Haunting Officials of Johnston County
Read the indictment. Then contact the members of the Johnston County Commission and let them know that you want them to take action against Aero Contractors. Tell them that they have the responsibility to shut down the Cia Torture Taxi operating from Johnston County Airport.
Here's an email form you can use. Or you can call the County Manager's Office at 919-989-5100.
Gene Sharp offers us 198 Methods of Action. This is #31 -- Haunting Officials. Check out the Sharp's full list and think about ways that you can take action against the CIA Torture Taxi and US Torture Policy.
Here's an interview with Kathy Kelly that you might want to share with friends and family as you gather for Thanksgiving. It's a good introduction to the issue.
Empowering Direct Action -- "Is this who we want to be?"
Let's work now to break the silence on U.S. torture. Ask your family, friends, colleagues, "Is this who we want to be?" Raise the stakes. Make life unbearable for those who plan, sponsor, and carry out illegal detentions and torture in our name.
Here is a list of possible actions you might want to consider taking. It only scratches the surface. Gather an affinity group and begin planning now for the actions that you will take in the coming weeks.
Mall Cralls Put the public back in public spaces. Gather an affinity group to wear orange STOP TERROR NOW t-shirts and walk through common gathering places such as shopping malls, public squares, downtown streets, subway platforms, bus stops. Ask people who they feel about torture. Talk with those who are willing. Hand out literature. Offer STOPTORTURENOW.ORG wristbands. Risk arrest?
The Legislative Route Gather an affinity group and visit the local offices of your U.S. representatives and senators. Ask them "Is this who we want to be?" Award them the "Apple Pie Award" for their vote for Gonzales and Negroponte. Ask them to call for an investigation of Abu Ghraib, the "black sites," and the CIA Torture Taxi. Don't leave until you get a satisfactory response. Consider sitting in.
Religious Leaders Gather an affinity group and visit your pastor, elder, bishop, rabbi. Lay out the facts about US torture. Ask them "Is this who we want to be?" Ask them to preach and speak out publicly. Tell them you'll be back. Hold them to their word. Consider sitting in.
Code Orange Christmas Gather an affinity group and wear orange STOP TORTURE NOW t-shirts to your community's worship service on Christmas. Ask your fellow worshippers to pledge to be a Light to the World in calling for an end to U.S. torture. Ask them to wear an orange STOP TORTURE NOW wirstband and to talk with friends and relatives. Take a risk. Break the churchy silence.
Take it to DC Plan your own direct action for somewhere in DC that asks "Is this who we want to be?" Distribute STOP TORTURE NOW bracelets. Stop traffic. Get in the way. Shut things down. Be spontaneous.
John Kerry Visit John Kerry and ask him what he's done about Abu Ghraib since calling for Donald Rumsfeld's before the election and then promptly dropping the issue. Ask him why he's been silent about Guantánamo. Remind him of the Winter Soldier Hearings. Consider sitting in.
Patrick Leahy Visit Patrick Leahy and ask him what happened to his vow to dig into Abu Ghraib until everything was uncovered. Ask him why he made peace so quickly with Alberto Gonzalez. What about the Guantánamo videos? Will we ever see them?
Teachers, Professors use your classroom to raise the question "Is this who we want to be" with your students. Wear an orange t-shirt to class. Offer orange wristbands. Ask your students to break the silence and commit to asking their friends and families, "Is this who we want to be?" What is your school's involvement with U.S. sponsored torture? Bring it out into the open.
Take part in the planning of your community's action! Gene Sharp's 198 Methods of Nonviolent Action is a great starting point for brainstorming and planning.
Here are Allen Ginsberg's thoughts about Demonstration or Spectacle As example, As Communication or How to Make a March/ Spectacle from 1965. More food for thought.
Start or Join an Action
Soon you will be able to register your local action or search for a local action being planned in your area.
In the meantime, drop us an email with your contact information if you are looking to start or to join an action in your area. Let us know your ideas and we'll make them public here for everyone else to see. Write actions@stoptorturenow.org