North Carolina’s role in torture has come in the form of a government-private contract with a jet service located in Johnston County. When people hear about it for the first time, their expressions can vary from shock to thankful because the CIA was involved.
You’re invited to come Saturday, March 9 to learn from experts and top speakers, reflect upon what you’ve heard, and act to make a difference in the lives of those who found themselves up close and personal with the CIA and Aero jets. Join us from 9 am – 12 pm, at Western Boulevard Presbyterian Church, 4900 Kaplan Drive, Raleigh.
Most people do not understand how important oversight and accountability are, even in this age of terrorism and immigration controversies. In 1971, I sat next to a man gripping his briefcase tightly on a flight from London to New York. I thought he was a terrorist because of his evident fear and grip. Terrorism is not new. Neither is the fear of crossing paths with a terrorist.
Believing that the partnership between Aero and the CIA has nothing to do with us is a serious oversight. If the partnership between Aero and the CIA cannot come into the light, then neither can other partnerships that exist between the government (aka “us” in a democracy) and others who provide services.
Terrorism and immigration are being labeled as the most dangerous threats to our homeland security and democracy. I agree with this statement, but for a very different reason than what is often cited. Believing that the threat is “out there” when it is actually within us is a dangerous assumption. The threat resides in the innuendo. The two intersect in the cages of children subjected to Rendition and Detention, taken from their families and flown to detention centers without them. What has been abhorrent is now accepted. The evidence lies in the contracts with private detention centers.
What has changed between 2001 and 2019? Acting on incorrect intelligence has not changed. And the deeper sense of integrity and purpose also is missing in both situations. In the NC Council of Churches, theology in who God is grounds every decision. Biblical literacy is part of the learning, reflecting, and acting in each program and decision. Seeking a deeper sense of integrity and purpose is what we do.
On March 9, we will hear about the image of God that is placed in each person. We will hear the facts about what happened after 9/11 and the illegal actions of the CIA program of Rendition, Detention, and Torture. We will hear about solitary confinement used in our jails and prisons, in itself a form of torture. And we will offer the opportunity to help those who have the power to change the course of oversight.
Bring your friends and family to learn, reflect, and act. Included are a healthy, free lunch and certified on-site child care. Click here to learn more and pre-register.
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