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America is not made safer by making the Constitution weaker.One year ago today, Congress passed the Military

Commissions Act. With it, founding principles of the U.S.

Constitution were discarded in the name of fighting terror. The Act made it lawful to hold prisoners indefinitely

without charge or trial, to assume guilt before innocence,

to blur the definition of torture, and to use information obtained through brutal treatment as “evidence.” Other

governments, including the British during America’s

founding, have tried to exert control in similar ways. It

didn’t work then and it doesn’t work now.

Is America safer when we undo the Constitution? Those

with first-hand experience of torture, such as Senator John McCain, believe it is not only wrong but counter-productive. This and other abuses erode America’s moral

standing in the world. Strong evidence suggests that

they even serve as a recruiting tool for those using terror

and provide convenient cover for anyone else abusing

human rights.

Making the world a safer place requires consistent

and universal respect for human rights. Join Amnesty

International in insisting that Congress return

America to its core constitutional principles of justice

by overturning the Military Commissions Act, granting

fair and timely trials, treating detainees humanely and

reinstating habeas corpus – the right to challenge one’s

detention in court.

Strengthen America’s commitment to human rights and

the rule of law. It’s up to people like us to demand it.

Take action at amnestyusa.org