:: Child Abuse - Rape in Torture Sanctioned US POW Abu Ghraib :: German Artist's Pictures Depict Abuse ::

Abu Ghraib German Rendering 1Late this week ,I read a post by Jack of RandomFate about the ” Harsh Light of the Now ” which he previously referenced in a later post concerned “the way of the world,” a situation involving an unknown child, which John of Castle Argghhh! handled quite brilliantly.  Life isn’t like it was when I grew up, where Mom sent us out the front door and told us not to come home until dinner (not that abuse didn’t happen in those times either, parents just don’t wear rose-colored glasses anymore, and their kids stay locked in the back yard these days). John was angry at himself for realizing he had to protect himself, as well as the kid, from any situational outfall or accusation, propriety issues which might arise just because he was alone with said unknown child and out of view from the public (the kid asked to use his phone and John wisely brought the phone outside to the boy).  Jack reflects on how hope, aspirations, joy and dreams can whither with this lost naiveté and innocence.  I thought the following line from his post (many of which are apropos to this situation and others further into my post) was a good way to describe the anger and loss John felt when confronted by a child in need:

There are countless so-called small tragedies that occur each day, yet each is devastating to those affected, taking a little more of that commodity that is far too rare to start, joy.

Abu Ghraib German Rendering 2 Poor John, poor everyone.  Our concern for the children’s welfare is now displaced by fear for ourselves, even when we innocently try to help someone.  That loss of innocence is a killer.  Reality is a bitch.  It really pissed him off that he had to protect himself whilst trying to help this little boy.  I can understand his fear - for the kid and for himself.  What if this kid asked for help from the wrong guy?  Well, providence sent him to John’s door instead, his “SAFE HAVEN”.  On the other hand, we aren’t wearing those rose-colored glassed anymore, relative to hiding child abuse behind closed doors where no one talks about it or helps anyone out of these situations.  John has this to say, in THE ‘MARK’:

Damn all paedophiles and child abusers to a special level of hell….But I hate Hate HATE that the paedophiles and abusers, and society’s response to them, put me through the little mental dance I did. I didn’t mind protecting the kid - I swore an oath to do things like that, and am still bound by it - most especially emotionally, my sense of duty, and honor. But I hate that I had to add the caveat, to protect myself. It eats at me that I had to treat Young Boy on Porch that way, even though I don’t think he really noticed. He was too busy realizing that he’d run two or so miles from home… but that going home was going to, well, be a longer journey if too short in time in Officer Roach’s car. I hate you bastards for doing that to me - and that you made me think of me, vice Young Boy - except the whole thing this morning had your pathetic shadows all over it, and hov’ring nearby. Today, it’s hard to just hate the sin, and not also hate the sinner.

(JOHN:  I’m a big a MARK as you are!  If it comes anywhere near a path I cross, it comes home with me to be cared for or until it wants its freedom again - but, critters and humans alike, know they will always be welcome back into the fold for any reason.  Even if I don’t care for an individual, I will help them if they are in need.  My empathy has put me in situations where I often forget to care for myself first, so I can continue to care for others.)

Abu Ghraib German Rendering 3This brings me to an e-mail I received from Robert Dowling (my artist friend in Maine who is brilliant!).  He too has a situation with two children in his neighborhood who have been living in an abusive household.  When the children, one ran away and the other became lost, a search party was gathered to look for the kids, and the abuse became all too apparent.  The kids were found at a nearby quarry.  Robert wants to help them.  But, how can he do that without other possible ramifications?  How do you help the kids without making the abusive situation worse for them and protect yourself simultaneously?  Robert is a single male and so, he too may have that bitter, nasty-minded eye turned to him, just because he wants to help….even if he is outraged by these kids situation and their father’s abuse.  Regardless, Robert is currently underway creating a new painting about this situation, and with the proceeds, he plans to buy them bicycles or something that would cheer their lives and make them better in some small way.  I suggested he consider art as a means of giving these kids an escape hatch and a way to emotively release their fears.  At least it is productive.  Robert said:

I just started a new painting, its a sad story and is true… tonight the little girl down the road, she is 9, ran away from home…her brother, age 10 went looking for her, then ended up missing also…everyone on my street was out looking for her, finally the police found them in a gravel pit hiding in an old shack….its not the first time this has happened, but I do think its the first time people around here took notice of the abuse that their father conveys onto them, to be honest I do not know much about the situation, all I know is the feeling I always have had when I see the two…lonely, confused and torn….god, its just not right. There is nothing worse in life than a parent who fucks up their child…they pass the knowledge and the cycle begins again.

NOTE:  I will post the entire story from Robert Dowling later and announce when the painting is ready for auction.  I’m sure it will be heart-rending and emotive as all his work seems to brilliantly yank gut emotion from deep inside, emotion about a situation you didn’t even know bothered you from your own past or present, or even fear for the future.

Like I told Jack, regarding a WIZBANG post, one that was a non-satiric prejudicial rant:

[I]t must be said that, when people are silent about prejudice and xenophobic behavior, their silence becomes an act condoning that behavior, and therefore, just as prejudicial.

Abu Ghraib German Rendering 4 I’d like to add:  when you observe or have knowledge of something contrary to humanity or which is just wrong, such as coverups, distortion of facts or anything smacking of lies, deceit or harm, you absolve that person or group of their behavior, you in fact agree the behavior is acceptable and you condone it when you turn away and do nothing, say nothing, and then “we are confronted with a [TRUE] EVIL both widespread and deep.”

We are presented with tragedies on both large-scale and small, we are confronted with evil both widespread and deep, originating not the least in our realpolitik of our recently exited bipolar age where the morals and ethics were discarded in favor of “our side” versus “theirs”, with results of our conditional morality completely missed by our government.

