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August 24, 2007 at 15:05:25
Why I've Returned My Award to the American Psychological Association-- Because it Sanctions Torture by Mary Pipher Page 1 of 1 page(s) |
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I do not want an award from an organization that sanctions its members' participation in the enhanced interrogations at CIA Black Sites and at Guantanamo. The presence of psychologists has both educated the interrogation teams in more skillful methods of breaking people down and legitimized the process of torture in defiance of the Geneva Conventions.
The behavior of psychologists on these enhanced interrogation teams violates our own Code of Ethics (2002) in which we pledge to respect the dignity and worth of all people, with special responsibility towards the most vulnerable. I consider prisoners in secret CIA-run facilities with no right of habeas corpus or access to attorneys, family or media to be highly vulnerable. I also believe that when any of us are degraded, all of human life is degraded. This letter is as much about us as it is about prisoners.
In our Ethics Code we agree to promote honesty and accuracy. Our involvement in these projects has been secretive and dishonest. Finally, as psychologists we vow to do no harm. Without question, we violate this oath when we allow people in our care to be deprived of sleep or subjected to sensory over-stimulation or deprivation.
I cannot accept the August 19, 2007 Reaffirmation of APA's Position Against Torture (Substitute Motion Three.) Under this motion, psychologists will be allowed to continue working on interrogation teams that are not subject to the Geneva Conventions. This motion places our organization on the side of the CIA and Department of Defense and at odds with the United Nations, The Red Cross, the American Psychiatric Association and the American Medical Association. With this reaffirmation we have made a terrible mistake.
I know that the return of my Presidential Citation from Dr. Koocher will be of small import, but it is what I can do to disassociate myself from what I consider to be a heinous policy. All of my life I have tried my best to stand up for those with no voices and no power. The prisoners our government labels as enemy combatants are in this category.
I return my citation as a matter of conscience and in the hopes that the APA will reconsider its current unethical position. We have long been a wonderful organization that respected human rights and promoted tolerance, kindness, and peace. Nothing is more fundamental to our core orientation and professional service to others than our commitment to all people's inherent dignity, safety and welfare. I hope my letter may be useful in restoring the APA to its long-respected and important stance as a beacon of integrity and kindness for all human beings.
Respectfully,
Dr. Mary Pipher
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Thank you for your stance, Dr. Pipher
I have been fairly apalled by the stance of the APA. I cannot return anything to them nor can I cease membership as I did that years ago. Not for ethical reasons but because I found cheaper malpractice insurance than was available from through APA. Thus, that eliminated APA. As a practicing forensic neuropsychologist, I realized I had no need to be a member of Division 40 anymore. However, I had been proud of 'our' APA for years in that it supported scientific and ethical positions with which I could identify. by
richard (0 articles, 5 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 1359 comments [400 recommended, 8 rejected]) on Friday, Aug 24, 2007 at 6:15:25 PM
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Reply: sorry
Sorry, haven’t figured out how to do urls. paste the following two lines into browser: www.journalof911studies.com/volume/2007/ ManwellFaultyTowersofBeliefPartII.pdf Faulty Towers of Belief: Part II. Rebuilding the Road to Freedom of Reason by richard (0 articles, 5 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 1359 comments [400 recommended, 8 rejected]) on Friday, Aug 24, 2007 at 6:52:44 PM  (0+)
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Why I've Returned My Award to the American Psychological Ass
Dr. Mary Pipher, Thank you for standing up against the American Psychological Association. Your concience tells you that what the APA is doing to these people is torture. I agree. Thank you for standing up Troubled by TroubledTexan (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 88 comments) on Friday, Aug 24, 2007 at 6:37:48 PM (0+)
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You say your having some problems?
