A reader writes:
Real patriots will break the law for the greater good and proudly face the music for their actions. Sometimes we have to do things that are wrong, but making the wrong lawful cheapens the choice.
The president and his crowd come from the top of corporate America where one can run a company into the ground and still get paid tens of million. Bush has no concept about self-sacrifice for the greater good. The army and CIA have always done things against the law but did it in the shadows. If they were caught, then they accepted their punishment. Oliver North made a choice. He broke the law and paid the price (sort of). This administration wants to take away that price. It is cheapening acts of patriotism. When an interrogator looks into a suspect's eyes, he should see a jury of his peers looking back and then he needs to make his choice.
When Americans think of torture they think of Dirty Harry standing over a serial killer whose next victim is running out of air at a remote location. Americans think of Harry as a hero for doing everything he can to save the victim. But what most people fail to realize is the thing that makes Harry the hero is not the act of torture. It is the choice to torture given he will face consequences for his action. If the consequences are removed then Harry becomes a meter maid.
Once the torture bill passes it won't take long before many, many more terror suspects will be tortured. A time will inevitably come when a detainee is found to contain some information that could have stopped a loss of life or property. At that time interrogators will have to account for not getting the information. Torture will become a cover-your-ass technique.
This is a sad time for morality and accountability.
This is the Bush era.