Reply #57: thank YOU for sayin' it

[gimama]

I was once in a juvenile detention house,at 5-6 years old,for 1 day.
(to this day,I don't know why,maybe parents' law prob??)*
For most of that 1 day, I was left alone,locked in a metal cage. I cried for momma the whole time. Although grown-ups passed by,looking sideways at me,hours passed. Only 1 woman came out of her way to come speak to ME. I have no idea what was said, but I remember her HUMANITY,her kindness. Metal cage wall between us,SHE reached out. I BLESS HER, to this day.

At dusk,taken out of the metal cage for an hr.or 2 for other shocks to a little girl psyche,I was led outside,FINALLY,OUTSIDE! I joined a big circle of kids,sitting on the lawn of the facility,who were singing songs.
To this day,I have flashbacks when I hear "Take Me Out to the Ballgame". I was at some point taken out of the circle of singing kids,MY PARENTS picked me up,and took me home..but they wouldn't tell me WHY.*

I functioned really well,most of my adult life,but have dealt with Major Depression for the last 10 years.. But I have had so many 'triggers'in the past 6 years,I am either avoiding a flashback,having a flashback, or recovering from a flashback.

EVERY time I see gitmo detainees in those cages(It's the SAME freakin' metal grid.)it affects me. I lived alot of years without seeing that metal grid ANYwhere, these days it's very noticable to me. And when I see the prisoners,in a strange place, no understanding, no RIGHTS, no HOPE, it freaks me out.
It's like it's ME in there,and I had been INNOCENT, surely I can't assume the detainees are all guilty of..what? File some charges,somethin',that might hint of AMERICAN standards of basic Rights & Law. I KNOW I am my Brothers keeper, when I see the wrong being done by the guys doing all this.

PLEASE do not judge the Soldiers on the ground, altho not all are blameless,I'm disgusted with the scapegoating of Soldiers,when things are bad. ANY leader of any HONOR will take responsibility for what happens under THEIR watch. Hell's Bells! cnn showed Saddam at his trial, this week,saying HE was responsible for crimes he's charged with, not to try his fellow bad-guys he's on trial with. This is a LEADERSHIP ISSUE.


So when Rep.Duncan "2 kinds of fruit"hunter came out so strongly defending gitmo,it has sure brought up some issues for ME. I was traumatized FOR LIFE,because of 1 day,in some kind of juvy-gitmo in Southern California. I have been thru some amazing things,& no regrets,but I might have been more 'productive',if not for that 1 day.

2-kindsa-fruit needs to understand: holding detainees without counsel,charges, facts of what is going on, notifying family member,family communications, INDEFINITLY..all that IS cruel.
As a little girl in a metal cage,I just needed to know basic stuff: where am I, where's mom, and what's going to happen next??? THAT is TORTURE,whether it's a little kid in Cal, or an Arab dude in gitmo. Ain't AMERICAN,either.

Despite my difficulties,I get thru the panic attacks,& I am NOT afraid. I insist we call these guys on their awful,dreadful policies. I'm spilling my personal business here,just as an example of how the ripple effects of 1 day of this effected ME. Didn't mean to work out my stuff here, but maybe it can help someOne understand. We just can't treat People this way.