A "must read" editorial

[Scairp]

The excuses being made for the abuses at Abu Ghraib do reflect on America


Betty Bayé


MY mother didn't buy it when I tried to minimize my bad behavior by making the case that others were doing the same, if not worse.

"Well, Mama, you see," I'd explain, "Thelma did it, and Thelma's mother didn't put her in punishment."

To which my mother inevitably replied that she was not raising Thelma. How Thelma's mother chose to raise Thelma, my mother explained, was Thelma's mother's business. How I was raised was very much her business.

<snip>

Given that background, I am not impressed with the excuses some people are offering to explain away Americans' harassing, sexually humiliating and otherwise torturing Iraqis in their custody, and doing so in the same place where Saddam Hussein tormented his enemies.

The most outrageous defense I've heard of this abuse came from none other than Rush Limbaugh.

"These were just boys and girls blowing off steam during a stressful situation," he said. "Let's not make an international incident out of it for crying out loud.... These are people that are trying to kill us. What do we care what is the most humiliating thing in the world for them?"

link>http://www.courier-journal.com/cjextra/editorials/2004/05/13/opin-baye0513-7134.html

What's the world coming to? Yet another journalist doing her job. I am stumped. Perhaps they are truly, finally waking up. We shall see I guess.

[Pachamama]

1. Good Story...Maybe more Journalists are crawling out of their holes...

...and think its safe to actually speak out against Bush Co.....

Too bad they have been hiding so long...maybe we could have avoided this war and everything else if they had done their job and not cowarded so long behind the Bush Patriotism Call...

[ibegurpard]

2. Excellent editorial!

I heartily suggest that we contact Ms. Baye and let her know that we appreciate her having the guts to say what needs to be said. This was from, if I'm not mistaken, Louisville, Kentucky and I'm sure she'll be getting tons of flak for it.

[left is right]

4. Louisville's Courier-Journal

Ms. Baye is a columniston their forum/opinion page. She has been doing it right for quite a few years (before *). We are proud of her.

[newyawker99]

6. Hi left is right!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[girl gone mad]

3. I feel exactly the same.

I heard someone say the other day that we shouldn't pay reparations to the abused prisoners because Saddam didn't pay reparations and the people who killed and burned the contractors didn't pay reparations. My response: Great point. Hitler didn't pay reparations to the Jews, either. We're really in great company, huh?

[trof]

5. Prime example of repug-juvenile "reasoning".

"Yes, but they did worse."
"He hit me first."
"Did-didn't-did-didn't."
"But I'm not as bad as he is."
Amazing how many people accept/subscribe to this line of reasoning.

[ibegurpard]

7. kick

:kick:

[Scairp]

8. Bump