A local Unitarian church displays a banner, "Torture is wrong." Duh, right? Hey, it's illegal, too. Well....during the Bush era, the Justice Department advised that techniques such as waterboarding are OK—just don't actually drown them. And that there was no need to follow the Geneva Conventions because Al Qaeda is not a nation-state.
Recently released memos from the Justice Department's Offfice of Legal Council detail—and I mean detail--what the US Justice Department sanctioned as interrogation techniques, post 9-11. And it's all wrapped up in the reasoning that was used to justify the approval. It's sickening, shameful stuff and you can read the memos here, at ACLU's site.
But more important is what we should do with this information—and other evidence that the CIA, the military and mercenaries used or authorized torture in an effort to extract information from men who were held in US prison camps. We should prosecute those responsible. So far Obama hasn't gone for it, though he made at least one statement saying he's open to an investigation.
Paul Krugman's column in the NYT explains why it is so important to demand justice. He says what I'd been struggling to say for the past few days. So I'll just leave it at that.
This morning, X woke me up at 7 to remind me that she needed to be at school by 7:30 to meet up with her prospective tennis coach. I usually wake up way before that, my need for coffee leading me to the kitchen. But with less than half an hour to work with, I had to choose: coffee or grooming.
I chose coffee. Fortunately, we just got this electric kettle that boils water in a miraculously short period of time. And it is clear, so you can see the miracle in action. Still, between throwing on clothes, making and drinking coffee, I was just ready to go in time. Yes, I have to tell you that I didn't even brush my teeth.
As we pulled up to the school, X suddenly said that she wished someone would go in with her. "Like me?" I asked. "Well, you cleaned up," she said. I gave her a couple of questions to ask, wished her luck, and went home to get cleaned up for Pilates.
I think most bloggers live for (write for) comments. So, speaking of, Anon Y. Mous said,
"We have little control over the randomness which has shaped us until we reach alleged adulthood, but then we can work on a second self: how do do we want to be, feel, think, imagine, become?"
Now clearly we can work on a second self. My question is: how far can we get? How much can we overcome our genetic- and early-experience-shaped destiny? (You can see something of my opinion there.) Sometimes I feel as though I am pretty far down the road. I even get a little smug: let those snarky high school girls see me now! But then, I get what feels like a big smack down. The great depression of 08, my personal one, for example.
And my husband: it is increasingly clear to me that I married him in some good part because of what he has in common with my maternal grandfather. "PaPa" died when I was 5 or 6.
I have hauled myself around the world, given myself the broadest range of experiences I could manage, and accomplished a fair amount professionally. But what do I really want to do? Hide under the covers and read, as when I was 7.
What about you? How much have you remade yourself? Or were you even trying? Maybe you were/are embracing your childhood self?
