I think the editorial in our local newspaper today sums up
my feelings about how I feel about this whole dirty mess. I
couldn't have said it better myself.



today's editorial
America mustn't hide from shame


May 13, 2004


Our position is: The United States must admit to the world mistakes made in Abu Ghraib prison.

We have as a nation been seared by the shocking, graphic images that continue to emanate from Iraq.

In a video released Tuesday by a terrorist group associated with al-Qaida, five hooded men use a knife to behead American Nick Berg. One of the killers later holds up the head for the camera.

Before the video of Berg's murder was posted on the Internet, Americans were reacting in shame and disgust to the release of more photos from Abu Ghraib prison. In one image, guard dogs terrorize a nude Iraqi prisoner. In another, four nude men are bound together and stacked on top of one another on the prison floor. Three American guards stand beside the pile of flesh.

We have reached a critical moment as a nation. Berg's murder reminds us of why we must continue to aggressively pursue terrorists in Iraq and elsewhere. They are ruthless killers bound by no code of moral behavior, and they will strike again and again if not stopped.

Yet, the shame of Abu Ghraib is a reminder as well. Like all nations, the United States has in positions of power good people who make tragic mistakes and sadists who enjoy the suffering of others. What must guide us -- what must set us apart as a people from the terrorists who murdered Nick Berg -- is the rule of law, a system built upon protecting the rights of the individual.

We also have the promise of an open society, a trust that no matter how painful the truth, the American people can cope with it and learn from it.

To that end, Indiana Rep. Mike Pence, who has been a staunch supporter of the war, called on the Defense Department on Wednesday to release all the photos and video taken at Abu Ghraib. The goal isn't self-flagellation or prurience. It's the hope that the power of evil will be diminished once exposed to the light of a free society.

As a nation, we have made serious mistakes in Iraq. We must admit that to the world, and to ourselves. We should start by showing that, unlike the cowards who murdered Nick Berg, we won't hide from our shame.