Path of shame

Here's one issue on which we all, Democrat and Republican alike, can surely agree. All, that is, but our increasingly Queeg-like President, and his demonic Second in Command.

Friday, in a unanimous voice vote, the Senate reaffirmed its call to ban the torture of prisoners in U.S. custody, and was openly critical of the House for delaying its vote on that same issue. Amazingly, Mr. Bush has not shown signs of altering his announced decision to veto this and any similar measure. And suspicions are that the delay in the House is a tactic to spare Mr. Cheney embarrassment for his recent attempts to convince the provision's sponsor, ex-POW John McCain, that torturing military captives is sometimes OK.

Does that mean what I think it does? Is the White House actually in favor of torture?

I never thought I'd live to see the day that an American Administration would openly condone, advocate, and lobby for the practice of physically tormenting, and sometimes murdering, unarmed prisoners. And let's face it, no matter which side of the political fence you call home, that's exactly the message being telegraphed around the world by Congressional stalling and White House veto threats.

When even a bitterly divided Senate stands united behind the basic human decency of Mr. McCain's measure, it's virtually impossible to fathom that our President would weigh in on the side of barbarism, particularly when the key buzzwords of his tenure have been:

-Freedom
-Family Values
-Honor
-Patriotism
-Culture of Life
-Christian Virtue

Where is our unbridled outrage as a people over an ethical issue that is so clearly a no-brainer? We must raise a loud bi-partisan cry against these government sanctioned human-rights violations, one which can be unmistakably heard by the Administration. And the influential knee-jerk apologists for continued U.S. violation of civilized ethical behavior (like Messrs. Limbaugh, Hannity, Scarborough, and the repulsive Ms. Coulter, to name a few), who try to qualify and quantify what degrees of human bestiality are "acceptable," should also be roundly denounced, if not immediately shunned.

On Friday's Real Time with Bill Maher, former President of Ireland and United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson, said emphatically that America's apparent abandonment of basic ethics in its attitude toward prisoner torture, and indiscriminate military "collateral damage" in Iraq and Afghanistan, is shocking, bewildering, and appalling to the global community. The U.S., she pointed out, has historically been viewed by the people of other nations as a shining beacon of liberty, dignity, and the protection of essential human rights.

But with new examples of systematic, government approved, inexcusable barbarism being revealed virtually every day, that image has been shamefully tarnished by the Bush Administration, the same Administration claiming that God is on its side, and that torture is just a necessary tool in its crusade to spread "democracy and freedom". As Ms. Robinson made clear, that barbarity and hypocrisy is only increasing anti-American hatred around the world.

Thankfully, Mr. McCain has vowed to stick with his fight to restore some semblance of integrity to our debased national reputation, regardless of White House resistance. Criticizing opponents of the provision on Friday, the Arizona Senator stated,

"I would hope that no one seeks procedural maneuvers to thwart overwhelming majorities in both chambers. A bicameral, bipartisan majority in support of this amendment will prevail. Even if the will of the majority is thwarted this month, if it is thwarted next month, it will not be denied indefinitely. If necessary, and I sincerely hope it is not, I and the co-sponsors of this amendment will seek to add it to every piece of important legislation voted on in the Senate until the will of a substantial bipartisan majority in both houses of Congress prevails."

There can be no excuse in America for condoning torture as an integral part of official military policy, no matter what the circumstances. The U.S. has always been bigger than that, and this is no time to become that very thing which we decry in our enemies. We must let Mr. Bush know that this is an issue vital to the very character and soul of our nation, and that his stance is a horrifying embarrassment to us all.

And we cannot allow him, the Vice President, or any other advocate of crimes against humanity, to lead us further down this path of shame.