In what should be a 4th of
July presidential address, with flags flying and banners waving, Dr.
Butler states that he is in "despair when [thinking] of the
personal sacrifices made by so many in U.S. wars and conflicts since
1776. If our forefathers were here to see, they would surely be angry
and disappointed. And I think they would issue a clarion call for
redress and setting an example for the world by holding accountable
the perpetrators of these crimes." Dr. Butler is a survivor of torture and
states with authority that "We cannot afford to regress to the 15th
century or stoop to the level of countries that have
institutionalized torture. Even on a practical level, we must not
thereby endanger our own citizens, in uniform or out, who might be
kidnapped or captured by others in the future. These violations of
our Constitution and rule of law have resulted in reducing our nation
to the level of international pariah. Our beacon of liberty and
justice no longer shines throughout the world. We no longer set the
example for other nations to follow. We no longer stand on a firm
foundation." Credit: The content for this
article was derived from a first person account published by Dr. Butler
and distributed to members of Veterans for Peace. Note: After his repatriation in 1973, Phillip Butler earned a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of California at San
Diego, and served as a Navy organizational effectiveness consultant
before completing his Navy career in 1981. He then founded and owned
a management consulting and professional speaking business. Today, he
mentors business and organization leaders and is a community
activist.
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