Excerpt From Michael Ratner Speech on Acceptance of Puffin/Nation Award

December 10, 2007

In accepting this remarkable award I do not stand here alone.

I stand with the generations that have gone before—those particularly at the Center for Constitutional Rights that have always been willing to upend the status quo and take personal and political risks.

I stand especially on the shoulders of our founders of 40 years ago—William Kunstler, Morton Stavis, Arthur Kinoy, and Ben Smith.

And one, of almost that generation, Peter Weiss—is here tonight –the architect of our efforts to bring Rumsfeld, and other administration criminals, to justice in Europe.

I also stand here with current and future generations as well—the people of CCR , led now by Vince Warren, our Exec Director. They are doing the most difficult work, at Gitmo—and around the world—Heroes—all.

In some ways my greatest achievement at CCR is the confidence I have that they are– and will remain–as Alexander Cockburn said of my CCR generation—-

A Splendid Band of Tigerish People—-

Over the last few years I have become acquainted with Henri Alleg, a French Algerian, in his 80’s who was water tortured —or as this administration says—water boarded by the French.

Here is how he described his water torture—a practice that goes back to the inquisition—

The rag was soaked rapidly. Water flowed everywhere: in my mouth, in my nose, all over my face. … I tried, by contracting my throat, to take in as little water as possible and to resist suffocation by keeping air in my lungs as long as I could. But I couldn’t hold on for more than a few moments.

I had the impression of drowning, and a terrible agony, that of death itself, took possession of me.

Think about Henri Alleg – when you hear the CIA talk about “enhanced interrogation techniques”—or think about– a terrible agony, that of death itself,— taking over you– when you hear our new AG refuse to condemn water boarding, or when you hearthat some of our democratic leaders were briefed—and made not a peep of objection.

Let there be no doubt– the Bush administration tortures; it disappears people; it holds people forever in off shore penal colonies like Guantanamo, it renders them to be tortured in other countries—this is what was done to CCR’s client Maher Arar who was rendered to Syria for torture.

And sadly a majority of our congress, our courts and our media have given Bush a free hand, and in fact, worse, have been the handmaidens of the torture and detention program.

But it has not been given a free hand by us at CCR

Today we are in the midst of a pitched battle—a pitched battle to put this country back —at least ostensibly–on the page fundamental rights and moral decency.

The battle is difficult and the road is long and hard— On occasion I get pessimistic.

Sometimes I and my colleagues feel like Sisyphus.

Twice we pushed the rock up the hill and won rights for gitmo detainees in Supreme Court and twice the rock was rolled back down by congress.

So we pushed back up again—5 days ago we were in the Supreme Court for the third time.

It was more difficult because the justices have changed—4 are antedeluvians—lost forever to humanity.

But we have had our victories.

1. We have gotten lawyers to Gitmo, stopped the most overt torture, and freed half the Gitmo detainees—over 300.

2 . We have gotten Maher Arar out of Syria; Canada has apologized, and said he was an innocent man, but he remains on the US terror list.

3. We have slowed, but not yet stopped, a remarkable grab for authoritarian power.

I also don’t lose hope because I think about the early days of the Gitmo cases.

At first we were few—but now we are many—

At first when CCR began we were the lonely warriors—taking on the Bush administration at Gitmo.

Now we are many—now we, just on Gitmo alone, are over 600 lawyers.

Most from major firms; they are of every political stripe.

Understanding that what is at stake—is liberty itself.

This struggle will be seen as one of the great chapter in legal and political history.

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Today, War, torture, disappearances, murder, surround us like plagues.

Most of this country goes on its way—oblivious.

Some don’t want to know, and are like ostriches.

Some want to justify it all.

Some want to make compromises.

But be warned–We are at a tipping point—a tipping point into lawlessness and medievalism.

We have our work to do.

 

For each of us—the time for talking is long over.

This is no time for compromise or political calculation.

As Howard Zinn admonishes us:

“It is the job of thinking people not to be on the side of the executioners”

The Puffin/Nation Prize reminds us all– that the job for each of us is-–

Not to be on the side of the executioners—

Thank you all.