Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Torture Confirmed Beyond Doubt

Sorry everyone for being away so long. What with there being a ton of work at my new firm and a scheduled weekend vacation in Maui to visit with old friends, I've been swamped.

I did notice that someone leaked a secret report by the International Red Cross (why was it secret?) confirming that our CIA has engaged in systematic torture at its secret prisons. Given that the International Red Cross is an institution of impecable credentials, as well as the world's foremost expert on torture, there is no longer any doubt that the United States has become a rogue nation with respect to human rights.

If our citizens don't do something to pressure the Obama administration into investigating and prosecuting these offenders, our children and grand children will look back and see that we forfeited our honor and commitment to the rule of law because we wanted to be safe and we were too cowardly to confront evil among us. In the meantime, it will be difficult for me to listen to our nation's citizens sing our national anthem or repeat our pledge of alligence. "Liberty and justice for all" is a wonderful ideal, but it is not something we 21st century Americans care much about.

Joe H.

P.S. For anyone who would conclude, based on these comments, that I don't love our country, ask yourself whether your mother loved you when she critized you? Patriotism is a love of country - but love and criticism are not contraries. My love for our country motivates my criticism. I criticize because I worry that our country is changing into something that we will (and shouuld) eventually hate.

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