, intelligence officials brainstormed about radical countermeasures. It was in that atmosphere that the unidentified program was devised and deliberately concealed from Congress, officials said….

“In the eight years of his vice presidency, Mr. Cheney was the Bush administration’s most vehement defender of the secrecy of government activities, particularly in the intelligence arena. He went to the Supreme Court to keep secret the advisers to his task force on energy, and won….”

***************

And we thought:

….Eventually, the sun burns off the morning mist. Similarly, public opinion will force the shedding of Cheney’s burkha….

Haiku 063009

flipping shadows
of tethered leaves…
summer breeze


***************

Recently, we read the following:

Washington Post: “White House Weighs Order on Detention” by Dafna Linzer and Peter Finn

“Obama administration officials, fearing a battle with Congress that could stall plans to close the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, are crafting language for an executive order that would reassert presidential authority to incarcerate terrorism suspects indefinitely, according to three senior government officials with knowledge of White House deliberations….

" ‘Civil liberties groups have encouraged the administration, that if a prolonged detention system were to be sought, to do it through executive order,’ the official said. Such an order could be rescinded and would not block later efforts to write legislation, but civil liberties groups generally oppose long-term detention, arguing that detainees should be prosecuted or released….

“Some of Obama's top legal advisers, along with a handful of influential Republican and Democratic lawmakers, have pushed for the creation of a "national security court" to supervise the incarceration of detainees deemed too dangerous to release but who cannot be charged or tried....

“On the day Obama took office, 242 men were imprisoned at Guantanamo. In his May speech, the president outlined five strategies the administration would use to deal with them: criminal trials, revamped military tribunals, transfers to other countries, releases and continued detention.

“Since the inauguration, 11 detainees have been released or transferred, one prisoner committed suicide, and one was moved to New York to face terrorism charges in federal court.

“Administration officials said the cases of about half of the remaining 229 detainees have been reviewed for prosecution or release. Two officials involved in a Justice Department review of possible prosecutions said the administration is strongly considering criminal charges in federal court for Khalid Sheik Mohammed and three other detainees accused of involvement in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

“The other half of the cases, the officials said, present the greatest difficulty because these detainees cannot be prosecuted in federal court or military commissions. In many cases the evidence against them is classified, has been provided by foreign intelligence services or has been tainted by the Bush administration's use of harsh interrogation techniques….

" ‘The challenge for the new administration is how to solve these legal questions of preventive detention in a way that is consistent with the Constitution, legitimate in the eyes of the world and doesn't create security loopholes that cause Congress to worry,’ Zarate said.”

***************

And we thought:

…”National Security Court” – blowing in the wind. Given the circumstances, perhaps the proposed court is a necessary interim structure. It appears to address a type of conflict for which conventions haven’t yet been established…


a contemporary haiku and current events blog. occasional notes on [and pokes at] nature and society. and some of their maddening stuff…like the economy finance capital mergers energy health care insurers jobs retirement politics government congress courts conflicts united nations human rights peace culture& society education alienation religion erving goffman artifacts history social change twitter scientific method sports travel environment wildlife carbon footprint global warming earth...

Haiku 062409

morning glories
lie still on the grass...
summer sunset

***************

Recently, we read the following:

NPR: “Iran Supreme Leader Vows Not To Bow To Protests”

“Iran's supreme leader said Wednesday that the government would not give in to pressure over the disputed presidential election, effectively closing the door to compromise with the opposition.

" ‘Neither the system nor the people will give in to pressures at any price,’ Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a meeting with lawmakers Wednesday….

“In his remarks on state television, Khamenei was adamant. ‘On the current situation, I was insisting and will insist on implementation of the law. That means we will not go one step beyond the law,’ he said…

“Mousavi claims that hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad stole the June 12 election through massive fraud. He has called for annulling the results and holding a new vote.

“Mousavi supporters have flooded the streets of Tehran and other cities on a near-daily basis since the election, massing by the hundreds of thousands in protests larger than any since Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution. Security forces initially stood by and permitted the demonstrations.

“Khamenei said in a stern sermon broadcast to the nation Friday that Ahmadinejad was the legitimate winner. He told opposition supporters to halt their protests and blamed the U.S., Britain and other foreign powers for instigating unrest.