Well, you should go talk to a psychologist and get some help. What's that? The problems are very personal and you would be embarased to speak of them and would worry someone else might find out? Don't worry -- pshychologists are very trustworthy and have high ethical standards. What about Guantanamo and torturing people? Uh -- welllll -- uuhhhhh.... well --- I guess you could just read some self-help books or just tough it out... If you can't trust your therapist who can you trust? Actually -- you can't trust anyone anymore -- not the government, not your priest, and not your therapist. Wonderful -- just what therapists needed to help along their relationships with their clients... by Blue Pilgrim (0 articles, 3 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 997 comments) on Saturday, Aug 25, 2007 at 5:14:30 AM (0+)
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Reply: Actually,
all of the psychologists I know personally are trustworthy with respect to confidential information from their patients. I believe that I am. by richard (0 articles, 5 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 1359 comments [400 recommended, 8 rejected]) on Saturday, Aug 25, 2007 at 6:44:17 AM (0+)
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Reply: Ahhh, but Medicis...
You say you are trustworhty and others are too -- but how will you convince people? Especially those people who are already resistant to trusting anyone and reluctant to talk? How will you convince the paranoid? I, of course, am now paranoid -- those slight tendencies have grown to full sized dragons over the past six years. After all -- they ARE out to get me -- to get all of us. Homeleand security has the plan to enlist the aid of all psychiatric workers to help them in their quest for tyranny. You haven't heard of it? Neither have I yet -- so far I've only heard about their plans to recruit informers among my neighbors, and the clergy... but not having heard of it doesn't mean they haven't enlisted psychologists too, for more than just torture. Do you trust the press and media? Do you trust the drug companies? Do you trust the EPA or any other government agency? How about scientists in general even, after they have been worked over by the government (and some of whom are in the process of developing terrible new weapons, such as heat rays for crowd control)? Do you trust the phone companies (in light of the recent revelations by the CIA that they have long been cooperating in the spying on citizens)? Do you trust your stock broker, or your insurnace company? Back during the Watergate hearing someone said "trust is the coin of the realm", but now, by that, the nation is truly bankrupt. And how can trust be restored once people have been betrayed and abused? How can a member of a profession which relies on being trusted be effective when its national association embraces such questionable ethics? The APA, by not coming out strongly and loudly against this, and aligning themselves with the fascists, has damaged the entire mental health profession immensly, for many years to come! by Blue Pilgrim (0 articles, 3 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 997 comments) on Saturday, Aug 25, 2007 at 12:28:15 PM (0+)
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Contact Sharon Brehm
She is at Indiana University. She is president of the American Psychological Association http://newsinfo.iu.edu/news/page/normal/2720.html (812)855-4234, psychology dept, IU Bloomington, Indiana. This is public directory information, there is no disclosure of confidential information for either address or phone number. by RDEdge (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 6 comments) on Saturday, Aug 25, 2007 at 11:12:58 AM (0+)
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Well said, Dr. Pipher!
Thank you for standing up for the ethics of your profession. We had a big struggle in the American Anthropological Association during the Vietnam War era about anthropologists collaborating with the CIA, and we won (I think). It's also useful if people start a caucus or organization within the professional organization. Keep up the good work! by Rosa Schmidt Azadi (6 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 49 comments) on Saturday, Aug 25, 2007 at 4:32:24 PM (0+)
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I am very impressed
I understand the prestige of a national award and the sense of validation and satisfaction that accompanies receiving one. I think these psychic rewards are exceptionally important in the helping professions where the stress is so constant and the material and social rewards of one's work are meager in comparison. I cannot imagine the loss of such an award, former recipient of APA President's Award, doesn't have the same ring to it as recipient.... For these reasons, I am very impressed with Dr. Pipher's courage and unyielding integrity in returning this award. Dr. Pipher has clearly made an enormous an inestimable personal sacrifice on a matter of principle and import. I urge everyone to respect her stand. I hope that we will all take heart and redouble our efforts to get America back on track and to eliminate torture and pre-emptive war as policy options. by Robert Chapman (28 articles, 0 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 556 comments) on Saturday, Aug 25, 2007 at 4:56:17 PM (0+)
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Mary Pipher
As a Baptist minister for the last forty-five years as a pastor, I could not agree with you more. I ask many of my members who go to psychologists or work for them to ask their Dr. what they think of APA sanctioning torture for our secret services and military. Thank you for your stance. I wonder how many of your fellow Psychologist agree with your stance. Phil. by pratliff94 (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 972 comments) on Monday, Aug 27, 2007 at 11:25:25 AM (0+)
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