Senator W.P. Filibuster
Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

Senator Filibuster:

I am writing to urge you to do everything in your power to shut down the Guantánamo Bay prison, to end torture and extraordinary rendition, and to free all acknowledged and unacknowledged prisoners of war from all sites, known and unknown, around the world.

As your constituent, I demand that all who are responsible for the policies of torture be investigated and held responsible and that all mechanisms now used for the torture and unjust detention of individuals be immediately defunded and permanently shut down. Legislation must be passed that guarantees detainees’ rights to due process and humane treatment.

The passage of the McCain amendment against torture is commendable, but it's not enough. It is not enough while 500 men, some who have been held without a trial for over four years, at a cost of $200,000 per detainee per year, are denied their right to habeas corpus. It is not enough while over 18,000 prisoners are being held in Iraq. It is not enough while the U.S. continues to operate “black sites” and send detainees to “friendly” countries to be tortured. In the context of what our government is actually doing, legislation such as Senator McCain's amendment appears to be more an attempt at damage control than sincere progress toward justice.

Verifiable reports of torture committed by U.S. personnel consistently come out of Guantánamo, Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere. This is shameful and hypocritical, particularly at a time when the U.S. government claims it is at war against terrorism and for freedom and democracy.

Again, I urge you to uphold justice and human rights and defund and shut down the Guantánamo Bay prison and all sites where the torture and maltreatment of detainees takes place. End extraordinary rendition and ensure due process for all prisoners and detainees.

Thank you for your time, I look forward to receiving a response detailing the action you will take on this matter.

Your constituent,

J.D. Citizen