“The government then ramped up both the use of force and its rhetoric, beating protesters, firing tear gas and water cannons at them. State media say at least 17 people have been killed in the postelection unrest. Amateur footage of a woman bleeding to death from a gunshot on a Tehran street unleashed outrage at home and abroad….”

***************

And we thought:

… You’d think that Iran’s mullahs would at least try to provide a safe forum to hear out the protesters. Or do Iran’s laws actually prohibit dialogue between its leaders and its people? Scores of protesters have since fallen in the streets – some killed, a lot more injured. But the protests continue. Obviously, "threats, beatings, and imprisonments" -- and blaming other countries -- will not resolve the issues protesters have raised. A good-faith dialogue might just help start the process....

Haiku 060109

more grass shoots…
watering the lawn
after mass

***************

Recently, we read the following:

Washington Post: “Leftist Takes El Salvador Helm” by Mary Beth Sheridan

“Nearly two decades after the end of a U.S.-backed war against El Salvador's rebels, a representative of the former guerrilla movement took power on Monday -- with a top American official applauding.

“Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton attended the inauguration of Mauricio Funes, dressed in bright red, the color of the Farabundo Marti Liberation Front. It was an image that would have been unthinkable in the 1980s, when the United States poured $6 billion into El Salvador to fight the rebel group backed by Cuba and the Soviet Union….

“Clinton, however, told reporters here that she expects ‘a positive relationship’ with Funes, who is considered by many Latin Americans to be a moderate. Her visit signaled the Obama administration's effort to reach out to a more assertive Latin America altered by a ‘pink tide’ of socialist victories in recent years….

“In his inaugural speech at an amphitheater packed with men in red ties and women in red jackets, Funes hailed his two political heroes: President Luis Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil, a moderate leftist, and President Obama….

“Cynthia Arnson, director of the Latin America program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, said the FMLN has a democratic track record, holding many mayor's offices and congressional seats in recent years. ‘The FMLN has been part of the architecture of representative democracy in El Salvador. El Salvador's resemblance to other countries in Latin America governed by the populist left are quite minimal, she said….

“Funes's inauguration was deeply emotional for many Salvadorans who suffered through the 12-year civil war, which left 75,000 dead. ‘We fought the battle so we could have this change,’ said Cecilia Hermin Navarro, 68, a tiny woman in a red shirt who said she was tortured by police during the conflict….”

***************

And we thought:

….After three decades since the FMLN’s formation, spring harvest! No doubt change is a protracted process. Moving forward, Mauricio Funes inherits 20 years of bungling by ARENA, an ultra right-wing party in El Salvador founded by the late Roberto D’Abuisson.

[D’Abuisson was the Salvadoran army major who organized and led the death squads that tortured and killed thousands of civilians during the Salvadoran civil war. Among his victims was San Salvador Archbishop Oscar Romero who was assassinated in 1980 while celebrating Mass. The archibishop was known widely for his denunciations of human rights violations during the Salvadoran civil war and for his advocacy on behalf of the Salvadoran poor.]

Funes and the FMLN face a tough road ahead. What could -- and would -- the FMLN do in the next five years to put reforms in place, based on its ideal of “preferential option for the poor”? Hope the changes would be enough to earn the FMLN an extended run, five years hence, as it pursues its goals of economic and social justice in El Salvador. One expects the FMLN already has the late Archbishop's blessings ….

Haiku 052709

I espy

more leaves from last fall –
late spring

***************

Recently, we read the following:

Global Post: “The slaves next door” by Mildrade Cherfils

“Yasmina was 12 years old when an aunt and uncle brought her to France from Mali to be a live-in nanny to their children. Once she was settled in a suburb near Paris, her new life consisted of 16 hours of household chores and regular beatings with electric cables. The first time she ran away, the couple found her, brought her home, stripped her nude, tied her hands behind her back and beat her bloody...

“Lakhdar said she is asked often, by police, for instance, why a person doesn’t leave the home when presented with the chance, while the family is on vacation or while out running an errand like picking up a child from school.

