First Things First/ International

As someone who votes, In order to better represent the society that we are, I officially request the following issues in American foreign policy be addressed:

• A global, official and public apology for torture documented in the congressional records.

• Pass legislation that limits the CIA to the interrogation techniques mandated by the army field manual. Protect our troops by giving the world a reason to trust us.

• A public declaration of our intent to return to the restraints of the “Geneva Convention.” The purpose of the Geneva Convention was to protect soldiers. When we stray from these ideals we put our own soldiers as risk needlessly. We owe them more.

• An end to extraordinary rendition and “Black Site” detentions.

• The permanent closure of all Torture facilities. (Facilities such as: Guantanamo, and Abu Ghraib)

• Let us again be human rights advocates. Torture is a popular debate in the current American discourse. The reaction of the US to photographs of our smiling soldiers at Abu Grahib made clear that America is no longer the defender of human rights. The reality of war is that horrible things happen. We know this. We are not alone in this knowledge. Torture is not new. The world knows this. What has changed is our public stance on human rights violations such as torture. As a country, we now condone torture openly, which is far different than merely knowing that it happens in war. Most parents know that their children drink from time to time but they do not condone it. Condoning torture is the beginning of devolution.

• HIV lives. It’s time we face the reality that HIV travels… from one to another in candle lit rooms across the globe. It travels as quickly as love does but it lasts longer. HIV can be the result of young and old love. It can also be the result of vindictive anger, saintliness, ignorance, rape, birth, and frivolous desire. We must take responsibility for these truths. We must do our part to protect the global community from this unnecessary pain. So that young love may enjoy the luxury of mistakes, saintliness may enjoy freedom, vindictive anger will know opposition and prosecution, ignorance can be cured through knowledge, birth can be joyous, and rape is not permanent. If we cannot cure HIV then we must dedicate our society to educating the ones we love and to loving the survivors of HIV with accessible and affordable medications. We must learn to accept that HIV is a part of our society rather than brushing its consequences aside in hopes that it will go away.

• No longer should we refuse American funds to foreign medical facilities that offer condoms or discuss abortion as an option.

• Osama Bin Laden. We lost Osama bin Laden at the battle of Tora Bora. Our president boasted on national TV that he wanted him “dead or alive” as if he were living out a childhood fantasy with a fake gun in his hand and a broom for a horse. Unfortunately, weapons at his disposal are not so benign. Osama bin Laden is a tall bearded man requiring a dialysis machine in remote areas. Doesn’t this narrow our search at all? Where is Osama bin Laden and WHY has our American government not held him accountable for 9/11?
• Address Nuclear Proliferation with firm diplomacy.

• Return to the goals of global disarmament. Why exactly did we abandon this goal to begin with?