To File Under: What is Wrong With People?

I’m disturbed by the further torture revelations from the 82nd airborne. What we all feared when we heard about Abu Ghraib, that torture of people in our custody was routine, systematized and widespread, has turned out to be true. I am sickened and dismayed. I want it to stop, I want accountability and consequences, and I want our military fixed so this does not happen again. I want a sense of honor, I want adherence to the Geneva conventions, I want to be the good guy and not the savage bully. I’m tired of might makes right.

As a result of this, I’m especially shocked by the group being referred to as the torture nine:

1. Sen. Wayne Allard [R-Colorado]
2. Sen. Kit Bond [R-Missouri]
3. Sen. Tom Coburn [R-Oklahoma]
4. Sen. Thad Cochran [R-Mississippi]
5. Sen. John Cornyn [R-Texas]
6. Sen. James Inhofe [R-Oklahoma]
7. Sen. Pat Roberts [R-Kansas]
8. Sen. Jeff Sessions [R-Alabama]
9. Sen. Ted Stevens [R-Alaska]

If moral values = torture, then I stand before you as decidedly amoral. You are not the sort of people I want in power, and in at least one case, my vote can (and will) let you know this directly. My memory is long.

I’m desperately hoping that since Uzbekistan has yanked out the welcome mat from the U.S. air base that we’ll take a more aggressive attitude toward its tyrannical ruler, Karimov, who besides using all the usual methods to quell dissent (systematic torture, public massacres) has taken a play page from the Soviet regime and even throws activists into lunatic asylums. I hear George Bush hates tyranny. I’ve moved to Missouri, so I’ll take up the state motto: Show me.