Monday, June 26, 2006

A day to think about torture

Today is International Day in Support of Survivors and Victims of Torture, the culmination of Torture Awareness Month. Unfortunately, the institutionalized torture of women and girls through genital mutilation is, once again, not a focus of this movement against torture.

Torture surrounds us on every level. The torture of women is institutionalized, as is the torture of non-humans. Is it any surprise, then, that people of all nations do not rise up against political torture?

Much of the out-and-out American support of political torture is based on unclear thinking:

We need the information any way we can get it. Perhaps, but if you were being tortured, don't you think you'd say anything to get your torturers to stop?

They are the enemy. Actually, many of them are not; they have been caught up in a "homeland security" net that picks up a number of innocent people as well as legitimate suspects.

If we bring the activity down just a notch, we can call it something besides "torture." Fine--would you be willing to have the down-a-notch activity done to you?

We have a right to do anything our government deems necessary in order to win the "war on terror." Well, now that our government has widely increased terrorist sentiment against us, it may seem that way. But international law says we do not have that right. And common sense says that the more we torture others, the more others will torture us.

One final thought...a significant number of Americans who support torture (of political prisoners--almost all Americans appear to support torture in some other ways) identify as Christian. It is really, really difficult for me to imagine Jesus advocating torture, but what do I know?

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