4.22.2009

Torture

Right wing propaganda be damned we live in a country that uses torture.

The US has sanctioned the use of torture. Use all the lawyerly mumbo jumbo that you want but it is still torture. Any person who has choked on something going down their windpipe and remembering the pain and discomfort of it should have no problem imagining that having that happen repeatedly while your arms are tied, constitutes torture. Our government has executed captured enemies for doing the same things.

Torture is immoral. Show me evidence that God sanctions torture. Explain to me how torture is not 'cruel or unusual punishment' as defined in the Constitution. Torture is immoral. Where is the Christian outrage?

Prove to me that torture is a necessary evil. The right wingers including our ex-VP insist that without torture we are vulnerable. Prove it before you say another self-serving word. Prove to us that intelligence gathering, sanctioned police work, investigative techniques, you name it is worthless while only torture provides results. They make it sound like it's an either or - either we torture or we can't be safe - prove it.

Prove to us that torture even provides useful results. I mean results other than to dehumanize both the recipient as well as those who torture.

We know that there are evil people in this world who mean us harm - we'd just like to be sure that none of them are on our team.

7 comments:

Asylum Seeker said...

In fairness, Dick Cheney is very distressed by the fact that the government hasn't released the documents that he could use as his evidence. It saddens him deeply. You'll just have to trust that he is telling the truth until then. Please read that last sentence as if it was spoken while stifling laughter.

Stacy said...

You know what kills me about this? The thought of what is likely to now happen to one of our own if/when he/she is captured by an enemy.

It is not the fact that the documents were released that will cause this - it is because we allowed/encouraged these practices.

:-(

Michael Lockridge said...

Why torture? We have technology!

Just implant the captured enemy with tracking and listening devices, and then let them go!

No, we can't implant bombs! That would be wrong! Of course a smart weapon might be sent to the location of said tracking device, but that would be different.

Better living (and killing) through technology!

Mike

pboyfloyd said...

And you KNOW that if torture is deemed to be allowable to extract information, sooner or later someone will suggest using torture to input information.

GearHedEd said...

Pboy, they already do that--it's called "Sunday School"

mac said...

"Only in extreme circumstances" Yeah, that's the ticket.



What if the definition of extreme circumstances is altered?

You're a doc, I'm sure you see many, many non-emergent situations people think are life threateningly dire.

I was a piano mover for aboutr 12 years( I know, great carreer choice). During my tenure there, I would often hear of this EMERGENCY delivery that must be done NOW!!
My response, "Who's gonna die? Are they loosing a limb that can only be saved if I get there right now? No? Well, then, it's not really an emergency, is it? I think the phrase you're looking for is 'I urgently wish you to do this'"

What does that have to do with torture?
Well, "Extreme circumstances" are just like that.

AND, who says what constitutes these extreme circumstances? The same government that lied to us about the war? NO thanks !

mac said...

AND.

How are we to take the moral high ground when we are torturing people ourselves?

How are we to cry foul over our citizens treatment at the hands of unfriendlies when we torture theirs?