Enhanced Interrogation Techniques

Why is there a debate about whether enhanced interrogation is torture? Do the people who engaged in these activities really think that if they call it something else it will indeed be something else? Or do they believe that we as a culture, have become so insipidly simple minded that merely altering the name is all that is necessary to legally engage in such activities? Words as it turns out are not only tools to communicate thoughts and ideas but also a way to provide cover for those of us who don’t wish to (for whatever reason) act or react with civility.

I remember a story I heard as a child and although I can’t recite it exactly (it was a long time ago) I won’t lose the meaning, it went kind of like this.

God calls the Archangel Micheal before him to reveal his latest creation, Man. God says to Micheal, behold Man is cleaver and I need to conceal the ultimate truth from him until he is ready. Micheal contemplates this for a while and finally says we should put it at the bottom of the deepest ocean. God quickly dismisses this as to achievable for man. Micheal counters, we should put it on the top of the tallest mountain. God pictures this in his mind for a moment but dismisses it also. Then Micheal said, we should hide it inside of him, because only when man truly knows himself would he have access to the truth.

Deep down underneath the masks, the houses, the cars and the clothes each and every one of us needs to be honest with ourselves. The real question here isn't, were people tortured, the question here is what are they hiding behind the words? A rose by any other name, is just a rose.