Torture: Immoral, or does end justify means?

Re “Senators Take On Bush With

Torture Ban Proposal,” Nov. 5

The so-called culture of life promulgated by the Bush administration is limited to a very narrowly drawn circle encompassing embryos, fetuses, the terminally ill and stem cells. It deliberately excludes all living, conscious human beings.

The administration’s attempt to hide torture by transferring “ghost” prisoners to foreign countries known for human rights violations indicates that even it must suspect that the American people do not support this dangerous and morally repugnant policy. Thank you, senators, for insisting on inserting the torture ban in all major legislation. Bless you, Sen. John McCain, for leading the fight. Your courage and moral integrity are a shining light in the dark cave of the Republican Party.

JUDITH FENTON

Costa Mesa

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Rosa Brooks (Opinion, Nov. 5) doesn’t get it. Much of the media just doesn’t get it. And trotting out the odious comparisons to Soviet gulags proves that she doesn’t get it. The Soviet system confined political enemies to gulags to keep an iron grip on power, pure and simple. In contrast, CIA detention centers and whatever coerced interrogations take place have nothing to do with politics but everything to do with security from the Islamo-fascist menace threatening our civilization.

Perhaps if Brooks would reflect on the reasons why there have been no follow-up attacks to 9/11 on American soil, rather than keep trying to fight the 21st century menace with 20th century means, she would stop malicious comparisons of Vice President Dick Cheney to Nikita Khrushchev. But at this point, engaged as we are in a battle against an elusive, amorphous, subhuman enemy, we should cheer any success rather than show self-righteous indignation about the methods used.

LASZLO STRAKA

Alta Loma