Poll: Americans Against Using Torture (2/3 against physical)

[maddezmom]

20 minutes ago Add U.S. Government - AP to My Yahoo!



WASHINGTON - Two-thirds of Americans believe the United States should never use physical torture of people it detains, according to a poll on attitudes about prisoner abuse.



A majority, 55 percent, said this country should never use mental torture — such as making someone think that they or their family will be killed, according to the poll by the Program on International Policy Attitudes at the University of Maryland.


Four of five supported the rights of someone detained to have a hearing where they can answer the charges against them. About that many said detainees should have the right to contact a family member and nine in 10 said the Red Cross should be able to visit people in detention to make sure they are treated properly, according to the poll conducted by Knowledge Networks.


Six in 10 said that people captured who are not conventional soldiers should still be accorded the rights provided by treaties. Such treaties spell out the rights of prisoners of war.

~snip~
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=513&ncid=716&e=5&u=/ap/20040723/ap_on_go_ot/torture_poll

[skooooo]

1. What about the emotional release factor??

Hmmmm

[Demeter]

2. The Torture Ban Includes:

Listening to any of the Bush family mangling the King's English ever again

Watching the Bush family mangle the Constitution ever again

Letting the Bush coterie destroy the economy any more

You get the drift.

[denverbill]

3. 33% of Americans are fucking Nazis then.

What the hell is with this country anyway? How could 33% of Americans approve of torture?

[hansolsen]

4. Which means that one third of all Americans support torture! Guess what?

99% of the bone heads who believe a little torture is a good thing so long as it is our guys doing the torturing, are lined up to vote for their hero, George W. Bush.

I think this fact should be brought forward, placed on center stage, and lit with every spot light in the house. Let Bush defend torture if he wants to -- he can play to his base.

As to my neighbors who support torture, I'll bet three fourths of them go to church every Sunday, sit in the front pew, and pray like Hell. Bu that won't help them in the end -- torturers will burn in Hell, if there is a Hell.

[DaveSZ]

5. 33%?

That's about the neocon base eh?

I agree on the faux Christians as well.

[struggle4progress]

8. They're not Christians. They're cross-burners. eom

[Az_lefty]

6. 33% think torture is OK???????

:wtf:

[TahitiNut]

7. "Might Makes Right" - One-third of Amurikins buy this.

I've always been very disturbed by the rationale against torture that leverages on the idea that "if we do it to them then they'll do it to us." For the "might makes right" crowd, being the biggest and baddest thug on the global block erodes the fear that "it can happen to us." Fear-based motives are always suspect and fear-based "morality" is the most suspect, imho.

The "Golden Rule" isn't a prescription to make it impossible for others to "do unto you" -- but that's how far too many think of it. The Categorical Imperative depends on the "veil of ignorance," without which we cannot achieve Justice and Equity.