Natalie Croyt
Staff Writer
In light of the upcoming presidential elections and recent developments in U.S. interrogations during the war in Iraq, the Peace with Justice Center of the Pomona Valley is offering a presentation that will promote awareness and understanding on a current issue that is often over-looked.
On March 1, from 5 to 8 p.m. at La Verne Church of the Brethren, David Kinzie will speak on”Torture: Meaning and its Effects on Victims and Societies.”
Kinzie will not only discuss the torture happening around the world, but will also touch on the U.S. and our relation to the war.
“Torture is an immediate and current issue in the U.S. today,” said Dorena Wright, professor of English and chairwoman of the Peace with Justice Center of the Pomona Valley.
“U.S. interrogators in Iraq have been using techniques that could lie within the bor:ders of torture and not many people are aware of this,” Wright said.
As a professor of psychiatry at Oregon Health Sciences University, Kinzie, also a ULV graduate, has devoted his life to the treatment and healing of victims of war and torture. His presentation will not only define torture and how to recognize it but will also discuss the short and long term effect it has on victims and societies.
“The far-reaching effects of torture on people are unimaginable, and we need to be responsible for educating ourselves on the issue,” said PWJC secretary Connie Weir.
Weir and Wright hope that people who attend the presentation will leave with a better understanding of what torture is and begin to formulate questions on the subject to think about when they go to the polls in November.
“It’s always a good idea to find out what is going on in the world and how we can help,” said Jaleelah Siddiqui, one of the directors of the PWJC, who encourages everyone to attend the presentation and further their understanding.
The presentation will consist of a delicious Middle Eastern halal dinner as well as live musical entertainment by Kinzie’s brother Steve, who is a professor at the University of La Verne. Wright said that there is also the possibility of a question and answer session at the end of the speech as well as testimonies given by victims of torture themselves.
Tickets will be available at the door for $25 general admission and $15 for students, and cash or checks will be accepted.
For more information, call Wright at (909) 593-4966.
Natalie Croyt can be reached at ncroyt@ulv.edu.
Journalism operations manager at the University of La Verne. Production manager and business manager of the Campus Times.