Public Comment

It is baffling why Louisiana governor, Bobby Jindal, should stubbornly defend the heinous torture practices authorized by former President Bush. There was a time when the United States urged all nations to strictly adhere to international treaties and respect for human rights, freedom of expression and liberty for all. American leaders denounced dark dungeons where people were held without charge, tortured and killed. All that changed during the disastrous years of the Bush/Cheney (BC) administration. In a short eight years BC gave the green light to the CIA and US military to establish rendition sights to conduct medieval torture, violating every norm of human behavior and decency – and international law. By so doing the Bush administration has dishonored our former high moral standing and squandered the respect of nations who now rightly accuse us of dishonesty and hypocrisy. 

Not only did President Bush and his aides condone torture and appalling abuse of mostly innocent victims at secret prisons, but also conducted a systematic campaign to mislead Congress and the American people. 

Following the 9/11 attacks, Mr. Bush ordered the creation of Gestapo like interrogation sites where Central Intelligence Agency operatives were told to use brutal torture methods to extract confessions from the hapless victims. Some of their methods — simulated drownings, exposure to extreme heat and cold, prolonged stress positions and isolation — had been classified as torture for decades by civilized nations. The Japanese who conducted waterboarding on prisoners were tried and hanged. A compliant US media and a thoroughly meek Congress were cowered into silence by a nasty and thoroughly belligerent White House. 

No, Governor Jindal, Bush was not a good man. He was a bad man – a very bad man who, with his co-conspirators, should be tried for war crimes. I urge you, as a devout born again Christian, to review the Good Book and ask yourself whether Jesus would condone such appalling abuses. Finally, contrary to your false assertion that Bush helped keep America safe, his torture practices and Rambo attitude were the impetus in generating so much anger and hostility towards the United States.