Outrage, Blobs, and Torture
If its one thing I've learned as I've grown up, its that there is no absolute truth. There's "takes." Some people see blue and call it blue. Others see blue and call it perriwinkle (They are not cool).
So it shouldn't surprise me when the Washington Post reveals we torture people in secret Eastern European prisons, and those on the right and left have wildly different reactions.
Lefty: Our government is torturing people is secret prisons?? I'm OUTRAGED!!!
Righty: The Washington Post revealed that our government tortures people in secret prisons?? I'm OUTRAGED!!!
Reading the blobs, (typo?) you'd think that the fact people are being tortured by us is no big deal. Rather, the fact that the Washington Post did not reveal which countries the prisons were located in was more important. Or, the real story was the fact that unnamed government officials "leaked" this info to the Post.
Democrats called for an investigation into the secret torture prisons. Republicans called for an investigation to find out who the whistleblowers are.
Its been a while since we've seen those pictures of naked prisoners with bags over their heads (which, according to some, are not even the worst pictures that exist). But does that mean we should just let it slide? Forget about the fact our leaders are torturing people? It used to be that when the terrorists claimed we were the great satan, we could be like "Great Satan? What did we ever do to you? We've just been playing Madden 2005." But now, thanks to Bush and his cadre, its like... "well.. we did torture some of you guys. We did bomb your village. We did make you lose your job and forced your family into abject poverty. But please, don't take your revenge."
It's not that I, or any liberal, feels sorry for terrorists. Who we do feel sorry for are those innocent people who inevitably get swept up, shipped to Eastern Europe, and are tortured until they forget they're human beings anymore. There is never a guarentee that every suspect is guilty. Our legal system is based on the fact that the innocent are sometimes the accused. Do we trash that belief just because the accused has a different color skin and eats shwarma?
I don't think we should. I don't think its right that this government runs any "secret prison." The government should have its secrets, sure. But for those secrets to involve things that slaughter the ideals of our constitution, things that are paid for by our tax dollars, is a crime. And the men responsible for committing that crime should be investigated. Not the ones that reveal it.
I hope that everyone, right and left and all those inbetween, know that torture is never acceptable.
That is a truth. Not a take.
I should hope so. For all our sakes.
3 comments:
Well written AND Truth. This is not a political issue to spin. Torture should NEVER be an option for the U.S. Gov't. One wouldn't think this even had to be said. We have truly lost if we become what we are fighting against.
I started thinking about the headline Kara Had. I saw no reference to the song by Switchfoot "Meant to Live" There is the lyrics part "meant to live for so much more"
Later thought about in the lyrics "Somewhere we live inside". Very interesting! The life we portray is different from the life we have inside ourselves. No one saw this? Could this actually be in reference to this song. It is a Christian band.
Just wanted to bring this to attention since you wrote the article.
Speaking of torture and truth,I came across this article recently,Adam what's your opinion?US Marine's mystery "suicide" deepens
by
Ernesto Cienfuegos
La Voz de Aztlan
Los Angeles, Alta California - December 3, 2004 - (ACN) This sad story came to La Voz de Aztlan in a roundabout way. It came to us after we published our report "Iraqi insurgent video shows graphic death of US Marines" and the video at http://www.aztlan.net/ramadi.wmv which shows the death of US Marine Private 1st Class Moises A. Langhorst of Moose Lake, Minnesota. The information was sent, after reading our report, by a resident of the small town of Moose Lake who personally knew Private Langhorst and another Moose Lake High School marine who died in Kuwait one month prior to Langhorst. It is difficult to say which death was sadder, that of 19 year old Private 1st Class Moises A. Langhorst who was killed as a consequence of an Iraqi insurgent operation in Ramadi or that of 18 year old Pfc. Matthew G. Milczark who was found shot in a chapel at Camp Victory in Kuwait. Both were friends, graduated together from Moose Lake High School and both joined the marines at the same time. Whereas the death of Private Langhorst has been put to rest by the small town of Moose Lake and his family, that of Pfc Milczark has not. You see, the US Marines declared the death of Pfc Milczark a suicide, however, there is one small detail that really bothers the town and the family . . . the one gunshot that killed the marine was to the back of his head.
No one who knew Pfc Milczark personally believes that he could commit suicide. His family has been pressing for information to no avail. They have contacted their local congressperson with no results and they are now concerned that the truth may never be known. What really happened to Pfc. Matthew G. Milczark? "When I talked to him 10 days before he was reported dead, he was very upbeat," said Milczark's stepbrother Derek Wood. Pfc. Matthew G. Milczark was a well balanced student and was elected Homecoming King the year he graduated. He was a star football player and respected as a leader by the entire student body. "He was a leader here, one of those kids you would see in the hallway who automatically had that respect from others," said Tim Caroline, superintendent of Moose Lake Community Schools. "He was a good kid, happy-go-lucky and always smiling." What then is the truth? Did Pfc. Matthew G. Milczark commit suicide by shooting himself in the back of his head? Did another US Marine kill him? Why is the US Marine Command keeping quiet about this and other marine suicides and why have they closed the investigation? The family of Matthew G. Milczark needs to know, but most importantly all Americans need to know. There is now an epidemic of US Marines committing "suicide?" and it behooves all Americans with loved ones in Iraq to find out the truth!
My thoughts are,Maybe another form of toture?
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