Use or Abuse? America vs. Jihad.

{Originally posted 5/13/09 - revised and reposted 5/23/09}

There's been a lot of chatter lately about waterboarding and whether or not it is torture. Not a lot of people seem to be asking themselves why that question matters. Rather than follow those tangents, let's try to ask a more important question: Is torture necessarily a bad thing? Even if waterboarding can be considered torture, so what? Does that mean it isn't useful or right?

First, I'd like to preface this with what seems an obvious oversight. Contrast our society with that of any society breeding hatred for the US. Although it may often seem counterproductive and illogical on our part, at least we debate whether or not torture should occur and give credence to the inalienable rights of all human beings, even if they are despicable. That's much more than can be said of the society in which Muslim extremists slaughter men like Daniel Pearl and videotape his severed head for the media. The fact that we do not automatically offer retribution of the same likeness is a miracle in itself and a testament to our society's inert peacefulness. Our goal is not vengeance but defense (including a strong preventative offense if necessary). Our aim is not torture for torture's sake.

When considering torture, one might be tempted to immediately think all torture is bad because it is mistreatment of another human life. "Turn the other cheek", you would easily quote. "Do unto others...", you continue. Ironically, the liberals that say America should never torture are appealing to a sense of morality whether they'd like to think so or not. But how do they reconcile that with letting terrorists off easy to continue to threaten and kill Americans and others without recourse? Instead, the best that liberal policy-makers and media can do is link waterboarding to a negative sounding word: "torture". For all their blathering, I have yet to hear a coherent argument against all torture. Regardless of what Yoko Ono tells us, to think peace, love, and daisies in the armchairs of our homes has likely never kept an innocent man alive against the evil acts of evil or confused men.

Christianity does propose love, fairness, and peace. But it also proposes justice. Justice without love or fairness is what you get from the extremist Muslim that tortures and kills a man just to make a statement. In America, we write, or build, or do something creative to make statements. Ideally, we prefer to produce things of value rather than reduce ourselves to mindless animals following power-hungry leaders for the few worthless scraps of what's left to us. That is, except for liberals. Maybe that's why they feel sorry for the terrorists out there; because they share so much in common. At best, the jihadi believes he is performing some act of justice. More likely, he is simply confused and selfish, willing to do anything for the sense of importance he gains from following a cause, even if that cause is a purposeless and mistaken one. At worst, he is purely evil.

American justice can be defined as creating safety for its people. The concept exists to provide freedom. Many have died to preserve it, and their loved ones know the true cost. Soldiers who realize the importance of freedom have sacrificed their lives, limbs, and leisure so that others might enjoy theirs. For our government to provide our nation's enemies with more rights than its soldiers is unconscionable. We walk a tightrope of fairness and stupidity. Fairness is important. But when a 9/11 can be prevented by torturing a guilty man, and you allow him to plot and keep his secrets...where is the fairness in that?

So I leave you with this, terrorists and haters of America: Run. Run until your legs give way, and you fall on your faces. Regardless of what our government does or says, we will never bow to you. We will always outfight you, outlearn you, and outlast you. Ours is a nation of great imagination and diversity. Yours is enslaved by a one-sided education. Rather than learning from history, you are blinded and weighed down by it. We share belief in one true God, and our religions spawned from the same region of earth. We are willing to find common ground but never in slavery or fear. Most Americans would agree that we are happy to let you keep your freedom as long as you are happy to let us keep ours. But that isn't enough for you, is it? You can never win because, unlike you, we truly know the importance of what we are fighting for. You, who will sacrifice innocent men, women, and children, can never know the true purpose of your war because it is based on serving causes made by men and not by God. We fear you occasionally but will defeat you indefinitely. Generations will rise within you one day that will believe in true peace with America and not your jealous hatred or your need for control. That day will come, and you will lose to the truth. You too will be attacked from within. May the Lord we both claim to serve have mercy on you.