Please write the AMA, APA, and attorney's ethical societies to
condemn the torture and some of their members participation in a
program at Guantanamo Bay to devise and observe torture for
individual victims as human experimentation. STOP THE ATROCITIES!

http://members.cox.net/thedoodabides/Ethical%20Biscuits.htmWhite
House Won't 12/17/04 Ethical Biscuits?
http://www.ama-assn.org/cgi-bin/x-check/feedtool.pl?
phase=two&referrer_page=UNKNOWN&mbox_choice=CEJA


Physicians for Social Responsibility
CAMPAIGN TO WRITE TO AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION (AMA) AND AMERICAN
PSYCHIATRIC ASSOCIATION (APA) ABOUT THEIR MEMBERS INVOLVEMENT IN THE
MK-ULTRA TYPE OF HUMAN EXPERIMENTATION AND TORTURE DEVISED BY THEIR
MEMBERS AND TO THE ETHICAL SOCIETY FOR ATTORNEYS TO ALSO TAKE A
STRONG PUBLIC STAND AGAINST THE TORURE

http://members.cox.net/thedoodabides/Ethical%20Biscuits.htm

My preferred outcome for this would be a joint press conference with
representatives of all four associations present, in which they
openly condemn the Bush Administration for this behavior, restate
their ethical principles, condemn as well those of their respective
professions who have participated, and demand an immediate and honest
response as well as an open dialog from the Bush Administration.

I agree with the above statement.

Stop your silence - Speak out against this unspeakable horror!

http://www.ama-assn.org/cgi-bin/x-check/feedtool.pl?
phase=two&referrer_page=UNKNOWN&mbox_choice=CEJA


http://members.cox.net/thedoodabides/Ethical%20Biscuits.htm

White House Won't 12/17/04 Ethical Biscuits?

To be very blunt, I am proposing a letter writing campaign directed
towards the major professions in America to take a very public stance
against the Bush Administration in regards to its ongoing policy of
torture, as well as, the participation of professionals themselves in
this, whether actively or tacitly by their silence.

To date, the evidence is simply overwhelming that Abu Ghraib was not
an "aberration", but a direct result of calculated and sanctioned
torture instituted at Guantanamo Bay. Appalling is the fact that
highly educated people from all professions and their subordinates
have participated in and facilitated this in direct violation of each
profession's self-established ethical guidelines and principles.

I, myself, am a physician, a child psychiatrist specifically, and I
find particularly offensive and unconscionable the participation of
psychiatrists, psychologists, and physicians in the so-
called "biscuit teams". It becomes the ultimate in hypocrisy when
one examines the long honored and well established research ethics
and practice guidelines of these professions which have been refined
and established over time to protect individuals from the very abuses
that the "biscuit teams" facilitate.

Also, to have a lawyer, in the person of Mr. Gonzales, seemingly
create new law, which flies in the face of thousands of years of the
evolution of civilization and our legal system, at the beck and call
of Mr. Bush, is downright frightening. While doctors and lawyers
notoriously do not get along very well, I must compliment the ABA for
at least trying to speak out in the media about this. The response
from the AMA as well as both APA's leaves much to be desired.

In these Orwellian times that we live in, it becomes very easy to
forgive individuals, including highly educated people who should know
better, for their rigidity, fear, and denial in trying to maintain
the status quo, and succumbing to various forms of intimidation.
Doctors and lawyers and psychologists are ultimately only human, and
to some extent should be forgiven this as well. However, the time
when professionals could legitimately claim ignorance, and maintain
an active strategy to remain ignorant, has long passed.

As physicians, we have all been trained and apprised as to the
importance of what we refer to as "the doorknob comment". Put
simply, this is generally the last little remark that a patient might
offer to their doctor on the way out the door after a visit. It is
well-established that this is often the time that a patient will very
honestly disclose the pressing complaint or symptom of which they are
the most concerned or fearful and avoidant, and most physicians have
been trained to listen very closely. If you truly feel that you have
received good care, and have no other pressing concerns at your next
doctor or psychologist visit, why not utilize "the doorknob comment"
to express your concerns in regards to this issue and awaken whatever
professional you are dealing with. Be prepared, for there will
likely be a gamut of responses from them, from sympathy to disbelief
to outright ire.

I have to believe that the majority of physicians, no matter their
party politics, should honestly listen to and discuss this with you.
Unfortunately, I tend to believe that the closing comment from many
professionals would be something along the lines of a
condescending, "it's just not that simple". I would submit to you
that the converse is actually true, and it is "just that simple".
Torture is inexcusable, and passive or active participation is
unconscionable. This is not a "moral value", but a "moral and
developmental tenet" easily recognizable by a child at age 5 and ever
afterward, but unfortunately, subject to political or philosophical
hijacking. As well, it should not be subject to medical,
psychological, or legal interpretation, qualification, or
quantification. It is that simple.

Physicians and other professionals are dependent upon their patients
and clients as much, or more so than their patients or clients depend
upon them. Therefore, I feel that your complaints to these
professions through their organizations will carry more weight than
complaints from their own members.

I have pulled together below the electronic contacts for the ethics
committees of the AMA, both APA's, and the ABA. Please take the time
to click upon each and send them an email expressing your opinion
about torture being done in the name of America. Feel free to forward
this piece as an Email to friends and family and encourage them to do
the same.

No matter your political party, Republican, Democrat, or other,
torture has been and continues to be committed and sanctioned in your
name. No matter the behavior of "the enemy", no one deserves to be
tortured.

While I strongly advocate sending your own thoughts and feelings in
your Email, I realize for convenience sake that many might want an
outline, or general idea of what to write, or indeed have something
prewritten and ready to send. If this is the case with you, might I
suggest something simple and brief? Feel free to copy and paste the
following if you like:

"I am angered by the recent news of torture of individuals at the
hands of and in the name of America. I am further appalled by willing
and active participation in this by members of the profession
represented by your organization in violation of its own ethics
guidelines. Please make a public statement immediately condemning
these acts, participation in them by members of this profession, as
well as the policies sanctioning such behavior from the Bush
Administration.

I feel that this is the only possibility of restoring credibility to
the profession that you represent.


Sincerely,"

This is the Email access page for the AMA's Council on Ethical and
Judicial Affairs:

http://www.ama-assn.org/cgi-bin/x-check/feedtool.pl?
phase=two&referrer_page=UNKNOWN&mbox_choice=CEJA

This is the Email address for the Ethics office of the APA
or "American Psychological Association"

ethics@...

This is the Email address for the APA or the "American Psychiatric
Association". While they do have an Ethics board, it does not appear
that they have a specific Email address.

apa@...

Very hard one to find without a lot of digging, but this is the
closest equivalent to an Ethics general contact Email at the ABA,
or "American Bar Association". CPR stands for the "Center for Public
Responsibility".

cpr@...

My preferred outcome for this would be a joint press conference with
representatives of all four associations present, in which they
openly condemn the Bush Administration for this behavior, restate
their ethical principles, condemn as well those of their respective
professions who have participated, and demand an immediate and honest
response as well as an open dialog from the Bush Administration.

Thank you in anticipation of your support,

A Concerned Child Psychiatrist 12/16/04