By now we've all heard of the shocking events on Thursday at Fort Hood in Texas. But just when you think you've heard the worst of it, along comes the right wing blogosphere with a new call: Use "enhanced interrogation", i.e. torture, on anyone who might have information.
It beggars belief.
Normally I wouldn't link to such a repulsive right wing blog, and I apologize in advance for doing so now, but some things are so inexcusable they can't be let go.
Mark Noonan, a blogger who recently co-authored a book and who is running as one of the "unknowns" in the Nevada race against Harry Reid writes:
A terrible event - but I don’t want anyone to call it an "act of violence" or "a terrible tragedy". It was an attack - one or more men decided with malice to attack a US military base. We need to get right down to the bottom of this - and, liberals, if the stories of accomplices in custody are true, this is where harsh interrogation might be needed: whoever was involved in this most emphatically does not have a right to remain silent.
Let's get this straight:
- It was an act of violence
- It was a terrible tragedy particularly to those who loved dear ones, and even more so to the family of the civilian police officer who was killed
- For ANYONE to suggest torturing somebody over this is absolutely abhorrent, and even for a wingnut way out there.
It may well turn out that the two "accomplices" were simply in the unit of the original gunman, saw him being shot at and responded to that. It's entirely possible that may be the limit of their involvement. For someone to suggest that they have their human rights stripped from them, and be tortured to find out "what they know" is entirely contrary to the very core beliefs of a democratic system.
It is regrettable that we have people like Michelle Bachman already a representative, but if Mr Noonan is an example of a would-be representative the Republican party must truly be in trouble. To suggest such a thing before ANY major facts about what happened on Thursday are known beggars belief, and I had to look several times before I could comprehend what I was reading. Worse, the wingnut commentators there heartily endorse such an approach.
Now if you'll excuse me, I need to wash thoroughly after seeing such comments.