Consider the source. I can recall hearing my mother
tell me this many years ago when I was in high school
and wondering whether or not I should believe
something I had heard in school that day. I think of
that statement when I read people’s posts about how
this PBS-Frontline documentary is allegedly biased and
a hoax. I’d say simply-consider the source.
PBS and the news program Frontline is not in a habit
to produce and present hoax material. They have
presented material to us that is based on
evidence-interviews of witnesses, victims, objective
observation of correspondents, written and video
documentation. The topics that they touch are often
not from Sunday school and are dealt with in a more in
depth way than the 30 minute nightly news programs are
able to do.
The topic this past week-Tuesday November 6th,
2007-was rendition. Rendition is a fancy way of saying
that the US government is actively involved and aware
of torture and other illegal interrogation methods
meant to obtain information from people who have not
been formally charged with a crime. This topic has
been in the news periodically over the last several
months. US President Bush has stated in press
conferences that the US does not torture its
detainees. He also has stated that the US will do what
is necessary to protect this country. Apparently these
two statements are not a contrary type of statement.
The US was thought of as the moral center of the world
at one point in time. We would set the lead in how to
treat others-its citizens and its criminals. The US
has looked down upon others countries in the past over
their civil rites violations and mistreatment of
others. When I was young I can recall hearing terrible
stories about how criminals in the Soviet Union were
tortured and mistreated and kept in prison for years
because of what they thought, said or had written. Now
I am an adult and am disgusted that the US is
apparently becoming just like that-willing to treat
others as if they have no rites, under the guise of
protecting the US.
Isn’t going against a law or set of laws to protect
this country in itself harming us?
Don’t’ we need to follow the laws that we have in
order to protect ourselves and to continue to keep
this country intact? Don’t we risk becoming what the
terrorists allegedly want by suspending our rites and
freedoms? And are we not all guilty if we knowingly
allow this to continue to happen?
Is the US headed toward a fascist state?
I hope not-but the suspension of rites and liberties
in the name of security is certainly one of the first
steps on that road.
FRONTLINE/World Extraordinary Rendition | PBS
http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/rendition701/
FRONTLINE/World Extraordinary Rendition | PBS
http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/rendition701/video/main.html
Wednesday, November 7th, 2007
