U.S. Must Not Lose Its Soul

Regarding the two June 27 letters attacking Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., for comparing our actions at the Guantanamo Bay prison to those of Stalin's gulags: While Durbin's remarks might have been a bit over the top, the point he was trying to make is valid and is ignored by the two letter writers.The United States should not sink to the same level as the terrorists. When we do, the terrorists win because we will have changed the nature of our own country. When we ignore our Constitution, both by the treatment of prisoners and by the passage of laws like the USA Patriot Act, the terrorists win.If the United States wants to be the example of democracy and justice to the world, and especially to the Middle East, we must hold ourselves to a higher standard than the dictatorships we are trying to change. Finally, there is no evidence that torture works or that the information given under duress is useful. And what of the effects on our servicemen and women who torture prisoners? What kind of guilt will they have to live with?One of the letter writers said that the Democrats have lost their soul. The real danger is that this country will lose its soul if we accept torture and other illegal and immoral actions as just the cost of doing business in the war in Iraq and in our struggles to combat terrorism.

NORM COHEN

Executive DirectorCoalition for Peace and Justice

Linwood

Letter printed in Atlantic City Press, July 6, 2005 http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/columns/070605LETTSWEDJUL6.cfm