November 3, 2005
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BARE ASSED AND HUMILIATED;
The Associated Press reported a story today about a
When paramedics finally arrived, they unbolted the toilet from the floor, put the man (still stuck to the toilet) on a dolly, and wheeled him out of the store. I’m pretty sure that I cannot think of a single thing that would be more humiliating than being wheeled out of a Home Depot with my ass glued to a toilet, in front of hundreds of shoppers. I’m sure that in “hind” site, the store employees wish they had responded sooner.
While I find that I’m very amused by the plight of this poor man, I’m terribly concerned that as a nation, we are about to have our bare ass dragged out in front of the entire world.
Human rights investigators from the United Nations have been requesting for three years to be able to inspect the
Am I confused, or didn’t we just invade a nation because we believed our inspectors were not being given the full truth? I’m sure the Pentagon could make things look very pretty for the inspectors. When people come over to my home, I can make the house look great on the surface, but that doesn’t mean I invite my quests to look through my closets. The Pentagon’s excuse is that interviewing the prisoners could be detrimental to national security, but I don’t know a single reasonable person that doesn’t see that as the smoke screen it is.
I understand the argument for torture. If a piece of information can be gained through torture that might save the lives of thousands of Americans, wouldn’t that be worth it? I also understand the emotional desire to inflict harm on those who have inflicted harm on us. However, the issue just isn’t that simple. If we want to wage a “holy” war we have to be on the moral high-ground. Experts tell us that torture almost never produces the intended results and it will put our troops in the way of even greater possible harm should they be captured. I don’t want my nation being guilty of the same human rights violations that the Husseins and Millosoviches of the world are guilty of. I want my nation to be above the things we condemn others for.
There are rumors of not only physical abuse at
I know I’m sick of it.
Comments (25)
I can think of something worse. Being wheeled out of a Home Depot with my ass glued to a toilet, painted like a jack-o-lantern.
xoxoxo
I’m with you… enough is enough… we’re at war against these terrorists, plain and simple, and exposing stuff like this just drags us through the mud. I won’t even get started… it really gets me peeved to think what the press does this nation…
Odd juxtaposition with your last post…
THISLIF3 – Thank you for your comment, but I think you may have missed my point. I’m not condeming the press for exposing it, I’m glad they are. I’m condeming the United States Government for allowing torture in the first place.
Wow Mark, isn’t it interesting that people READ what they want to read into things? I understood exactly what you were saying…that if we have nothing to hide, then what is the problem with letting the inspectors in…especially since that was the entire premise for going to Iraq….and I’m not even a brain surgeon! lol…Sadly, I think the entire point is that we have a great deal that we want to keep hidden and how shameful for us….
I find it reprehensable that we would even CONSIDER torture as any sort of “tool”….WHO THE HELL ARE THESE PEOPLE?, certainly no one I would want representing me…..
I did miss your point, and I apologize… Yes, the government is in the wrong (if the reports are true)… agreed. We always “preach” about how inhumane Hussein was and we needed to do something about it, and here we are doing the same sorts of things to these prisoners. I do, however, believe that the press MAY be blowing a lot of things out of proportion… they do tend to do that, so we really DON’T know the truth… YET. Yes… there are American soldiers that do abuse prisoners… it’s been proven in court and they are being punished, but I don’t believe that it is widespread abuse. I do, however, agree that it shouldn’t be happening AT ALL… and something DOES need to happen to put an end to it… PERIOD. Sorry about mispeaking before…
I read through your post FAST the first time, and when I read it again, I completely read something else… that’s what I get for trying to push fast forward through things… my fault…
I have been hearing about this on NPR and it sickens me.We may be able to say that as individuals we are not responsible…but if we citizens do not hold the government responsible as thr truth is revealed then we will….. as indivuals….. have neglected our obligation to the good things we say we stand for. I am glad you posted on this…I’m sad that it is something we need to think about…but we do Mia Lucia
I don’t know of anyone who does a segue quite like you. I have a feeling your sermons were powerful. Agree or disagree, I doubt anyone was bored.
And you’re absolutely right. If we’re engaging in the same conduct that we condemn others for, why in the world are we at war at all ? Because we’re no different.
I just wrote a post on my site about opening mouth and inserting foot… It’s about my STUPID post here… duh. I will never be in a hurry and skim read again!
Agree-it’s totally hypocritcal on the government’s part if this is true, and embarrasing and sickening to me as an American.
