TORTURE

A considerable amount of controversy has arisen lately concerning the treatment of prisoners of war and in particular the methods of interrogating them in order to obtain information.

Some of our present government officials have decided that prisoners detained by the United States of America, outside our territorial boundaries, can be physically or mentally abused in order to obtain information of value concerning terrorist threats. They even look the other way when prisoners in our custody are turned over to other government torture squads to 'obtain' information from them.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted in 1948, states simply that; "No one shall be subject to torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment." There is no stipulation in this declaration concerning any exempted class of detainee.

It is a matter of historical record that certain members of the Nazi regime and members of the Imperial Japanese Army tortured prisoners of war and subjected both military and civilian detainees to inhuman treatment.

There is credible evidence that the Communists North Koreans and Communist Chinese did the same to allied prisoners of war during the Korean Conflict.

More recently, American prisoners of war; such as Senator John McCain, were subjected to inhumane treatment in their cells in North Vietnam and by the communist North Vietnamese Regulars.

Even America has its own record of inhuman treatment on both sides during the American Civil War, in the death camps in the North and South and against Native Americans.

But, since that time, America has adopted a universal sense of high moral values and declared the torture or degrading treatment of prisoners of war to be illegal, unethical, and not in keeping with the strong moral values upon which this country was allegedly founded.

I have personally stood as witness against several South Vietnamese soldiers who physically tortured their northern cousins. They were never convicted of their ugly crimes as their superior officers smiled and turned the other way.

Torture of any kind to obtain information is inhumane, disgusting and completely un-American. Torture cannot be justified by insinuating that the information obtained can save innocent lives.

If we as Americans condone the use of torture or degrading treatment, are we not opening ourselves up to the same treatment?

All an enemy has to do is state that we permit torture or abuse and therefore they are going to torture American prisoners as retribution.

We Americans theoretically live by example, let us therefore lead by example.

We must show the world that we will not lower ourselves to the disgusting level of those who live to torture and kill their fellow man.

We must show them that we live by a higher standard of morality and justice.

American military personnel have been justifiably known around the world as kind, caring, helpful and sympathetic men and women.

They have been classified by the people of most countries as the good guys, as those who free the oppressed, not those who oppress the free.

Any American military person who steps beyond the bounds of decent behavior, who in any way mistreats, tortures or degrades an enemy prisoner or noncombatant, has been, and rightfully should be, quickly and summarily punished.

This should also apply to any American civilian acting on behalf of our country.

President Obama, please make it the law of the land!