“ The barriers can be mental,’ she said. Victims are often told they’ll be arrested for being in the country illegally if caught by police. Most often, the abused know their abusers and likely come from the same social circle, village or even family. In cases involving high-ranking officials, the enslavement might occur with impunity because of diplomatic immunity. Often wives, who are more apt to deal with household matters, are complicit in the abuse against other women, Lakhdar said.

“In France, Lakhdar said about 10 to 20 percent of the cases she sees also involve sexual abuse and rape. Physical abuse can include smashing teeth, torturing with pepper, hitting with high heels on the arms and burning with cigarettes. Mental abuse can range from depriving a person of food, or only allowing her to eat only scraps; forcing her to sleep on the ground, while the rest of the household sleeps in beds, or allowing her to bathe only once or twice per week.

“ ‘I never imagined there were such cases in France,’ said Gillaume Herbaut, a French photojournalist whose work documenting the victims as a newspaper assignment turned into an ongoing project with Lakhdar and the committee….

“ ‘They’re lost when they’re enslaved, and they’re lost when they are free,’ he said. ‘They have to relearn freedom.’ ”

***************

And we thought:

….It’s nearly a decade into the 21st century and there are still “slaves” in our midst? We wonder whether this report datelined in France might be an isolated case. However, recent headlines from other parts of the world do echo similar or worse examples of how brutish we continue to be against one another. Consider the enforced starvation of displaced people in Darfur and other places with regional conflicts. The reports of torture and other human rights violations in repressive regimes. The suicide bombings that victimize innocent civilians.

No doubt some part of our being remains as primitive as it had been eons ago – except now our atavism is inflicted with more sophisticated gadgets and weapons. We have a less evolved side -- a dark side -- that periodically frustrates our noble side that’s been otherwise responsible for progressive and collective endeavors meant to advance our species, such as genome research and space exploration. Hatred, greed, utter disregard for human life -- we need to continue addressing this dark side....

a contemporary haiku and current events blog. occasional notes on [and pokes at] nature and society. and some of their maddening stuff…like the economy finance capital mergers energy health care insurers surplus labor jobs retirement politics government congress courts conflicts united nations human rights lennon peace culture mores education alienation religion erving goffman artifacts history social change twitter scientific method sports travel environment wildlife carbon footprint global warming earth...

Haiku 052509

for the night
the setting sun’s bed ...
squirrel's nest

***************

Recently, we read the following:

New York Times: "American Woman Is Freed After Philippines Abduction" by Carlos H. Conde

"An American woman was freed five days after armed and hooded men believed to be military agents abducted her and two companions in a Philippine province north of Manila, her colleagues said Monday.

"The woman, Melissa Roxas, 31, an activist from Los Angeles who had been doing volunteer health work in Tarlac Province, was kidnapped on May 19 along with two other health volunteers for a nongovernmental nationalist group called Bayan.

"She 'surfaced this morning,' said Renato Reyes Jr., secretary general of the group. Mr. Reyes said it was not yet clear why only Ms. Roxas was freed. The fate of the two other workers, Juanito Carabeo and John Edward Handoc, remained unknown.

"It was the first time that an American citizen had fallen victim to what Bayan and human rights groups here call 'enforced disappearances,' or the abduction of activists by those suspected of being military agents....

"According to the human rights group Karapatan, more than 200 Filipino activists have been kidnapped and never heard from since 2001, the year President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo came to power. Others have turned up dead or showing signs of torture.

"Groups like Human Rights Watch have said that activists’ disappearances are part of the government’s counterinsurgency campaign against leftist rebels. The military has consistently denied that charge, calling it propaganda by leftist groups sympathetic to the three-decade-old Communist movement in the Philippines.

"But the United Nations Human Rights Council, in a report last year prepared by its special rapporteur, Philip Alston, called on Ms. Arroyo to institute reforms within the military and to investigate thoroughly what Mr. Alston called 'credible allegations' that the military was behind most of these killings and abductions.

"Eduardo Ermita, Ms. Arroyo’s executive secretary and spokesman, called the rapporteur’s report inaccurate and said Mr. Alston was biased toward leftists."

