1. Is "waterboarding" ACTUALLY the only form of "extreme interrogation"? What isn't the government revealing to us about it's methods of "extracting information"?
2. Is every country breaking the Geneva Convention agreement in regards to torturing as stated in Article 3? And is the United States using this method as a training mechanism, like they claim? Or is it a huge excuse to open the doors for other means of torture?
3. How can the United States help in order to ensure the safety of it's soldiers? Should they be "good boys" and be the first to actually STOP torturing prisoners for information? Would other countries follow suit?
*sigh* Where do I begin? Although I enjoyed this article immensely and love this particular writer, Christopher Hitchens, it raised even more questions about the United States that have been brewing for some time. I've had a sneaking suspicion that the United States government hasn't been telling me the whole truth for a couple decades now. As a kid growing up, I was asked to read the front page every day and to report the vital pieces of information I found valuable to my father at night during dinner. My father was a bleeding heart Republican and patriot and former Navy fighter pilot. He strongly believed in a solid education and knowing the truth. He wanted to raise an intellectual woman, not some ingnorant girl. Maybe I was fed a little too much information, because now I'm a total and complete skeptic. Not one of those "crazy, conspiracist theory" people that spend hours on the Web trying to bring the government to it's knees. It's not that I don't love our country and don't believe in what it stands for or any of that nonsense. I'm just hesitant in what I read and believe is accurate. I just think there's definitely some tid bits of information that they choose not to share with me. Whether it's because it's dangerous for me to hear about or might cause a mass hysteria that could bring down our society as we know it; they CHOOSE not to divulge. So when this article was read, I could't help but snicker and ask; is any of this true? Is "waterboarding" a justified and civil technique used in "times of war" to extract information from the enemy? Or is it just an excuse to ruffle up some feathers camouflaged as a training technique for our Special Forces? Here's the thing, I personally am scared to find out. I am a dedicated patriot that believes in the Constitution and other treaties such as the Geneva Convention. I'm convinced that these great men realized these plans to help create and maintain a civil world. Although it doesn't seem to be working so great lately, I imagine that with fair actions from all sides, we WILL see a peaceful society; eventually. Maybe not in our life time, but one day. Call me an eternal optimist, but I hold the idea that there is some good in all men true to my heart. So if indeed the United States is introducing the public to some of the injustices that prevail, such as "waterboarding", isn't it alright to suspect that they might be doing some other nasty things we never hear about? I'm honestly frightened to find out. I'm scared to think where this could take us. If we start saying it's okay to show a little cruelty to other foreign prisoners of war, then what in the hell do you think they're going to do to us?!! God only knows what we've been pulling for decades and what other countries have been doing too! Have you ever seen some of the torture techniques committed out there? They're atrocious, horrific and sadistic and I could go on and on about, but I won't. I usually don't discuss things such as this on the web. Like I said, I'm scared of what "the eyes in the sky" might think. But because it's for school, I hope I'm cleared guys!! So I'm going to come straight out and say it; we're the biggest bullies in the world. "World Police" since the early 1900's. Need something? The United States has your back!! So with this came a great ego that has seem to over run the very ideals that this society was founded upon! "With great power, comes great responsibility". Uncle Ben from Spiderman said it best. But what IS our responsibility really? Does it entail lying and bullying all the other countries that don't do things our way?! Doesn't it appear like the only reason we SEEM to have things under control is because we're just big bullies and forcing the opposition into submission? North Korea is literally knocking at our door to stir things up and we just shrug our shoulder and casually say "it's no big deal" or "we have more nukes, we're ok". It's not ok and neither is torturing innocent men that haven't been properly and FAIRLY tried in front of an IMPARTIAL JURY, as stated in the 4th Amendment. And no, I didn't have to Wikipedia that...I know the Amendments by heart. Every young person and proud American should. So instead of continuing on a rant that could last for days, the one point I have to make is that I don't believe hardly ANYTHING our government tells us. I think that "waterboarding" is cruel and unjust and is definitely not the only form of torture we inflict. I went to the London Dungeon in London, England when I was 17. It was awesomely gruesome and terrifying to see how mean humans can be! And I even thought at that young age, "is this what we're really like"?!! In what world does someone live in to believe that we've changed since those times. Humans are vicious beasts and have been since the beginning of modern man, and that may never change. But for our beloved government to sugar coat a legitimate torture method is disgusting. I wish they'd come clean and let us in on what is REALLY going on out there. Because I'm tired of guessing.
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