John Kiriakou [1] is the only person so far to be imprisoned for anything having to do with the U.S. torture policy—the policy of black-bagging people with no charges and stealing them secretly to prisons in distant, unknown lands where foreign governments or CIA agents water board them, or worse—far worse.

For a time, John Kiriakou believed that our government should water board those suspected of plotting terrorism. But his mind was changed. John was charged with multiple “National Security” violations.[2] John plead not guilty. Eventually, he accepted a single charge of giving classified information to the media. He was sentenced to 30-months in federal prison. John was the whistle blower. He is the man we punished for our country’s use of torture—not the authors of our torture policy, not the perpetrators, not the violators—just John, and only John—punished for calling torture torture.

Someone suggested to John that he should write a letter to his friends and let them know how he was doing once he got settled at the federal prison in Pennsylvania.

John thought about that. He decided it was a good idea. He decided to model his writing after a letter that he had studied and admired for many years. That letter was Dr. Martin Luther King, Junior’s letter from Birmingham Jail.[3]

In an exclusive interview with Amy Goodman, John said, “I’ve always been a big fan of Martin Luther King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail. And I had a copy with me in prison. I read it and reread it and reread it again. And I thought, ‘Well, I’ll structure it in the same way, and I’ll write it person to person. So, that’s what I did.’”

The lessons we learn from African American History show us the way. Sometimes, like in John Kiriakou’s long and lonely separation from his family, the lessons sustain us. Our lessons strengthen us to build the long-awaited bridges to that place where “justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream.” These lessons will forever enlighten us, as they do for John Kiriakou as he follows the path of Dr. King. Let us turn that trail into a freeway—a freeway to fairness—fairness and justice for all.

John isn’t a CIA agent anymore. He’s working to bring just and humane practices to our prison systems. He’s working to bring fair and honorable improvements to our police forces and to the entire judicial system of our land. Amen.

He can use a hand. Any whistlers among us?

Photo: Martin Luther King Jr. statue at the Oregon Convention Center (found online at Portland Oregon Photography - Images and Dreams from the Oregon Street - A Photographic Landscape of Urban Oregon)

[1] See: http://www.democracynow.org/2015/2/9/exclusive_freed_cia_whistleblower_john_ (Exclusive: Freed CIA Whistleblower John Kiriakou Says "I Would Do It All Again" to Expose Torture)

[2] See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Kiriakou

[3] See: http://www.thekingcenter.org/archive/document/letter-birmingham-city-jail-0