***************

And we thought:

…. Most find a place for the night on their own. Some appear to find a place for the night on their own. Others are forced to spend the night in secret detention cells by agents of repressive governments -- sometimes for days or months on end. Sometimes they end up joining the ranks of Los Desaparecidos.

The Philippines is one of those countries where forced disappearances continue to occur. Ms. Melissa Roxas is fortunate; she is an American citizen….

Haiku 052309

after rain
piercing the rainbow
a wedge of geese

***************

Recently, we read the following:

The Guardian: “Thousands raped and abused in Catholic schools in Ireland” by Henry McDonald

“The shocking scale of sexual and physical abuse in educational institutions in Ireland run by the Catholic church was revealed today in a report describing how thousands of boys and girls were raped, abused and exploited by the religious brothers and nuns who were supposed to look after them.

“The 2,600-page report by Ireland's Commission to Inquire Into Child Abuse found that for decades rape was "endemic" in more than 250 Irish Catholic care institutions from the 1930s to the 1990s, and that the church in Ireland protected paedophiles in its ranks from arrest….

“Children in industrial schools and reformatories were treated more like convicts and slaves than people with human rights, it said. Rape was particularly common in boys homes and industrial schools run by the Christian Brothers….

“It also criticised the failure of the Irish state, most notably the department of education, for allowing the abuse and exploitation to continue for decades. The department aided this culture ‘through infrequent, toothless inspectors’ that always deferred to the Catholic's church's authority, the report said. The inspections even failed to ensure that children were adequately fed, clothed and educated….

“The commission investigated more than 100 schools run by Catholic religious orders – the majority by the Christian Brothers and Sisters of Mercy….

“A second damning report, due to be published by the end of June, will detail the abuse of hundreds of children in the Dublin archdiocese from 1940 onwards. More than 100 priests are facing allegations and 400 people have been identified as victims.”

***************

And we thought:

.... It will not be enough for the Christian Brothers, the Sisters of Mercy and other religious orders to apologize and “express their sorrow” over the tragedy their members visited on thousands of Irish children. For one, the names of the abusers and pedophiles among them should be made public. They should not be spared the shame and embarrassment of their deeds yet another time. It should also serve as a warning to others that they can no longer hide behind their soutanes and habits.

Finally, the Pope, as the spiritual head of these Catholic religious orders, should himself issue a public apology to the faith communities in Ireland and other parts of the world where similar abuses have occurred. He should, without reservation, apologize for all those Catholic priests, brothers, and nuns who, over the decades, had abused children ironically placed under their care for guidance and nurturing.

This “holocaust” of Catholic children -- these profoundly shameful acts inflicted by Catholic clergy on innocents -- should be publicly acknowledged and condemned. The Pope cannot duck the responsibility of setting right this spiritual and psychic slaying of thousands of vulnerable children by deviant clergy. The Vatican needs to burst this bubble of deceit and hypocrisy, finally -- for the sake of the good guys, those who have been keeping their religious vows….

Haiku 051909

waiting still
on the patio chair –
a cardinal

***************

Recently, we read the following:

Washington Post: “After Years of Fighting, Questions of Reconciliation” by Emily Wax

"In a triumphant address to parliament Tuesday, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa declared that his country had been ‘liberated’ from terrorism with the reported death of Tamil Tiger chief Velupillai Prabhakaran, one of the world's most ruthless and elusive rebel leaders.

“Even as a spokesman for the rebel group insisted that Prabhakaran was still alive, Rajapaksa reached out to the country's ethnic Tamil minority, using their native language during his victory speech to promise that after nearly 30 years of civil war, ‘we all must now live as equals in this free country'....

“Top military commanders bearing bouquets of flowers met Rajapaksa in his living room Monday to deliver the news that the war was over. The Tamil Tigers, who had been fighting for a separate Tamil homeland, were officially defeated, they said, and the entire island was reunited under one flag….

" ‘The end of this war is something that we genuinely didn't think could ever happen,’ said Rajinda Jayasinghe, 27, a civil society leader who is Sinhalese and works in the northern Tamil aid camps. ‘With the death of Prabhakaran, the symbol of the divisions between Sri Lankan people is gone. The real question now is, will there be goodwill towards Tamils? Will Tamils feel the government has their best interest in their hearts?’….

