The big item in the news is the release of memos on CIA interrogation methods, and whether anyone involved should be prosecuted. I've felt conflicted on these issues because I don't think I can get enough information to feel fully informed. Our government has to keep secrets from the general public, yet certainly needs checks and balances.
Post 9/11, we asked our government to help keep us safe, and they did. The Bush administration probably had some accomplishments we'll never hear about. This doesn't mean that there weren't abuses. "Interrogation techniques" are always the type of thing that can go too far, and it was time to take a second look at the methods used.
Lately, a lot of people are angry with Bush over the Iraq war or the economy. We're not so scared about the terrorists and we want to prosecute those who might have "went too far" in the name of protecting us. I submit that this proposed prosecution is the same mentality that causes problems like torture to be accepted. It's caused by jumping on today's popular bandwagon to make vicious attacks on others. If we pursue this route, we will get the government we deserve: more partisan politics and millions of dollars spent just to name a few scapegoats.
If interrogation techniques were excessive, the blame belongs to most of us, not just a few. If Obama is truly our leader, he should be able to offer a solution forward. It's time for Obama to show those leadership skills that so many espouse to him, and time for him to make a Lincolnesque statement of unity.
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