The willingness to torture has been the symbol of ultimate evil for as long as I can remember; the horrors of the Gestapo, the Spanish Inquisition, the Hanoi Hilton, Saddam Hussein, and scores of cinematic bad guys can be summed up in that one chilling word.
Torture.
I live in America, the country that began by throwing off the bonds of tyranny and oppression. Our history has been a flawed and bloody one, but until recently our nation has endeavored to continually grow more civilized, more humane, and to set a high standard for decency and human rights across the globe.
Please tell me that the America I love still exists somewhere, that the politicians who speak for us can be moved, somehow, to reverse our current practices of illegal detention and torture. Please tell me that as a nation, we are not willing to give up the very core of what we stand for simply because we are afraid of a ragtag bunch of terrorists – people we fear and despise in part because of their willingness to harm the helpless and yes, to torture.
The arguments against torture might seem obvious on the grounds of simple human decency and compassion, but our elected officials seem willing to allow this incredibly un-American practice to continue. Torture has been widely condemned by top military, law enforcement, and FBI officials not merely on humanitarian grounds but also for its ineffectiveness as an investigation technique.
Jean Amery, a torture victim of the holocaust, wrote, “Torture is the most horrible event a human being can retain within himself. Anyone who has been tortured remains tortured … anyone who has suffered torture will never again be at ease in the world. ” He later committed suicide. Torture is not something that can be ended cleanly when a suspect confesses. Even after any injuries heal, the terror, humiliation, and loss of hope and faith in humanity remain with the victim for a lifetime.
We simply must stop inflicting this horror – on anyone, no matter how much we hate or fear them or their ideology. The war on terror may be worth fighting for and putting our lives on the line for, but it is not worth abandoning our humanity, our compassion, and our long-standing fight for human rights. The fact that we are doing this chills me on a level so deep I can barely express it, cry, or be angry. It’s sickening, and I can only pray that we stop.
Beautifully and eloquently put. And so very right.
I too have wondered where the America I love has gone to.
I’m voting and praying for an end to this as well.
Thank you.
i say the same about abortion, the torturing of little lives that never asked for it.
I agree, so much so. I have a very stong stand against abortion, and I just hate thinking about how people are killing innocent little CHILDREN!!