« Red Letter Christians Push Blue Voting | Main | Naughty Petitioners Cost Rich a Fortune »

September 20, 2006

Patriotism and Torture

The discussions we have had here this past week about the Pope's antagonism to the Islamic world, the importance – or lack thereof – of history, and whether or not the U.S. bears culpability in the current conflict of cultures has only heightened my concern that because the MSM has failed to do its job, Americans do not know or understand the depths of evil to which our own anger since 9/11 has pushed us, nor do we understand the rising anger in the Muslim world where the truth is known - hence it seems irrationally violent. We still seem to believe America is always righteous and good and kind, and our opponents are always irrational, evil and violent. Anyone who points out otherwise is treated as traitorous. I maintain that those who demand that Americans wake up and put a stop to this madness are the ones who are the true patriots, and those who bury their heads in the sand are abandoning their duty to their country.

Joe Conason writes today about that very thing in "Opponents of Torture Are True Patriots." You owe it to yourself and this country to read what he has written – especially if you are a Christian.

It is strange but true that the country’s most prominent spokesmen for the Prince of Peace and for tradition and morality are also its most outspoken proponents of torture. These worthies are unfazed to learn that this government is responsible for the bloody medieval abuse of innocent men, like the Canadian citizen Maher Arar, who was sent to a Syrian dungeon on baseless suspicion.

The Reverend Louis Sheldon, who heads an organization called the Traditional Values Coalition, has indignantly warned Senator McCain that opposing torture may mean forfeiting the support of evangelical leaders in 2008.

What are we to make of the fact that men like the reverend, who refer to themselves as “Christian” while obnoxiously suggesting that other Christians are inferior in faith and character, now tell us that we must support the horrific abuse of prisoners?

What “traditions” and “values” do Mr. Sheldon—and, for that matter, the devout Mr. Bush—truly uphold? What kind of conservative promotes the violent abuse of people who have been convicted of no crime?

These words should cut America to the heart. As should the truth about the torture we have inflicted on prisoners in our custody in our post-9/11 war on terror:

This first-hand account tells the horrifying tale of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay who had been purchased from members of the Pakistani military. These men were bound, beaten and kicked in the stomach until they vomited blood and fainted. One prisoner was beaten in the face until his eye fell out. They were urinated on, dragged naked across asphalt by wires wrapped around their arms, and forced to walk barefoot across barbed wire and splintered glass. Beatings concentrated on eyes, nose and genitals. Copies of the Koran were dunked in buckets of urine and feces, and pages of the Koran were used to wipe out these buckets, shine shoes, etc. in front of Muslim prisoners. Gasoline was injected in their penises. They were tied naked to the floor and raped. They were given electric shocks. Their beards were literally pulled out. There is much more, but I won't go into it here.

This report tells of how dozens of Taliban prisoners died after surrendering to Northern Alliance forces, asphyxiated in the shipping containers used to transport them to prison.

This report describes techniques we have used, and that the President wishes to formally legalize, including forced shackled standing for 40 or more hours, being held in 50 degree rooms and doused with cold water, and water boarding. The effectiveness of these techniques is highly disputed, and the "mock execution" mental effect on prisoners violates the Geneva Conventions.

Finally, for those who have not seen them, here are some of the Abu Graib torture and abuse photos.

Do you support the President's effort to retroactively allow torture so that those who have committed these atrocities will never have to pay for their crimes? Be a patriotic American – think about what your own family members may face someday if these practices are condoned and then used against them – and then contact your Senators and Representatives and tell them how you feel.

Posted by Becky at September 20, 2006 09:38 AM