Letters to the Editor
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McCain failed in his obligation to humanity
The NYtimes article reprises the role John McCain played in the 2005 efforts to achieve real Congressional action on torture. I still see his failure to follow through on this effort as a complete abdication of his character, but more importantly, a complete abdication of the unique position he holds. As a former prisoner of war who was subjected to torture, he was the natural leader to stand up in the Senate and deliver the message that the human rights of prisoners should outweigh all other moral considerations of any situation at hand. From his own experience, he easily could have pointed out the worthlessness of information extracted through torture. Is his desire to be President so overwhelming that he can simply walk away from this obvious obligation to take steps to assure that his own suffering and that of his fellow soldiers was not in vain?
Since McCain won't deliver this powerful message, perhaps we could work together to urge Congress to hold hearings on torture at which other former POW's from VietNam could testify. If banning torture isn't the best, most bipartisan way to support our troops, I don't know what is.