A WORD ON THIS SATURDAY'S "TORTURE" PROGRAM ...

Like the Civil War, the War on Terror and our "wink and a nod" torture policy is pitting America against herself and creating a great divide ...

It’s creating a divide between people who, as our Founding Fathers wrote, believe we are a City on a Hill, a shining beacon for all of humanity, and those who believe we need to hide what we do ... It's creating a divide between those who believe respect for “inalienable rights” is part of America's value system, and those who think water boarding and chaining prisoners in a fetal position until they urinate & defecate on themselves are the best America can do ... It's creating a divide between those who think torture makes us stronger and contributes to our security, and those who believe torture undermines our values and make us weaker by forcing us into the morally bankrupt defense that “At least we’re not as bad as the Nazi’s” ... It's creating a divide between people who believe human dignity and the rule of law are driving forces in American history, and those who believe human dignity is negotiable and the ends justify the means.

America is an idea as much as it is a country. Only America can live up to its ideas. Let me give you an example of how this works ...

During and after WWII the West was faced with a dilemma: “What do we do with captured Nazi’s and their sympathizers?” We had every excuse in the world to execute and seek reprisals against people who acted as extensions of a cruel and vile criminal state. And, at the time, not many would have cried foul if we had decided to summarily execute, torture, or compel forced labor for everyone involved in the Nazi machine. There were not many willing to stand up for the Nazis. In fact, execution, torture, and forced labor were among the choices given to President Roosevelt and President Truman. In the end, it was not the choice either took.

On the program we'll discuss those options, and how the choices America made then helped create the moral authority that facilitated American leadership throughout the cold war, and helped the United States shine like a City on a Hill.

- Mark