"We do not Torture!"

This past week we learned of "black site" prisons, hidden from public view and American justice by their placement in former Soviet gulags. John McCain introduced legislation to prevent Americans from torturing anyone. Bush and Cheney, despite the Senate's 90-9 vote in favor of the legislation, want it either killed or weakened so that, with Presidential approval and in accordance with U. S. law, of course, the CIA could trot out the dobermans and the black leather. After all, what is a little torture in the greater world of the war on terrorism?

It's the reason we're having to fight the war on terrorism. Too often, we've taken the low road in our relations with other nations, particularly in the last five years. We hold ourselves up to be an example, challenge others to imitate our judicial system. It's a system that now holds prisoners indefinitely without trial, that frees most white-collar criminals because they can afford better lawyers, that allows its intelligence services to imprison without any shred of oversight. Our diplomats are told to sell our economic system, one that has seen real declines in worker spending power over the past five years, that doesn't provide health care to our workers, that increasingly is polarized into haves and have nots. We preach but do not practice. The shining light of America is directed back and what it reveals isn't pretty.

Ten years ago, who would have thought we would be having a serious debate about whether it is legal to torture people? The answer would seem to be self-evident yet Bush, Cheney, Allard et. al. argue that we need the right for extraordinary circumstances. So far have the morals of the country's leadership slid that we are actually discussing whether it is legal to hold people indefinitely, without trial, without access to lawyers, without rights. We are being lectured on morals by Fidel Castro and guess what, he's right.

The answer is for the American people to reassert themselves and their morals. Despite our failed leadership's attempts to justify themselves and their practices, Americans should stand up and shout We do not torture. We need to stand up and shout on many issues, the unconstitutional search-and-siezure rights granted under the Patriot Act, the building of a bridge to nowhere while thousands of poor people will lose food stamps, the pharmaceutical industry's darling prescription drug coverage that will require seniors making over $13,000 per year to pay for their medicines out of their pockets. We are a moral, just people. We need leadership that reflects our values.