For those who believe or think torturing another human being is not only acceptable, but will produce anything other than a tortured response, I have a suggestion. Please present yourself to the Ft. Huachuca, Arizona or The School of the America’s in Ft. Benning, Georgia: both are in need of live subjects to test their torture techniques o

I meet people most every day who say they don’t care if we torture people as long as it saves lives here at home. I have to ask how torturing another human being would give anyone any sense of security? How could intentionally doing the most despicable, abhorrent and inhumane things to another person possibly make you think you are now somehow safer? From whom?

Maybe the bigger question here is where is the government finding that many mentally deficient people willing to perform such acts? What kind of person sets about going to schools dedicated to teaching them how to inflict horrendous physical and mental pain on people who, in most cases, have never been charged with any crime? Who among us is so detached from humanity they could not only educate themselves in these sickening acts, but could stomach actually implementing them?

Bush recently claimed again the U.S. does not engage in torture. We all know it’s a lie! We not only teach torture techniques, but utilize them at Guantanamo, Abu Ghraib and in our recently admitted to, secret prisons (Bush also denied these existed).

But here are the questions that loom largest in my thoughts: Who are these schools practicing these techniques on during training? Where are they getting their test subjects from? Who are the people being used to train the students at these “schools”?

Don’t kid yourself for a minute. They aren’t using crash test dummies for this stuff.

I think it would be appropriate (especially for those in government who think torture is either necessary or acceptable) to send all those who promote this sadistic garbage, to either Georgia or Arizona as test subjects. Maybe if they have to endure first hand what they are endorsing, they might see things a little differently.

It’s a curious thing that those who condone this inhumane behavior are also the same people who are confident they will never have to endure it. Why would Bush or Cheney think water boarding is an acceptable method of extracting any kind of information unless they were relatively sure they themselves would never be strapped to a board? Or electrodes would never be attached to their genitals?

What about you? Are you that sure these things will never be done to you? If we are creating sadists for our own government to set loose on the world…..what makes you think you will be exempt? Aligning yourself with those who wield power saves you from nothing. Still feel safe?
Marti Oakley © 2008