The US Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals is set to rehear a civil suit against former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld today. The suit, brought by Donald Vance, a US navy veteran and former defense contractor, and Nathan Ertel, also a former defense contractor, alleges Rumsfeld is responsible for “intentional mistreatment” that occurred when they were tortured in an American-run prison in Iraq for nearly one hundred days. It’s one of several cases brought against Rumsfeld, all of which have been dismissed to avoid courts interfering with the “war on terror.”

What could possibly make a human being torture another human being?

That’s a question that, as a young boy, I recall asking my grandparents—Holocaust survivors—after they described to me in vivid detail the torture they and other members of my extended family were subjected to by the Nazis during World War II.

It’s a question I returned to earlier this year when I had the opportunity to interview a veteran of the US Army Reserves who was torn up about the torture he says he witnessed and participated in against some “war on terror” detainees while serving as a guard at the Guantanamo Bay prison facility. [That guard, Pfc. Albert Melise, has since been barred from reenlistment for speaking to me.]

There is a feeling a jubilation and fellowship at Occupy LA, with people who normally wouldn’t come in contact with each other now hanging out, sharing common ground, talking, sharing food and stories. And within this, solutions are discussed, actions are planned, and plans hashed out. I saw a La Rouche supporter getting schooled by an activist while a decorated infantry specialist, a veteran of the Afghanistan War in full uniform, carried a sign asking why the government and financial institutions won’t do what’s right.

On the eve of the tenth anniversary of 9/11, my thoughts turn to peace. It’s hard to keep them there, though, because of the chorus of voices that scream for violence and war.

I grieve for those who died ten years ago in New York, DC, and Pennsylvania, as well as all who have died — and continue to die — in the wars spawned out of that attack. I long for the day when military fly-overs at football games become a thing of the past, and our cities have more statues to teachers than generals.

But the cheers for executions, and the willingness to spend billions of dollars on weapons to dole out death but mere pennies on social services that preserve life in one way or another for the most needy among us tell me that the day I long for is quite a ways off.

The United States government will seek to hold activists that engage in freedom of association or freedom of speech accountable. It will seek to hold accountable those who have connections to Islam and hail from impoverished and neglected communities. It will look backward to prosecute those who try to call attention to government abuse and misconduct and those whose voice in society is doubted because of race, class and religion. On the contrary, when government officials stand accused of crimes, it will work overtime to move forward and prevent anyone in government from looking backward to hold accountable those in government that should be investigated for crimes.

If you have not read 1984 and don’t want to hear about the ending. . . or if you don’t want to feel anything but elated over the killing of Osama bin Laden. . . then maybe you want to skip this one.

“Justice has been done,” proclaimed President Obama last night.

I beg to differ.

Justice is not simply someone getting what they deserve. “He did X, and deserved his punishment” may be a verdict and a sentence, but these two things alone are hardly justice.

Bin Laden did not face justice last night; he faced death.

There is a difference.

Next week is the State of the Union address, and I thought I’d offer a little last minute, unsolicited advice to the president and the White House speechwriters. Some may think it presumptuous, but as one of “we, the people,” I think it’s allowable. It’s not like they have to take the advice, after all . . . but it sure would be nice to see and hear something like this.

Neat trick, what? Because his employment might be in jeopardy since he would need to disclose his felony convictions to clients and his employer (thus endangering his ability to earn a living, and pay restitution) Erzinger’s charges have been reduced to misdemeanor.

The two-phase civil lawsuit, brought by Cindy and Craig Corrie against the Israeli Defense Forces, seeking a judgement of wrongful death in the matter of their daughter Rachel, near Rafah, Gaza, on March 16, 2003. resumes today in Haifa. In this phase, the defendant government will seek to rebut the plaintiff’s case, presented last spring.