Seymour Hersh, perhaps about the best investigative reporter alive has just turned his considerable talent into investigating our treatment of the detainees we are holding in Europe and in the Mideast.

Reading his article in this week’s issue of The New Yorker will cause ones blood pressure to soar to unhealthy heights and cause any American who has pride in this country to tremble with rage.

How we have managed to sink so low into such despicable practices is beyond comprehension.  Incompetence is one thing and will explain the many glaring mistakes the administration has made. But how can one explain a policy whereby ramming mop handles into prisoners is an acceptable interrogation procedure along with other methods equally if not even more disgusting?

To deny the existence of such conduct is to attempt to refute photographs and the statements of eye witnesses. There is simply no explanation for policies regarding the treatment of prisoners coming from the White House.  And any denial as to the actual source of these horrible practices flies in the face of General Taguba’s highly detailed and thoroughly researched report to congress.

            That we as Americans stand mute with our knowledge of these events ongoing and do nothing will in the years to come haunt us.

The fact that today we are shifting prisoners to prisons in countries in Europe and Africa in no way lessens our responsibility or our guilt.  That we as citizens allow our government to do these things is no different than the apathy of the German people to the treatment of the Jews in Europe during WWII.

            We must demand that our government stop these odious abuses and conform to international law and basic human rights.  We cannot allow our country to sink as low as it has in the last few years.  If we do not stop this kind of behavior right now it will take more than a few generations to repair the damage done to our reputation. We cannot allow the contempt now being directed at us by most of the world remain.

We must restore the respect we once enjoyed...