The paramedics couldn’t just remove the seat from the toilet and let the poor guy walk out with a blanket around his waist?
About the meat of your post: I share your concerns, but I’m also concerned that these prisoners wouldn’t be above fabricating stories of torture and abuse.
Still, in light of what happened at Abu Ghraib the Pentagon should be falling all over itself to accomodate the inspectors…
The guy should have used a seat cover!
The Home Depot and Guantanamo Bay are both sickening. One was a sick practical joke(I hope he sues the pants off of Home Depot) and the other is inhumanity during wartime. I can assure you though that most government officials in all political parties are just as disgusted with it. It is hurtful to see this in the press because I know this is not the behaviour of the majority of our servicemen and women are serving our country. They are just as sickened by it as we are. I do not want Ameircians to get the wrong idea of our soldiers. I’m overly protective of our troops because I can’t help think of my own son serving in the Navy.
However, this sort of torture has been going on since the age of man. What is uncovered in past wars is just as frightening.. Sadly, I’ve had Vietnam Vets tell me stories that make this look tame. Not just from our side…but both sides at war. It’s NEVER pretty…and most stories you never saw on TV nor may we ever.. Hopefully it will remind us what war does to people.
~Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it~
As for the Pentagons comment….I’m not sure I understand their reasoning or what is really going on. We may not find the truth until the war is over.
In the meantime….God please bless America …and bring our troops home safely!!!
Item #1: Why couldn’t they have draped a tarp over the poor guy? Their method was just stupid. I agree with the last poster that a big lawsuit is in the making. I know I’d have a heart attack if I were subjected to public humiliation like that.
Item #2: Jimmy Carter (maybe not the best president, but certainly the best EX-president we’ve ever had) was on “Hardball” and really ripped the Bush administration for trying to push through a pro-torture bill. The whole reason we “civilized” Americans are against torture is so that we aren’t tortured ourselves–as so many were by the Japanese in WWII. (Nothing against today’s Japanese.) Think about it. We are now departing from a benchmark of decent behavior that we pressed for in the middle of the 20th century. Carter also brought up the excellent point that someone under torture will say anything the torturer wants just to stop the process. (Just look at the Spanish Inquisition.) So, most of the “information” is not of any value whatsoever. So, why are we doing this? It’s more than insane, and I’m sick of it, too.
Lynn
I shudder. Guess maybe it’s time for Amnesty International to take a look at us.
Okay. The whole toilet seat thing is unfortunate. Only humourous to me because I have a scene like that in my novel. Maybe that’s where they got the stupid idea. Bad novelist! Do people not look at the seat before sitting? My mother taught us to hover above the seat because of germs.
LMAO at Home Depot guy!
Guantanamo Bay has scared me for quite some time now. How can Americans not hold ourselves to the terms of the Geneva Convention. Aren’t these prisoners of the War on Terror? I think when the truth comes out, like it ALWAYS does, Americans will be hated world-wide.
Thank you for yet another thoughtful, well written post. I always enjoy coming here to read. And I agree with PrimevalWench: I’ll bet your sermons were something to hear!
I absolutely can’t imagine the humiliation that poor man had to suffer. Why DIDN’T the paramedics use a tarp? (Couldn’t find one on Aisle 43?) As to the torture in Guantanamo Bay, I think many people have mixed emotions about the whole prisoner thing over there. If every single person being held there is, himself, guilty of torture and inhumane acts against innocent people, it makes it easier to tolerate what might be happening to them now. But that’s not right either, because Jesus himself taught us to turn the other cheek. I think we tend to justify things in accordance with our own sense of justice. Your post was really food for thought.
There are many things in the news we do not need to see.
nice site, btw….I don’t remember how I got here tho.
lis
I think that our country needs to be held accountable for many thing right now, and it is not going to be very pleasant if it happens.
We need to keep in mind that terroriests believe they are fighting for God. They may be wrong in that belief, but it is what they think they are doing. If we torture them in the name of God, aren’t we doing exactly what they do? And is it any more right for us?
Has anyone heard any more about the Home Depot guy??? I had somebody ask me if I was sure it wasn’t a hoax and if this guy was going for a huge lawsuit. Just a thought…..I’d like to see a follow up on this story if you can find one.
Thanks for sending me the article. It’s one worth keeping up with for sure.
RYC: Thanks! By all means, feel free to use it.
That is pretty damn humiliating!!!!! And no, I think we need to see those things on the news any longer….