……”they pass the knowledge and the cycle begins again”…… is this how we are going to treat prisoner’s of war from now on, our new norm for the world where we ignore humanitarians and create a new reality based on terrorism as our model of behavior in the U.S.  IF SO, I feel really ill…….not a new phenomenon related to torture and abuse sanctioned by my government…..where does it end? ………….”they pass the knowledge and the cycle begins again”…….

Which, finally, brings me to the story from the Reuters News Service I found last night by Vicki Allen at Reuters:

White House threatens veto on detainee policies

The White House on Thursday threatened to veto a massive Senate bill for $442 billion in next year’s defense programs if it moves to regulate the Pentagon’s treatment of detainees or sets up a commission to investigate operations at Guantanamo Bay prison and elsewhere.

The Bush administration, under fire for the indefinite detention of enemy combatants at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba and questions over whether its policies led to horrendous abuses at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, put lawmakers on notice it did not want them legislating on the matter.  In a statement, the White House said such amendments would “interfere with the protection of Americans from terrorism by diverting resources from the war.”  “If legislation is presented that would restrict the president’s authority to protect Americans effectively from terrorist attack and bring terrorists to justice,” the bill could be vetoed, the statement said.

Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain (news, bio, voting record), who endured torture as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, said after meeting at the Capitol with Vice President Dick Cheney that he still intended to offer amendments next week “on the standard of treatment of prisoners.”  South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham (news, bio, voting record), who was working on legislation defining the legal status of enemy combatants being held in Guantanamo, also said he would offer an amendment.  They were working with Armed Services Committee Chairman John Warner of Virginia on amendments intended to prevent further abuses in the wake of the scandal over sexual abuse and mistreatment of prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison and harsh, degrading interrogations at Guantanamo and elsewhere.

Sen. Carl Levin (news, bio, voting record) of Michigan, the Armed Services Committee’s top Democrat, said the commission on detainee abuses was needed because “the most serious scandal in recent military history needs an objective investigation.”

Pentagon “talking points” against the special detainee commission circulating around the Capitol said the issue had been “thoroughly investigated” and “a new open-ended investigation” would add “nothing but political theater.”  The talking points said reforms were under way, and the Pentagon “has the matter well in hand. The department and the services are doing everything possible to address this challenge.”
       (I AM SO FUCKING SICK OF DUBYAH ET AL ASSHOLES!)

Then  to a post by Marcos at DailyKOS :  

Bush blocks release of new Abu Ghraib photos

Which linked to the Center for Constitutional Rights:

Bush Administration Files 11th Hour Papers Blocking the Release of Darby CD Photos and Video Of Abu Ghraib Torture

And, Hunters passionate posts regarding the subject on DailyKOS:

Sodomizing Children. For Freedom.

Bush Threatens to Veto Attempts to Regulate, Investigate Abu Ghraib Torture

Which linked to The Boston Herald report on May 2004:

‘Rueful Rumsfeld:  Cruel’ truth hurts: Rape and murder feared in Iraq abuse

And finally to reading to the following, posted by Neverknowsbest: 

Artist Renderings of Abuse of 8 Year Old Girl at Abu Ghraib

These are pictures of what Bush does not want you to see. These are taken from a German newsmagazine show. This is what Bush is hiding from the American people. Please save these pictures, in case they are removed from the internet.

NOTE:  The artist renderings are representational of the accounts from a reporter held at Abu Ghraib, not from actual photos like the ones Bush refuses to release to the public, but they give you the idea anyway.  With that said:

Posted by Brainwave at DailyKOSon the renderings regarding their inception and validity:  

My understanding from the print version of the Report article is that the chain of events is supposed to have been something like this: While this girl is being abused in her cell at night, she’s screaming about what’s going on (and her brother’s name), so the inmates in nearby cells get an idea. This includes an Iraqi TV reporter by the name of Suhaib Badr-Addin Al-Baz who was held in Abu Ghraib for 74 days. After his release, this guy eventually talks to a British news channel called ITN. And ITN hires an artist who makes some drawings after Suhaib Badr-Addin Al-Baz’ account.

The artist renderings, reflective of ‘the abusive nature’ of Abu Ghraib, have been presented throughout this post.

I end with another comment  from Jack at RandomFate, because it is a good general summary of our ‘norms’ today, and the resulting  melancholia from our current state of affairs.  I urge you to read Jack’s post in its entirety and follow all his links and read those too.  The post is entitled:  ‘Old Hopes that Wither in the Harsh Light of the Now’

As a followup, see his commentary on Honor and Behavior of the US relative to Torture and Abuse, and there is plenty of other data on my site as well regarding Guantanamo.

An excerpt from “Old Hopes…”:

You cannot win

You cannot break even
You cannot even get out of the game

All of which continue to push us down the path to disaster while we are distracted by shadow-boxing with fanatics, while we are playing every event for political gain at the expense of what is good for the nation , while we are manipulating the data to conform with decisions already made regardless of the reality and ignoring other truly existential threats at our peril.

We are left stranded after a transformation into a New World Order that is not a time of peace but instead of unipolar instability enhanced and increased by our moral failings today.

And when that confrontation shows itself in all its horrifying strength we retreat into our world of “reality TV” and empathy for the tragedy of the individual while ignoring the resonance inherent in the far larger tragedies of each death-dealing day, and even with that willful ignorance the tragedy of the individual becomes overwhelming.

Some days, all that can be said is that whispered by my despised internal Southern boy, “Well, fuck...”

Does anyone get the point of this endless litany of tears?