This letter is associated with the following article:
Letters
Thursday, November 13, 2008 12:00 AM

Obama's plans for probing Bush torture

President Bush could pardon officials involved in brutal interrogations -- but he may also face a sweeping investigation under the new president.

Read other letters about this article

  • Thursday, November 13, 2008 09:07 AM

    Truth and Reconcilliation

    Dealing with Bush's destruction of our Consitution is perhaps the most important issue for American history. I would point to the Truth and Reconcilliation committees of South Africa after apratheid. In the simple interest of getting the truth, police thugs, torturers, vitctims were given a forum to voice the truth, to air out the sins of the country, and as long as the crimes were politically motivated the guilty were given amnesty. It opened a vast flood of information of how the oppression was executed, where the missing bodies were, how some form of compensation could be awarded to the right victims. These committees sealed the judgement on apartheid -- there were no revisionists after that who dared pretend it wasn't illegal, immoral or brutal. It appealed to the higher nature of a nation, to forgive and learn and vow never to let such evil happen again.

    Perhaps America can learn from this. Rather than courts -- where innocence is determined by the most expensive or most clever legal team; rather than punishment -- the fear of which keeps sins hidden for generations; why not let all America share in this guilt and repair -- we elected Bush, we did not impeach Bush, but we're ignorant about how much damage he has done and, therefore, how to correct it. So, with Bush and his thugs, lets air out the closets and the man-sized safes and let the truth set us free. The resulting legistlation could protect us from another Bush.

Most Active Letters Threads

738

The commendably missing element from Obama's speech

There was no pretense that human rights is our goal, or the likely outcome, in escalating the war
688

Obama's exceedingly familiar justifications for escalation

The "new" approach to Afghanistan touted by White House officials seems quite old
348

America's regression

It's almost impossible to find a nation with as many torture advocates as the U.S. has.
329

Yes, it's Obama's war now

An uninspiring speech sells a dubious policy, but progressives who feel betrayed have only themselves to blame
208

The poster boy for progressive self-delusion

Read Hayden's 2008 Obama endorsement to remember the way the left sold our centrist president to itself

View all »

Letters Help

Currently in Salon