8. End the Militarization of Police Departments and Borders
The militarization we see overseas, with the US engaged in endless war, is reflected in the arming of police in US communities and border regions. Military weapons such as tanks and grenade launchers should have no place in domestic law enforcement. The US should end the policy of transferring military-grade weaponry and surveillance equipment from the military to local police department and stop the massive militarization of our borders.
9. Stop Illegal Detention of Prisoners in Guantanamo and Elsewhere, Hold Torturers Accountable The US post-9/11 history of torture and indefinite detention is reprehensible. Even today, over half of the remaining prisoners in the Guantanamo prison have been cleared for release by various US agencies but they are still being held after 13 years! The cleared prisoners should be released immediately and the others should be given trials in federal courts. And the US personnel and advisors responsible for the torture should be charged and tried in a court of law. The Guantanamo prison should be shut down and the base returned to the Cuban people.
10. Respect Whistleblowers--and Our Privacy
The Obama administration has prosecuted more whistleblowers than any other president. The US government should recognize the value of whistleblowers in serving the best interests of the public. Whistleblowers Edward Snowden and Chelsea Manning should be pardoned. And the US should put an end to the myriad programs of mass surveillance, including the bulk collection of personal data.
While some sectors of our society benefit from excessive militarism, the majority of Americans don't. Election season is a good time to let people running for office know that America would be safer and more prosperous if it stopped seeking enemies overseas and instead focused on building a peaceful foreign policy and a peace-based domestic economy.
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