The editor:
I am writing in regard to the furor over President Obama’s release of information regarding the Bush administration’s policies on methods of interrogation of detainees. I feel that this issue is being unduly politicized, as if how someone feels about it is a matter of being Republican or a Democrat; in fact, it is a matter of how you view America and what you think our values should be. I believe George Bush, Dick Cheney, and many others who were high up in that administration are using the excuse of national security in an attempt to protect themselves from possible prosecution for what were crimes under international law.
My biggest reason for writing this letter is that there are still U.S. servicemen in prison who, in my opinion, simply followed the orders of their superiors. When the photos from Abu Ghraib came out, there was a public outcry, and the low-level enlisted service members who were involved were charged with crimes and in some cases sentenced to prison terms. Now that the truth has come out, it is obvious to me that these people were following orders from the highest reaches of the U.S. government that influenced how they treated those detainees. When they were on trial, nobody from the government stepped up and told the truth—and I don’t believe it is right for them to be locked up and have their lives ruined, while Bush and Cheney and others are out there on the lecture circuit, making millions of dollars while giving speeches defending themselves in the court of public opinion.
When you are an enlisted soldier serving during a time of war, your main focus is on survival. And from boot camp on, you are taught that survival means doing what you are told, being a part of the unit, basically following orders without questioning why you are doing something. I believed when I left boot camp that if I refused to do what I was ordered to do, I would be shot on the spot. While this may not have really been true, it certainly is the attitude that the military wants their soldiers to have. I spent four years in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam era; I went through SERE training, which was designed to let soldiers know what might happen if they were captured. I was in fact “waterboarded” during this training; it was not pleasant for me, but since I knew I was not a POW, there was no psychological fear about what was happening, just physical discomfort. Under Bush, that training became a model for the way we treated enemy prisoners. And I believe those soldiers who took part in the mistreatment of enemy prisoners did so based on their belief that this was what they were ordered to do. They supposedly had the right to refuse to obey those orders if they were illegal, but this is not something most soldiers will ever consider doing.
Those soldiers who volunteered to fight for America, who followed orders, and who are now in prison, need to know that the American people know the truth about why they did what they did. And if you are one of those who have a sticker on your vehicle that says “Support Our Troops”, you should think about whether this means letting them take the fall for the guys at the top who told them to do what they did. Let the people who gave those orders stop hiding behind “national security” and answer for their actions. If they honestly believe they were correct, let them defend themselves openly, and let America and the world decide if they are truly guilty. And then let’s really “Support Our Troops”.
Mike Rayburn
Morehead
Letters to the Editor
Top officials should take blame
- Letters to the Editor
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Elliott County outreach changes
On Wednesday, Feb. 1, the Elliott County Christian Community Center became an incorporated service organization. Christian Social Services congratulates the leaders in Elliott County for their enthusiasm, compassion and dedication to the people of Elliott County.
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Bring better movies to Morehead
Don’t you love a good movie? We certainly do BUT for me that does not include “R” rated films. Of the seven movies advertised in the 1/20/12 issue of the News, five were rated “R.”
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Abortion advocate change of mind
As the new year begins, it is quite common to see printed in a newspaper or magazine a list of the names of prominent citizens who passed away in the preceding year. I recently came across such a list, and the name of one individual in particular caught my attention: Dr. Bernard Nathanson.
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Large sign is unsightly
While driving to Morehead today, I was dismayed to see that Cracker Barrel has erected one of their typical ultra-high “signs on a stick.” I somehow thought that Morehead’s sign ordinance would protect our community from this unsightliness and that the sign would be the same height as those of surrounding businesses.
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Political cartoon was off the mark
I don’t know how the political cartoons you publish are chosen, but I take exception to the one in the Dec. 27, 2011 issue of the paper. The cartoonist obviously does not agree with Time magazine’s choice of The Protester as Person of the Year.
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Business owners say thanks
We would like to take this opportunity to thank The Morehead News and Noelle Hunter for the lovely article about the loss of our small business, Clay Makin’s.
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Contest helps learn about energy use
As the New Year approaches, many of us are thinking of ways to save money. One way to do that is to reduce your energy usage. This will save you money and save resources.
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Thanks for supporting speech team
The Rowan County Middle School Speech Team members and coaches would like to extend a heartfelt “THANK YOU” to Mr. Tom James, Kentucky Bank Branch Manager and father of 8th Grade speech team member Haley James and all the staff of Kentucky Bank for their recent generous and most appreciated financial gift to the speech team.
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Thanks for Haldeman Christmas program
The Haldeman Community Center board members would like to say “Thank You” to all who attended and supported our Christmas Program. We all enjoyed the play “The True Gift,” the man in the red suit and all the wonderful snacks.
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Storybook Christmas appreciates support
On behalf of the Storybook Christmas Committee, I would like to thank the community for generous support of our project again this year. Storybook Christmas is an annual project of the Adult Basic Education and Literacy (ABEL) Council and the MSU Adult Learning Center.
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Elliott County outreach changes
