Letters for June 22, 2009

June 22, 2009 08:28 am

— Waterboarding clearly is torture

When Mitch Wright endorses waterboarding, he is endorsing torture. He implies waterboarding is not torture because the Bush administration declared it legal, that it has always been lawful.

Nope. Waterboarding, used by the Japanese during World War II, was declared illegal under the Geneva conventions.

According to the Constitution, as treaties ratified by the U.S. government, they have the force of U.S. law, which presidents pledge to uphold.

To be clear, there are different techniques of waterboarding. I recently saw a video of a talk-radio host voluntarily waterboarded, to show that it is not torture. He laid on a table; a cloth was put over his face and water was poured on it, causing it to run down his nostrils. After a few seconds he called it off and emerged, clearly shaken.

When he could speak, he said there was no doubt it was torture. The sensation of water filling the nostrils causes the reflex feeling that one is drowning. Even in this setting, when he knew he could call a halt at any moment, he still found it terrifying. Dick Cheney offers no evidence that waterboarding saved lives, and many others in a position to know _ senators, CIA officials _ say his claims are false. Interrogation experts know that torture simply doesn’t work _ victims will say whatever their torturers want, just to stop the pain. What does work is establishing empathy with a prisoner.

Torture is an offense to American ideals. Torturing prisoners who have not been tried and found guilty of any crime, such as the “death-deserving” terrorists Wright mentioned, is an even greater offense. The “greatest generation” after the end of World War II expressed those ideals as the U.S. took the lead in establishing the Geneva sanctions against torture. Should the servant of a merciful God be endorsing it?

Cathy Mason
Springfield Center

Harvey scholarship fund raised $10,000

It has been more than a year now since the tragic and brutal loss of my granddaughter, Lindsay Marie Harvey. The tears still flow and she will be dearly missed and loved forever.

Our family was blessed with such an outpouring of love and support at a most difficult and sad time.

Many people, local, and some across the country, very graciously donated to an Oneonta High School scholarship fund in memory of Lindsay. She would have been so humbled and proud. Education was very important to her. She loved learning and also teaching. In the community college newspaper in Frederick, Md., it stated that although Lindsay loved her job at the “Armed Forces DNA Lab,” they felt her true love was teaching. Lindsay taught forensic science at the community college in addition to her regular job at the DNA Lab.

Since there has been no public acknowledgement of the amount received for the OHS scholarship, we thought it most appropriate to inform those who donated that very close to $10,000 was received.

Our family is most thankful for the generosity shown us.

Lindsay’s mom, her brothers, her grandmother, and uncle and aunt are all alumni of OHS.

Felicia Lynd
Oneonta

Teens have power to change the world

What an honor for Jeremiah Ward on receiving the Eagle Scout award. He is to be commended for his hard work and also for being a good example for young people in our area.

If more teens were to follow his example, there might be less drug use and vandalism and Laurens people might not have the problems they’re having with their youth.

I challenge teens everywhere to take a step to be different and be leaders and not followers. Dare to get involved with your church youth program. Take an hour a week of your time to sit with a shut-in or do errands for an elderly person in your neighborhood.

Change can start with one teen at a time and by opening your heart to God’s love _ and then “pass it on.”

I felt compelled to write this.

Eric Kopf
Oneonta