Subject: Your support urgently needed
Date: November
25, 2013 2:23:36 PM EST
Dear Colleagues:
We are writing to you as colleagues and, we believe, kindred
spirits in our effort to halt the participation of health providers in the
torture of prisoners. We need your support of a bill which will soon be heard
in the Massachusetts Legislature, possibly in December. It is crucial for
our representatives to hear from their constituents.
The torture of
prisoners practiced by the US government, anywhere in the world, is legitimized
by the state license of the psychologist or other health provider working under
orders of the CIA or US Army. We want Massachusetts to be the
first state to stand up for the ethical integrity of its state license, in
support of the fundamental principle of First, Do No Harm. This would
strengthen the authority of Boards of Registration to investigate alleged cases
of abuse. It would also support the right to refuse to carry out
unethical orders.
Here are the House and
Senate versions of the bill:
House Bill No. 2017: An Act Prohibiting the participation
of healthcare professionals in the torture and abuse of prisoners.
Jason Lewis (sponsor); Co-sponsors: Timothy Toomey, Jr., Ruth Balser, Cory Atkins, Stephen
Kulik, Ellen Story, Patricia Jehlen,
Elizabeth Malia, Carl Sciortino, Jr., Byron Rushing,
Benjamin Swan, Paul Mark
Senate Bill No. 1011: An Act prohibiting the participation
of health care professionals in the torture and abuse of prisoners.
James Eldridge (sponsor); Co-sponsors: Benjamin Swann, Gloria
Fox, Patricia Jehlen, William Brownsberger,
Carl Sciortino, Jr., Cory Atkins.
Your support is especially critical if your Representative or
Senator is one of the sponsors or co-sponsors. You can find their phone
numbers and addresses by Googling their names. It would be a great help
if you could attend the hearing.
You are invited to the Public Hearing: Massachusetts State House
will be held on Tuesday, December 17th at 10 AM, Room A-1
Sincerely,
Andrea Cousins,
PhD, PsyD
Carolyn Hicks, EdD
Frank Marotta, PhD
Bruce Miller, JD
MACAT
Massachusetts Campaign Against Torture