President Bush Authorizes Torture

A CIA agent has now confirmed that the United States used torture to extract information from al-Qaida detainees. At the same time he was careful to remind the congressional oversight committee that the United States does not torture. The United States uses an “enhanced interrogation technique”. By this reasoning people that holdup stores do not rob stores, they are in effect using an “unauthorized acquisition technique”. And people that murder someone do not really murder anyone, they are in effect assisting in an “early demise technique”. Our prisons are not full of prisoners, they are full of‘detainees”.

Changing the words does not change the action. A person in a wheelchair may be physically challenged, handicapped or crippled. But believe me that whatever name you use that person is still in a wheelchair.

I am a citizen of the United States Of America. And as such I do not feel that my government should be involved in acts of torture. We as a nation are better than that. I know that al-Qaida is an enemy of the United States. I know that we have to have ways to acquire information from prisoners of war (detainees). But using torture makes us no better then them. This is not a contest to see who can commit the most human rights violations.

As I look back at all that has taken place during the present administration, I cannot help but feel a bit shamed. We as the leaders of the free world should set an example. Yes what an example we have set.