By Executive Order of the President, one of the nation’s highest honors is to be named a Presidential Scholar.
During the ceremony this year in the East Room of the Whitehouse, the young recipients handed a signed handwritten letter to the President.
Stating that they have a responsibility to voice their convictions, the letter urged a halt to “violations of the human rights”:
“We do not want America to represent torture.
We urge you to do all in your power to stop violations of the human rights of detainees, to cease illegal renditions, and to apply the Geneva Convention to all detainees, including those designated enemy combatants.”
Deputy press secretary Dana Perino said later that the United States does not torture and that the USA values human rights. Associated Press