FCNL RESPONDS TO TORTURE

Our government tortured people, contrary to our own laws.  As citizens of a democracy, all of us shoulder some of the blame.  We need to look bravely and hard at what happened. 

    On April 16 President Obama ordered the release of memos outlining what interrogation techniques were authorized under the Bush administration.

These memos are known as the "torture memos" because they offer extreme interpretations of U.S. and international law to falsely legitimate torture, abuse, and other cruel, inhumane, and degrading practices in interrogating terror suspects.

The memos prove that officials at the highest level of the U.S. government approved the use of torture.

·                      In response to the release of the torture memos, FCNL calls for a "Commission of Inquiry". We believe it is the United States' moral obligation to investigate the authorization and use of torture by U.S. government agents in our name.

             We also call on Attorney General Eric Holder to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the abuse, and assign personal accountability. The memos contain evidence that the highest U.S. officials broke laws.

These measures are crucial to ensure that the United States will never torture again.

     Let us not be guilty of the crime of silence.    Contact President Obama and urge him to live up to his principles.  Go to http://www.whitehouse.gov/Contact/

To read the torture memos or find out more about U.S. use of torture, go to

http://www.fcnl.org/torture/index.htm

AMOS

Should Ames Friends Meeting join AMOS – A Mid-Iowa Organizing Strategy?  This is a coalition of religious congregations working together to effect changes on the local level. 

     Quoting from an AMOS pamphlet: 

AMOS . . . is distinguished from other community-based organizations inits commitment to the IRON RULE: “NEVER DO FOR OTHERS WHAT THEY CAN DO FOR THEMSELVES.”  AMOS believes in the inherent dignity of each person, and the iron rule affirms this dignity, believing in every person’s ability to act.  AMOS seeks to channel individual action into a responsible and powerfully organized force. . . . In the process, they cut through divisions such as race, religion, and socioeconomic status, and discover the passion and concerns that unite us all.

     With the urging of Kevin Aritt, who agreed to be our point person at AMOS, we agreed last year that we would be part of the coalition.  Kevin has been very busy this year and will soon be leaving for college.  The question comes up again. 

    To join, AMOS asks that we commit one percent of our budget to the effort.  This we have done.  In addition, we would need someone from the Friends meeting to go to their meetings and to be a liaison.  We would then be expected to participate in their activities according to our ability. 

     AMOS will be setting priorities and determining its upcoming agenda this fall.  The question is not just whether we support AMOS, but whether we are able to commit ourselves to being part of its work. 

WORK DAY –MEETINGHOUSE

We are planning another yard and house workday on Saturday, May 30.  Starting at 10:00 we will be weeding, watering, cleaning and fixing. 

     Being a do-it-yourself congregation, we operate without hireling workers except for snow removal.  All of us have times in our lives when we are simply unable or too burdened with family and work concerns to add anything more to our schedules.  Please don’t feel guilty if you cannot participate. 

     We encourage everyone to own the practical and humble work of maintaining an unprogrammed Friends Meeting.