Ending Indefinite Detention Is AlterNet's Top Take Action Campaign of the Week

By Byard Duncan, AlterNet. Posted July 8, 2009.

Perhaps attempting to quash rumors that he would use an executive order to continue Bush-era detention policies, President Barack Obama last Thursday told the Associated Press that he would consult Congress before making any decisions on the issue.

"It is very important that the American people and Congress, in conjunction with my administration, come up with a structure that is not only legitimate in the eyes of our constitutional traditions, but also in the eyes of the international community," he said.

Indefinite detention is "one of the biggest challenges of my administration," he added. "It gives me huge pause."

His hesitancy to plow ahead unilaterally with legislation that would deny legal rights to "enemy combatants" is encouraging, but it also raises questions about where the issue might end up once it fades from the political limelight.

Obama has, after all, adopted a troublingly contradictory attitude toward the constitutional rights of prisoners. Earlier this year, in the midst of a well-publicized campaign to shut down the prison at Guantanamo Bay, he approved a $750 million expansion of Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan -- another preventative detention facility that operates outside any legal jurisdiction.

Equally controversial is Obama's refusal to pull indefinite detention from the bargaining table altogether, a move that has infuriated human-rights advocates.

"Any continued policies of prolonged detention without trial, of Guantanamo detainees, simply fails to turn the page on the counterproductive policy of the Bush administration," Human Rights First's Devon Chaffee told the Washington Independent. "We oppose any prolonged detention without trial beyond what is already authorized under the laws of war. If an individual committed acts of terrorism, they should be tried in our regular federal courts."

Obama has said the White House intends to "proceed very carefully on this front;" but his floundering rhetoric indicates just the opposite. It's time to let the administration know that it must put an end to George W. Bush's egregious violations. The White House must not continue to chip away at universal ideals of compassion.

Join thousands of others who are telling Obama that they oppose indefinite detention, whether through executive order or through congressionally approved legislation. You can do it here.

Here are the rest of our Take Action Campaigns for the week.

II -- Pressure Obama For A Public Option

Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean is among the many in support of a public health insurance option, and he has put together an organization designed to mobilize progressive support. Standwithdrdean.com allows citizens like you to urge policymakers to vote down any health-care legislation that doesn't include a public option.

Standing with Dean means joining nearly 400,000 others who refuse to wallow in the mires of "middle ground" politicking.

After all, Obama's "urge to compromise," Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman notes, "will lead him to negotiate with himself, and give away far too much." It's up to us to see that he doesn't.

III -- Tell Clinton to Halt Dirty Oil's Onslaught

Did you know that the dirtiest oil megaproject in years is in the midst of sneaking across our northern border?

Did you know that a huge chunk of this project -- the Alberta Clipper Pipeline -- is up for approval by the U.S. State Department?

Right now, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has the power to halt the Alberta tar sands, a project that harnesses one of the most environmentally damaging sources of energy known to man. Clinton can help America take a step toward a clean energy future, but it's up to us to remind her of that future's importance.

Tell Clinton how important a clean energy future is to you.

IV -- Stand up for the Marriage Rights of LGBT Couples

The right for gay, lesbian and transgender couples to marry has been codified in Massachusetts, Iowa, Connecticut, Vermont, Maine and New Hampshire. The battle for this important civil rights issue continues to rage on in New Jersey, New York, California and Oregon, and many other states have begun to take auspicious steps.

We're gaining ground, but we must voice our support for this human right. Join thousands of others who have made marriage equality their fight. Be part of the right side of history.

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