by Debra Sweet 
The 2,771 detainees still at Guantánamo and Bagram represent all that is wrong–morally and legally–with the war of terror our government loosed on the world after 9/11.
January 11, 2012 marks the 10th anniversary of the opening of the Guantánamo prison. It is past time for us to say enough, end this madness.
Free those detainees who have already been exonerated or try them according to US legal norms. Similarly with those prisoners held at Bagram. Torture and indefinite detention are symbols of a government that believes itself above the moral and legal constraints of a civilized society.
On January 11, in Washington DC we will form a human chain of 2,771 people representing prisoners held at these prisons.
The chain will stretch from the White House to the Capitol to say “Close Guantánamo and Bagram.” This action is sponsored by a broad coalition of groups–including Witness Against Torture and others who have protested in DC on this day for nine years.
Join us. Be one of the 2,771 people in the US who will be in DC on a Wednesday in January from noon to 2 to make a statement that there are limits to the exercise of state power. When these limits are overstepped, not only do the individuals detained suffer the abuses directly, but the society that allows them agrees to the proposition that “might makes right”–a proposition that has had a cascade of consequences for our society both abroad and at home.
Plans for the Washington DC Protest:
12 pm Rally in Lafayette Square (map)
1 pm Form a Human Chain from the White House to the Capital
During the rally and vigil, activists will be wearing orange jumpsuits and holding a myriad of signs and other visuals. Let us know you are coming!
Sign up here to commit to being in DC on Jan. 11, or to organize an action in your home community, and to reach out to others to participate in these actions.
If you cannot do any of these things, please make a donation to enable a student or other young person to get on a bus to DC. Make note in the subject line of your check that that is the purpose of your donation. If you donate online, send an e-mail Sharon indicating the purpose of your donation.
Thanks! We’re looking forward to seeing you in Washington, DC in January! Let us know if there are any questions about this action: email sharon@worldcantwait.org or call (866) 973-4463.
Sincerely,
Sharon Pavlovich and Debra Sweet, The World Can’t Wait