A PROCLAMATION FOR FATHER'S DAY, 2011, By President Barack Obama:' A TORTURE FREE DAY'

A PROCLAMATION FOR FATHER'S DAY, 2011, By President Barack Obama

A TORTURE FREE DAY


In 2008 I talked about the ‘great responsibilities’ that come with Fatherhood. ‘Fathers have an obligation to help rear the children they bring into the world. Children deserve this care, and families need each father's active participation.’ And, Fathers must take those responsibilities seriously.

I also noted that the vital role that ‘Fathers play in teaching their children ‘right from wrong’ and the necessity to instil values in their children that will sustain them for a lifetime.’

I have often stated that ‘It's up to us - as fathers and parents - to instill this ethic of excellence in our children.’ Please don't ask me to explain what that is; it’s something that my speechwriters write because it sounds very good.

Statistics bear out that children who grow up without a father are five times more likely to live in poverty and commit crime; nine times more likely to drop out of schools and twenty times more likely to end up in prison.’ So, if a Father is away from the home, whether in prison…or in a strange land as a Detainee this has a negative impact on a child’s life.

An important role for Fathers is to show ‘the value of empathy to our children. Not sympathy, but empathy - the ability to stand in somebody else's shoes; to look at the world through their eyes.’

For instance, ‘songs on the radio may glorify violence, but in my house we live glory to achievement, self-respect, and hard work.’ Not violence. A Father’s job is also to teach children that it is never acceptable to settle problems with violence.

‘I know what it means to have an absent father, although my circumstances weren't as tough as they are for many young people today.

WHEREAS FATHERS DAY is about the importance of Fathers in the lives of their children, and the vital significance that they play in their children’s development and health and well-being,

IN RECOGNITION of how Fathers can contribute to the building of stable, well-adjusted and happy families and thriving communities,

IN ACKNOWLEDGING the impact that this has on contributing to a more peaceful world community, a world free from the scourge of terrorism

AND, WHEREAS Fathers and Mothers both contribute to the lofty goal of peace on earth,

I BARACK OBAMA wish all Fathers a truly HAPPY FATHER’S DAY,

AND IN RECOGNITION of the fact that American values of COMPASSION, INTEGRITY, GOOD WILL TO ALL PEOPLES for Peace Loving People that We Are,

IN ACKNOWLEDGING that this FATHER’S DAY, LIKE THE LAST 11 FATHER’S DAYS TAKES PLACE AMIDST AMERICA’S BATTLE AGAINST TERRORISM,

AND, DESPITE THE FACT THAT WE MUST ADHERE TO THE HIGHEST OF VALUES AND PRINCIPLES,

IT IS IN THIS SPIRIT THAT I BARACK OBAMA DO SO ORDER AND DECLARE:

THAT THIS FATHER’S DAY SUNDAY 19 JUNE 2011

TO BE A TORTURE FREE DAY FOR ALL FATHERS AT

GUANTANAMO BAY, CUBA
THE SALT PIT (BAGRAM) AFGHANISTAN
AND ALL OTHER BLACK SITES (that are currently out of the reach and supervision of the International Committee of the Red Cross),

AND WHEREVER TERRORIST AND THERE SUPPORTERS ARE DETAINED THEY ARE TO BE FREE FROM TORTURE,

FURTHER, THE FULL SCOPE OF COMMON ARTICLE THREE OF THE FOUR GENEVA CONVENTIONS OF 1949 SHALL APPLY FOR FATHER’S DAY!

THIS MEANS THAT

VIOLENCE TO THE LIFE AND PERSON, MURDER, CRUEL TREATMENT AND TORTURE OF ALL DETAINEES WHO ARE FATHERS IS HEREBY PROHIBITED ON FATHER’S DAY SUNDAY 19 JUNE 2011,

THE TAKING OF HOSTAGES (COMMON ARTICLE THREE 1.) IS PROHIBITED IF THEY ARE FATHERS,

‘OUTRAGES UPON THE PERSONAL DIGNITY, IN PARTICULAR HUMILIATING AND DEGRADING TREATMENT ‘IS PROHIBITED IF THEY ARE FATHERS,

THE WOUNDED AND SICK SHALL BE COLLECTED CARED FOR (unless the medical unit is closed for Father’s Day)

IN SHORT, THERE WILL BE FULL COMPLIANCE WITH COMMON ARTICLE THREE OF THE FOUR GENEVA CONVENTIONS OF 1949,

WE WILL HOWEVER, be forced, against our will to prosecute the war on terror, and in particular to by any means necessary change the ruthless regime in Libya.

WE WILL be forced to try and kill Libyan leader Muammar al-Gaddafi even on Father’s Day to insure peace, freedom and American style democracy to the people of Libya,

AND, TO THIS END we will use every weapon at our disposal including, but not limited to drones (sport killing from afar), Depleted Uranium (contaminating the air, soil and water for generations to come)

BUT, FATHER’S DAY IS A TORTURE FREE DAY FOR ALL NAMED AND SPECIFIED (that is unless captured and deemed to hold ‘actionable intelligence’ on a possible or imminent threat to the National Security of America. In such cases TORTURE WILL BE FORBIDDEN, but it will be acceptable to employ ‘Enhanced Interrogation’ Techniques)

TO ALL OTHERS NAMED IN THE ABOVE ACCEPTABLE CATEGORIES
I, BARACK OBAMA WISH YOU A HAPPED, BLESSED AND PEACEFUL FATHER’S DAYAND I INSTRUCT MILITARY AND CIA AND PRIVATE CONTRACTORS WHO HAVE DETAINEES IN THEIR CUSTODY TO LET THEM READ THE LATEST BATCH OF LETTERS FROM THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS (subject to them being acceptable to government censors and deemed not to be a threat to US National Security interests),

AND, MAY GOD BLESS AMERICA AND HER PARTNER ISRAEL,
AND MAY GOD HELP US TO PREVAIL AGAINST OUR ENEMIES, AND ALL THE ENEMIES OF AMERICA.

TO ALL DETAINEES WHO ARE FATHERS ‘HAPPY FATHER’S DAY

YOURS CORDIALLY
BARAK OBAMA