Hand cuffing and tying to the ceiling while feet were shackled and anchored to the floor, sleep deprivation of up to 180 hours, exposure to cold water until just before hypothermia sets in, waterboarding, and a host of other methods was not determined to be over the top and torturous. It appears that as long as the detainee didn't die until after they were returned to their cell, the treatment was not torture!

We now know that the conditions and treatment reported by our own veterans, who were held captive by the enemy, was perfectly legitimate humane treatment. After all, those who are able to describe and show evidence of how they were treated survived to tell the stories. It must not have been torture! It was only temporary discomfort and emotional stress. The ones who died? Well they were just collateral loss that is associated with war. Both sides just accept that as inevitable conditions associated with difference of opinion on who is waging a just war.

I guess all us good Christians who are fearful of being un-patriotic should just play like the monkeys, who cover their, mouths, ears, and eyes. Obviously, those bleeding heart liberals never saw those little monkeys displayed on the mantle. And, well, even those of you who don't profess Christianity better cover your mouths, ears, and eyes, or you, too, will be run out of town for being un-patriotic. Just don't question our military and political leaders, unless, of course, they are on the wrong side of the partisan aisle.

We now know that those Puritans who fled England and Europe to escape religious persecution were innocent of any persecution or torture after gaining their freedom in the New World. Putting people in stocks in the middle of town square and chucking tomatoes at them was just enhanced persuasion to bring folks into compliance with their new found freedom. Burning at the stake was a perfectly legitimate punishment for non compliance with local community interpretation of all Scriptures. And, definitely burning on a cross erected in the town square was just punishment for those witches and sorcerers who were questioning authority. If they didn't want to burn, they could just recant and toe the line with the folks who had the power to control the colony. We can find no evidence that fair trial, equal rights to freedom of thought, and religious freedom were being violated. The treatment of prisoners on both sides of the white man/ native American struggle would have stood the test for today's interpretation of proper human behavior. If the victims died, they obviously deserved to.

Come on folks, let's cut out the blind partisan loyalty and start holding both sides of the aisle to honest and open debate that will eliminate human suffering for all of mankind and not just our immediate friends and family. No one of us is less valuable than the wealthiest and most powerful individual in the world and no one of us is more valuable than the poorest and weakest individual n the world. We all have a ticket that put us on this spinning world and we all are destined to stay on the ride until our ticket is canceled. I'm not the conductor and who hired or elected you to be the conductor that cancels tickets?