“Prabhakaran was widely seen by Tamils as their only hope against the discrimination and alleged human rights abuses by the Sinhalese-dominated government....

“The Sri Lankan government has been criticized by human rights groups for overstepping its powers. Officials marshaled public opinion to their cause by painting the conflict as a war against terrorism…. They skirted dissent by journalists, aid workers and civil society groups, denouncing their scrutiny of the government and its war efforts as treasonous, rights groups said. ‘There needs to be a look at the real causes of this war,’ said Jehan Perera, executive director of the National Peace Council of Sri Lanka. ‘Otherwise there could be a second Prabhakaran….”

***************

And we thought:

….What Mr. Perera of the National Peace Council of Sri Lanka said is worth repeating: Unless the root causes of the Tamil disaffection with the central government are addressed, there will be others who will take Prabhakaran’s place. History has taught us this lesson very well.

If the Tamils want a separate homeland, why wouldn’t that be a better situation overall than the continuing tension and conflict between the Sinhalese and the Tamils? As it is, Sri Lanka will continue to be “one island” only in geographic terms. And it will remain so until the minority Tamils feel they are being treated fairly and equally.

Hopefully, the Tamils will not have to wait too long for concrete changes to their situation this time around. Otherwise it should come as no surprise that the idea of a separate Tamil homeland will refuse to die....

Haiku 051709

shadows
of fluttering leaves --
spring winds

***************

Recently, we read the following:


New York Times: "After Years of Isolation, a Dissident Still Torments Her Tormentors" by Seth Mydans

“ ‘Why are you so afraid of us?’ Aung San Suu Kyi called out, taunting the military government of Myanmar as thousands of rapturous supporters listened in the rain, whistling and cheering from under a sea of black umbrellas.

“That was 13 years ago, during a temporary period of freedom from house arrest, and Suu Kyi was putting into words the dynamic that has kept her under detention for most of the past two decades.

“The seemingly all-powerful junta, which jails its opponents and crushes popular uprisings by force, is afraid of Suu Kyi, 63, the pro-democracy opposition leader in the country formerly known as Burma, and of the continuing undercurrent of support she commands among the people.

" ‘Her achievement has been to concentrate the values that are associated with democracy and freedom into one person,’ said David Steinberg, an expert on Myanmar at Georgetown University.

“On Thursday, the generals who rule the country demonstrated their continuing fear of this lone challenger by charging Suu Kyi with violating the terms of her most recent, six-year term of house arrest and locking her inside what it calls a prison 'guesthouse.'

“She faces a hearing on Monday on charges that could result in a prison term of up to five years, a harsher form of the isolation she has endured for 13 of the past 19 years….

“But the circumstances of the latest charges against her have a touch of the absurd. They stem from the capture of an American adventurer, John Yettaw, 53, who twice swam across a lake to her house where, according to her lawyer, he delivered her a Bible, although she is a Buddhist.

“Suu Kyi is on trial for violating the terms of her house arrest, though her lawyer describes the American as an intruder, not a guest….”

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And we thought:

…. Who knows: this alleged American intruder, John Yettaw, could in fact be working for the rogue Myanmar military government -- precisely to set up Suu Kyi for additional charges and continued imprisonment.

Unfortunately, Myanmar has nothing to offer economically, politically, or diplomatically to U.S. politicians at this time. Thus, this deafening silence in Washington about the plight of this pro-democracy, Nobel Peace prize winner....

Haiku 051309

emerging
from the reedy pond …
wet squirrel

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Huffington Post: “Cheney Has 'No Regrets' Over Interrogation Policies, War On Terror”

“Former Vice President Dick Cheney said on Sunday, that he had no regrets about the course of actions he and the Bush administration pursued when it came to interrogating suspected terrorists or, more broadly, waging the war on terror….

