Into Our Arms - A Song For David

Into Our Arms is a beautiful song by Wish Hounds in response to the continued incarceration of David Hicks in Guantanamo Bay. It is part of a growing campaign to see David released from Guantanamo and returned to Australia. Despite the lack of action by John Howard and the Australian government, many people care desperately about David's plight and the precedent that has been set by his treatment. If you want to learn more about David's situation, you can view the YouTube video devised by my friend Rick B at Ten Percent. I'll leave it to singer/songwriter Justin Parker to explain the background to the song.

‘Wish Hounds’ is the nom de plume of Melbourne, Australia singer/songwriter Justin Parker.

The new single ‘Into Our Arms’ sounds the frustrations and despair that many fellow Australians feel over the plight of David Matthew Hicks. David, himself an Australian, has been in US custody at the Guantanamo military prison in Cuba and held for more than five years without trial since being captured in Afghanistan. On March 02, 2007 David was finally charged, retrospectively, with "material support for terrorism" and referred to trial by a special military commission at Guantanamo Bay.

After suffering a debilitating trauma accident early in 2006, and subsequently thrown into a long and arduous rehabilitation program, Justin was presented the opportunity for lengthy self-reflection. Feelings of resentment, despair, and abandonment were frequently common. Whilst not condoning David Hick’s alleged actions, his treatment by the current Australian Government, with their disregard of national and international law and justice for one of their own citizens, became intensely personal.

The complex and painful mechanics of relearning the guitar was instrumental in the healing of Justin’s injuries. ‘Into Our Arms’ was written, foremost, as a personal outlet; recognition of the many things that we can all take for granted. Hopefully, it finds its way to those blessed with the gift of empathy and aid those who struggle against adversity and who campaign to uphold habeas corpus and the rule of law...

You can listen to the song at Wish Hounds' MySpace page here, visit the homepage here or view the lyrics here.