Petition: Support Sean Hannity's pledge to get water-boarded for charity!

[dem629]

On the April 22, 2009 edition of the Fox News program "Hannity," host Sean Hannity said he would be willing to be water-boarded for charity, with the money going to the troops and their families. We think this is a fantastic way for the TV and radio host to show his support for our brave men and women in uniform.

http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/hannitycharity

:hi:

[pleah]

1. I can't condone torture, even if it is mannity.

Or, for charity.

[Chan790]

5. But is it really torture if it's volunteer?

I'd argue no, consent nullifies torture. Some people voluntarily do painful or humiliating things like practice BSDM, pierce painful body-parts, run marathons, practice auto-asphyxia, sit in dunk-tanks or in Mr. Hannity's case, get waterboarded, for all sorts of reasons I might never understand. At least he's doing it for a great cause.

If it is still torture, where does the line lie?

[pleah]

9. I just think it sets a bad example. It makes it seem palatable to people.

Am I making sense?

[Diane R]

2. I hope, if this is done, it's done in the same spirit prisoners were waterboarded, not going easy.

[southpaw]

3. Good Idea... BUT

Hannity should not be led to feel that the waterboarding will stop when he wants it to stop. It may not be a pleasant experience under any circumstances, but it would be a hell of a lot more bearable if the person being tortured is aware from the outset that all they have to do is give a signal and the torture will cease.

The helplessness of the victim is a big part of the torture.

[Initech]

4. Hannity been watching too much Reno 911 lately?

[stillcool]

6. wonderful idea..

I hope a ton of money is raised.

[jmowreader]

7. Hannity should be waterboarded just because he's Hannity

I wonder...how many of his contributors will be conservatives paying to help the troops, and how many will be liberals who are saying to themselves, "yeah, I'd pay to see that!"

[DefenseLawyer]

8. News Corp's insurance carrier would never allow it

Not real waterboarding. So it either won't happen or it will be fake. I'm guessing it will be the later and the Manatee will gargle some perrier and get up laughing. The whole thing is a bad idea.

[Uncle Joe]

10. I agree, I also believe if you volunteer for something, you have control, thus it's not torture.

It would be a game and an attempt to fluff up the true evilness of torture, Sean is a joke.

[DefenseLawyer]

13. From what I understand about waterboarding

if it is happening to you, you are literally drowning and at that point it doesn't matter if you volunteered or if you know and trust the person who is drowning you. A person who is truly being waterboarded thinks he is dying. Of course having not been waterboarded myself, I can neither confirm or deny this. I do know that nobody is going to waterboard a television personality, so the whole thing is a wasted exercise.

[Uncle Joe]

14. I agree with you, in that you're literally drowning.

You're literally being suffocated breathing some quantity of water, that's why I hate the Orwellian fluffy word "simulate" when describing this torture technique.

If you "simulate" flying in a controlled cockpit on ground, X-Box or Play-station, there is no danger of crashing as you're not really flying.

I don't believe the same can be said for water boarding, this is drowning but it's induced drowning and I believe there is a danger of dying from it, if nothing else from cardiac arrest.

Having said all that I believe volunteering to be abused is significantly different from having no control over the situation, at the very least in so far as psychological or mental pain. I also believe enough psychological or mental pain can be virtually irreversible and can have physical manifestations as well.

Even by temporarily drowning during his proposed game, Sean Hannity can stop it anytime he wants and if greed or ideology is enough of a motivation, he may be induced to downplay the effects, afterwards.

I agree with you in that this scenario with Hannity is highly unlikely to happen but even if it were to occur, I couldn't equate this to torture. I can definitely equate water boarding to helpless prisoners with no control as being torture.

Hannity would be having sex of sorts, even if you view it as rough, the prisoners are being raped.

[Karenina]

11. This whole exercise is SICK-O.

[ZombieHorde]

12. I don't support this. nt