The "Stop Torture In Our Names" Project

I am going to be writing six letters every week: one to the President, one to each of Utah’s three representatives, and one each to my two senators. In this letter, I will be asking these elected representatives to bring an end to the torture of prisoners and enemy combatants in the name of the American people. This includes torture being carried out by the armies and officials we’re aiding in Iraq.

I invite you to do the same, and provide the following information to help you do it. Below the contact information, I’m also including a copy of my first letter. Use it as you see fit.

Mailing Address
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Phone Numbers
Comments:   202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
FAX:             202-456-2461

Representative Chris Cannon
2436 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-7751
Fax: (202) 225-5629
Email: cannon.ut03@mail.house.gov

Representative Jim Matheson
1222 Longworth HOB
Washington, DC 20515
Phone - (202) 225-3011
Fax - (202) 225-5638

Representative Rob Bishop

124 Cannon House Office Building
Washington , DC 20515
ph: 202-225-0453
fax: 202-225-5857

Find your representative’s contact info

Senator Bob Bennett
431 DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING
WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-5444

Senator Orrin Hatch
104 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING
WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-5251

Find your senator’s contact info

My letter:

President George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

30 November 2005

President Bush:

I am writing to ask you, as Commander in Chief, to do everything in your power to bring an end to the torture and abuse of prisoners and enemy combatants being held by Americans or by American allies.

It is clear, from endless reports from numberless sources, that such torture is not incidental nor the effect of a few bad apples. Indeed, your own Attorney General wrote a memorandum with a rationale for such torture. Denying that torture and abuse continues to take place defies logic and evidence.

There is no defense for this. Torture and abuse yield bad intelligence, lead to potential torture and abuse of our own troops if they should be taken prisoner, and irreparably damage the reputation of the United States as standing for justice and compassion.

My father is a decorated Vietnam veteran. I have great respect for the military and acknowledge the courage it takes for people to offer their service and their lives in a cause larger than themselves. While I do not believe that this war was justifiable, I do believe that reasonable people may disagree on that point.

But moral people must agree that if we want to stand for justice, we must behave justly. As an American citizen I urge you: bring torture and abuse of prisoners and enemy combatants being held by Americans and American allies to a swift end.

Sincerely,

Lisa Bickmore
West Jordan , Utah

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