No Excuses

Sad but true- the Bush Administration was not the first U.S. government to approve the use of torture. Anyone who knows about the School of the Americas understands that torture and assassination have often been used to terrorize and intimidate those who have the nerve to protest U.S. foreign policy. However Bush is the first president to attempt to make torture legal. And for that Mr. Obama there can be no kicking the can down the road or simply "looking to the future." The lawyers and government officials who attempted to pronounce us a pariah nation need to be prosecuted and forever barred from government and the practice of law.

I am ashamed that despite all that the press has reported already most of us remain largely disinterested about what was and apparently continues to be done in our name. There was time when we Americans were better people. But be sure-- if we sit quietly and allow our present government to ignore such crimes we shall have become that which we once so deeply abhorred.



Honor Betrayed
The realization that her own officers were capable of such cruelty was probably what led to Alyssa Peterson's death. Unlike our "good soldiers" Army Spc. Peterson could not bring herself to torture prisoners.

"Peterson objected to the interrogation techniques used on prisoners. She refused to participate after only two nights working in the unit known as the cage. Army spokespersons for her unit have refused to describe the interrogation techniques Alyssa objected to. They say all records of those techniques have now been destroyed."

We owe Alyssa Peterson an accounting for having placed her in such physical and moral jeopardy. Only after those who tried to legalize such gross atrocities are justly charged can we dare to beg for her forgiveness.