“The interview was another in a wave of post-White House remarks from the controversial former vice president. On Sunday, Cheney insisted that he was speaking out because ‘the issues are so important.’ President Obama, he added, had ‘moved to take down a lot of those policies we put in place to keep the nation safe for eight years.’…

" ‘Remember what happened here,’ he said. ‘We had captured these people. We had pursued interrogation in a normal way. We decided that we needed some enhanced techniques….’

“Perhaps the most remarkable moment of the interview, however, came when Cheney was asked if President Bush himself had signed off on the interrogation program. His response left the impression that Bush was brought into the loop only as a legal or political formality….”

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….Former Vice President Cheney could insist on calling the Obamas’ dog a “cat”. It will still be a dog. He could keep on calling torture “enhanced interrogation techniques” – it will still be torture. We’ve all read Animal Farm.

Cheney shows admirable conviction in saying he has “no regrets” about the actions he took in waging the war on terror. He should then be willing to account for his actions – if charges emerge that he may have violated the laws he was sworn to uphold….

Haiku 050709

breakfast call
a rabbit sniffing
the spring air

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NPR: “Rights Lawyers In China Face Growing Threats” by Louisa Lim

“A new report by Amnesty International says China has intensified its crackdown on activists and particularly lawyers. It says there has been a disregard of national laws, noting at least four cases this year in which lawyers were threatened with violence by the authorities.

“Lawyer Yan Yiming was called to his law firm's conference room in Shanghai to give advice to three men. When he turned around to write on a whiteboard, he was suddenly assaulted. The three men beat him with iron bars and a hammer….

“So far, Yan doesn't know who ordered the attack or why. He has made many enemies over the years, through his work in environmental protection, defending shareholders and pushing for government transparency. He knew the risks.

" ‘China is changing from a society ruled by men to one ruled by laws, but we're not even halfway yet. Rule of man is much stronger. Eight of the top 10 whistleblowers have been arrested. Those who fight corruption get caught,’ he says.

" ‘If China's legal system is a skyscraper, it should be 100 stories. But it's not finished, we've only built 30 or 40 stories. If we're standing high up in the building, and I get knocked to the ground and killed by corrupt officials and their friends, at least the 30 or 40 stories we've built will still exist,’ he says….”

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.... After reading about the difficulties they have been made to endure for “doing their duty”, how can one not be in awe of these lawyers in China? In spite of harassment, beatings, and kidnappings, they still remain so optimistic that things in their society will improve down the road.

These “rights” lawyers themselves point out that China has made inroads into becoming a society ruled by laws from a society ruled by men. They acknowledge that the legal skyscraper may only be about 30 or 40 stories, out of 100, completed -- certainly still a long way to go. But, as these men of the law see it, change is in the air. And that's a long way from where they started ....

Haiku 042309

morning rain --
rabbit digging up
tulip bed


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Recently, we read the following:

Washington Post: “Defense Chief Gates Says He Backed Releasing CIA Memos” (by Ann Scott Tyson)

“Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates indicated Thursday that he supported the release of sensitive memos on detainee interrogation methods last week because he viewed their ultimate disclosure as inevitable. Gates, a former CIA director, said his foremost concern was that CIA officers who had used the interrogation techniques should be protected from prosecution.

“Another concern, Gates said, was the possibility that the Obama administration's release of the memos would cause a "backlash in the Middle East" that could adversely affect U.S. forces operating there. In discussions, he said, senior administration officials realized the disclosure could be "used by al-Qaeda" to generate opposition against the United States....

" ‘All of us wrestled with it,’ he said when asked whether he personally supported the release of the memos. But he added that his own view was shaped by his belief that the methods would ultimately become known....”

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And we thought:

….This article reports that Mr. Gates’ support of the memos’ release “was shaped by his belief that the methods would ultimately become known.” If that was the extent of the Defense head’s concern, maybe the President needs to have a serious one-on-one with him.

We thought the administration disclosed the “torture” memos not simply because their disclosure was inevitable. We thought they were disclosed because the administration found the subject and the results of the memos – the justification of torture, the order to use torture, and the actual use of torture – to be essentially immoral and reprehensible, and that the administration wanted to clearly dissociate itself from the Bush-Cheney regime on this matter. We thought that, ultimately, the primary concern was that the Obama administration wanted the country to regain its “moral bearings”….