Torture Is Wrong

[filkertom]

That's really all there is to it. Don't be silent.

(h/t technocracygirl)

Comments

[bayushisan.livejournal.com]

The simplicity of this campaign is just beautiful. I'm going to talk to the pastor of my local Church about putting up this banner.

I also have to say that I am greatly disappointed with conservatives in their continued support of the President's policy of using it. Especially since he lied about it for so long and then had the utter temerity to admit to lying about it and justify his lying.

Even now I'm an admitted idealist on a large number of things, and yes much of that comes from my profound faith. That same faith guides me in my everyday life and it tells me that torture isn't just wrong it's evil. As Americans we shouldn't even remotely countenance what's been done. We should all be outraged that our President violated, not just the Geneva Convention, but also the Federal Anti-Torture Act.

Not one person who has supported the President wouldn't want their child waterboarded or have them treated inhumanely. They justify their attitudes by saying that our enemies would do worse to our soldiers.

To that I say, yes they very likely would. But I don't recall there being a qualifier for doing the right thing. It's NEVER easy to do what's right. It's not supposed to be easy to be good or honorable thing because by their very nature they aren't easy. We shouldn't look the other way on this.

I implore my fellow Americans to see the Truth and vote their hearts. Embrace the anti-torture movement and demand that we do the good and honorable thing.

I'm sorry if I went on a bit of a rant there Tom. Once the words started flowing they just didn't stop.

Oops

[bayushisan.livejournal.com]

Not one person who has supported the President wouldn't want their child waterboarded or have them treated inhumanely.

Should read: Not one person who has supported the President would want their child waterboarded or have them treated inhumanely

Sorry about that. Mea culpa on that one.

[bryanp.livejournal.com]

Not all conservatives support the policy of torture. But don't let me stand in the way of the broad brush.

[bayushisan.livejournal.com]

Then allow me to clarify.

I speak of the public faces of the conservatives. Guys like O'Reilly, Hannity, Limbaugh and the like. I speak of conservatives that I've talked on message boards who excuse torture by the United States as being "one of the bad things that happen in war".

I don't mean all conservatives, but that even one excuses what's been done breaks my heart. It just isn't right and someone needs to say something.

[alverant.livejournal.com]

Really? Where are they? Why aren't they speaking out as loudly against torture as liberals? All the conservatives I know and have read make excuses to make torture an acceptable practice for us to use (not them). I've read many conservative editorials about how moderate Muslims should speak out more against the extremists in their group. So why don't conservatives against torture speak out just as much against their own extremists instead of buying their books and watching their shows?

The commercial success of people like Limbaugh, O'Reilly, Coulter, etc goes against your claim that "not all conservatives support the policy of torture".

[bryanp.livejournal.com]

Really? Where are they?

Mostly not talking to people who vilify them just for having opposing viewpoints on some subjects.

All the conservatives I know and have read make excuses to make torture an acceptable practice for us to use (not them).

I know some of those as well. I find it unfortunate that I and others like me are automatically lumped with them. However, on the discussion forums I frequent which tend to be more conservative some of the most heated arguments have been on this subject. I know one idiot who managed to get himself banned at two of the firearms related forums I frequent for continuing to spout the same anti-muslim rhetoric in the political discussion areas of those boards. I was quite glad to see him go.

[alverant.livejournal.com]

Public perception isn't changed by "not talking". It is changed by challenging misconceptions with words and backing them up with deeds. You can't be worried about hurt feelings. Four years ago conservatives had the chance to say NO to torture by putting someone else on the presidential ticket. They passed it up. Two years ago conservatives had another chance to say NO to torture by electing people to congress who would pass and enforce laws against torture. Again they passed it up. This year they had the same chance to say NO to torture they had 4 years ago. Instead they nominated someone who APPROVES of torture. For longer than that conservatives had the chance to turn their backs on their public representatives in the media who supported torture and find new ones that did not. From what I hear about their Nielsen ratings and book sales, that's not happening either.

I can sympathize with being unfairly lumped with a group. I've taken more than my fair share of lumps from vicious slanders. But I refuse to be quiet. I press on and fight back and will continue to do so. Atheists and lumped with people who are without morals. Homosexuals are lumped with child molesters. Wiccans are lumped with devil worshipers. However in those cases there's more than enough evidence to show the vast majority of people in the former aren't part of the latter.

In this case, I haven't seen enough evidence that more than a sliver of conservatives oppose torture. If you're going to complain about a broad brush, go ahead. I encourage you to do so. But I think you should complain to those who are covered with that brush and not the one brushing.

There is a comment on that page..

[louisadkins.livejournal.com]

... that stood out to me.

""The fact that I have to consider saying "torture is wrong" in the USA in 2008 a brave thing to do breaks my heart.""

I might consider something like this outside the house..

[smallship1.livejournal.com]

Been there, done that. Not going there again. I'm not that brave.