Presidential Scholars and Torture

MSNBC reported on a group of 50 Presidential Scholars who met with President Bush recently, where they gave him a hand written letter requesting that America not represent torture, end the practice of rendition, and follow the Geneva Convention with respect to captured prisoners.

It gives one some optimism for the future.

A spokesman for the Administration later said that the United States does not torture. However, our Attorney General this is a joke - a pun - a play on words. Bush's Attorney General is somebody who defined torture so narrowly that many of the things that the world sensibly considers torture would not qualify - as the equivalent of organ failure or death.

The mere fact that Bush appoints such a person to his cabinet gives the world a message that he endorses these types of messages for the world. It is effectively a big thumb's-up for torture.

The fact is that America, under President Bush, does not represent a respect for human rights any more. We are now the role model for every sole in the world who wants to be a brutal dictator. They can now point to us to justify their actions.

Another major part of the problem is that the American people seem not to mind. There has been almost no protests. There have been almost no widespread expressions of public anger that would show the world that the American people disagree with their President.

These types of public displays of disapproval are precious (and far too few).