Prof. Michael Struett, NCSU, addresses Johnston Co. Board of Commissioners
May 7, 2018, Smithfield, North Carolina — Clearly exasperated, the Johnston County Commissioners allowed comments about Aero Contractors and CIA torture at yesterday’s evening board meeting, although they required speakers on that issue to wait until the end, rather than letting them speak during the Public Comment item at the beginning of the agenda.
A sizable group of anti-torture citizens brought cameras and large portraits of survivors of Aero Contractors’ rendition missions. Once again, the majority were from Johnston County, with others from Wake, Durham, and Orange counties. Thanks for attending, Betty Sue, Christa, Peggy, Joan, Lyle, Jule, Phil, Walt, Tim, Mike, Michael, Clay, Patty, Albert, Allyson, and Christina.
Michael Struett, political science professor at NCSU, spoke about how state and local governments are THE check in the U.S. political system against abuses by the federal executive branch. He talked about how the U.S. was founded precisely to avoid arbitrary detention and punishment without trial.
The commissioners were clearly unhappy about these messages, and no doubt their dissatisfaction was aggravated by the presence of a Vice News film crew. They disputed that there is evidence linking Aero to CIA torture — despite having received reams of it — and offered red herrings such as that concerned citizens were claiming there was torture in Johnston County. They flatly turned down requests for investigation of Aero and an anti-torture-flight policy for their airport.