The Smithfield police did a
marginal job of keeping the peace; they denied our requests to keep the
counter-rally at some distance from the park, to minimize disruption. We had to appeal to them several times
before the chief walked down to the riverbank and scared off the swamp boat
raiders. Nevertheless, the rally went on. Art Eccleston (below), a licensed
psychologist, gave a passionate call for his
profession to end its deep complicity with the torture complex. It's a
shocking fact, but the American Psychological Association has been
heavily
involved with CIA and military torture programs for many years.
By contrast, other professional groups, such as the
American Psychiatric Association, and the
American Bar
Association, have issued strong denunciations of participation by their
members in torture, or in support of torture.
.
Above: Walt Caison, who did an excellent job of
coordinating the rally program.
[Please scroll down]
Above: Hip Hip Education, a band of positive young rappers, stole the
show. Hear their touching song, "Soldier, Soldier" about coping with the
absence of parents deployed in Iraq, at their website
