I read today that a Canadian manual given to Canadian diplomats includes the United States as a nation that tortures. It would be irresponsible for that manual to read any other way.Specifically, it alerts the diplomats that, when visiting Canadians being held by those countries, the diplomat should be on the lookout for signs of torture. The listing of America on that list was not done for political reasons, but to alert the diplomats to the very real possibility that America may be torturing those we hold captive. For the protection of any nation's citizens, its diplomats must be aware of those realities.
I have also discovered while searching the various news sources that at least two Canadian citizens are currently being held by the US. So, the manual in question is currently relevant.
One of them is being held in Guantanamo Bay - the facility that has become the symbol of our country's morality crisis. Did I mention that this prisoner was 15 years old when taken into custody? Our government claims he was not tortured. That young man's lawyer claims he was. Who can be sure, you might ask? Allow me to break it down for you.
1) Many in the administration have claimed what can generously be called an "expansive" definition of what constitutes "torture;"
2) We have refused to allow the Red Cross or other humanitarian organizations to inspect Guantanamo or other such facilities;
3) America undeniably got caught in the act in Iraq (seen any interesting pictures lately?);
4) Video tapes of waterboarding have been destroyed;
5) Our former Attorney General actually wrote a legal brief calling the Geneva Convention "quaint" and arguing that the president was not bound by it;
6) His successor would not call waterboarding torture during confirmation hearings.
Would YOU believe us?
Simply put, this country has EARNED the suspicion of the world. We are now on a list that includes countries like Iran and Syria. Other countries have now concluded that we are to be dealt with diplomatically as if terrorists ourselves.
This is something about which we should all feel shame.As I have stated before, I cannot believe we are even debating this issue in this country. Look around you! Look at the company we have chosen to keep by engaging in immoral behavior! We are in the mud with Iran, the very nation we claim is so brutal!
The overly-patriotic in this country scoff whenever other Western (read: like minded) nations are used for comparison. But, on this issue, Europe is right. At one time, we were right along with them. We were even a leader in morality. This issue was once settled - By us and the rest of the civilized planet.
Now, even though generations of Americans have proudly stood against torture in an effort to use our morality as our greatest argument, our current leadership has managed to talk itself out of what should be as obvious as gravity. We are now the ONLY Western (so called "civilized") nation that defends torture.
And, finally, other nations have decided to officially recognize that and conduct themselves accordingly.
This is why folks like Colin Powell have said we need to shut down Guantanamo "today," and why so many in the military, among our populous, in our government, in Europe and indeed around the globe have said torture is a horrible thing to do.
We do it. We even had it on video tape. We allegedly have more on video tape. Those were destroyed by this man's administration:
368 days left.
