My Op-Ed hits statewide paper: GOP lost its Integrity over Torture

[Political Heretic]

Remember that I'm writing in a very conservative state, thus I choose a correlational approach when attempting any sort of persuasion. Hence all my talk (truthful) about my experience with more traditional conservative ideas...

We might say something like "Integrity? What integrity? When did the GOP every have integrity?" here - but that doesn't really win any "hearts and minds" in my state.

By the way... have you written YOURS yet? :)

http://www.idahostatesman.com/readersopinion/story/752347.html

[napoleon_in_rags]

1. Just excellent.

Rec'd. I think it was perfect how you framed it in terms of your upbringing, it makes it really easy to relate regardless of political identification, which is cool because I think when you get down to it most people are against this stuff.

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. Excellent!

[Senator]

3. Well done. I think the "raping" analogy is quite apt...

...and sometimes wonder what opinion polls would find if they included such a specific horrible act, or would personalize the question ("would you personally xxxx, to try get info"). It's so easy to "support" something with zero personal responsibility.

Congrats on getting the message out where it's really needed. And on your impending degree.

--

[Wayne in WA State]

Great work

A very well written and I think effective piece that should hit home to it's intended audience!

[enola fay]

4. Great Job!

Thank you for pointing out the complete lack of responsibility on the part of the "news" media. I am so sick of turning on the TV and hearing the pundits debating the efficacy of TORTURE. What makes me even sicker is knowing many people already do or eventually will truly view this as a valid question because they "saw it on the news". If we don't fight hard to reign in the debate I fear we will one day find ourselves having to defend our "position" on torture to interest groups who support water-boarding, stress positions, and the like.

[aquart]

5. That letter is perfect.

I too have a memory of Republicans who were the epitome of honesty and integrity.

[Jeep789]

6. They lost their Integrity when they supported a war without

credible evidence (actually, I could claim they lost it long ago but..). Still your letter was great. Congratulations!

[barbtries]

7. political heretic

no doubt you made many apologists uncomfortable with your editorial. good, very good.

[malaise]

8. Great letter

Send it to morning Joescum

[scentopine]

9. Excellent! - eom

[PA Democrat]

10. Excellent letter!

[PassingFair]

11. Great job....and congratulations on getting your degree in May!!!

:party:

Arguing for torture is like
arguing for slavery...

They CAN'T win if you take
the argument beyond a simple
declaration of "Torture is
OK sometimes".

Lincoln had only to say,
"If slavery is not wrong,
nothing is wrong."

Today, I have no doubt he
would have said "If torture
is not wrong, nothing is wrong."

It violates the "Golden Rule".

[Political Heretic]

12. Thanks! So far comments back are much less hateful that I wouldhave expected.

EDIT - comments on the Statesman page, I didn't mean I expected hateful comments here! :D

[tblue37]

13. Excellent op-ed--but you give yourself away at the end

when your background is mentioned. A master's degree in social work? They'll spot you immediately as a "dirty f***ing hippie" (LOL). Now, if you were a colonel in the Special Forces, maybe they might listen to you.

Nah, who are we kidding. The minute you started sounding reasonable and principled they would stop paying attention, even if you were St. Ronnie himself.

[flyarm]

14. Wonderful and your parents should be very proud of you!! For your

values and principles ..that are strong as a young man..and that you are graduating with your masters in May!!..I ( a mom) am proud of you!!

The most important absolute in our lifetimes, in this nation of ours is The Consitution, and Rule of law.
To allow anyone to tell you different, is to give up your constitution, and the very foundation that makes us Americans.

I have lived out of the USA numerous times in my lifetime andI swore i would never complain about our taxes and i would do everything in my power to protect our constitution..

I see so many young people today ( and older people as well) that could give a rats ass about the constitution, or our bill of rights and really don't care about Rule of law, as long as it is them breaking it..only to win..to win something, anything..either in politics or really anything..they will sell their soul to win..

But what they have won, in my opinion, and yes it is my opinion..what they have won, isn't worth having...without the constitution and without rule of law...like i have said , i have lived in countries with neither..and i always kissed the ground when i came home and thanked my lucky stars ..that I was one of the lucky ones born here..

But the constitution and rule of law and democracy are ideas,very fragile ideas..you can not hold them in your hand like an object ..but you can hold out your hand and know they are yours and know they are valuable ideas.. they are only as good as the people who fight for them and refuse to allow them to be destroyed,or watered down, there will always be people willing to give them up, until they lose them...It is up to those of us that understand those values and principles to fight and never let the next guy give our rights up..no matter how popular or unpopular...Our values and prinicples as Americans, in our Constitution and Bill of Rights and rule of law..are what make us who we are .and have made Americans respected world wide ..they must be fought for each and every day ..without them we are nothing but another banana republic.

Congradulations on your Graduation!!!

fly

[Political Heretic]

20. Funny story - my parents are now raving liberals :)

I attribute this to them basically being wonderful people at the core, and their "conservativism" large coming from a right-wing religious background that they had to break from. When they did, suddenly liberalism was much more in keeping with their personal christian beliefs.

THEY attribute the change to me... which... I don't really know what to say about that.

[bbgrunt]

15. extremely well done! kudos.

[stop the bleeding]

16. Great article. nt

[guitar man]

17. Why do you hate Amurika?

right on, K&R! :thumbsup:

[Overseas]

18. K&R !! Great letter ! //nt

[The Magistrate]

19. An Excellent Piece, Sir!

Well crafted, and struck on an excellent line.

[Vidar]

21. Well done. Recommended.

[Occam Bandage]

22. Congratulations!

[FourScore]

23. Excellent!!! Thank you for posting this. k/r

[immoderate]

24. Well done!

:applause:

--imm

[Political Heretic]

25. I just got contacted about writing again in the future for the paper!

:woohoo:

[Starry Messenger]

26. That's excellent, PH!

Nicely done! You'll be a great asset for them. :thumbsup:

[tabasco]

27. Good work.

The LTTE are the most read part of a newspaper, or so I read.

[yodermon]

28. So you've been a Yoder this whole time and never told me?

;)

[Political Heretic]

29. lol whoa!

cool :)

[ejbr]

30. More DUers should also recommend your post on that site!

Well done.

[santamargarita]

31. Well done - we should all do more of this

:patriot:

[DainBramaged]

32. Good on you for getting your degree. You are too smart for the state anyway

I'm SURPRISED (this word was corrected to satisfy the correctness police.) the Campus Cons haven't picketed you yet.

:party:

[IDemo]

36. "supriesed"?

[Time for change]

33. Excellent

[dgauss]

34. Wonderful. I think you summed things up for a lot of people there.

And as far as your parents becoming liberals, I've always thought that reasonable, decent people can always be swayed by reasonableness and basic human decency. Maybe that's what happened.

[NJCher]

35. communication skills

thus I choose a correlational approach when attempting any sort of persuasion. Hence all my talk (truthful) about my experience with more traditional conservative ideas...


That would make you a high self-monitor and a rhetorically sensitive communicator.

Terrific job. :)



Cher

[Mist]

37. Very well said, PH! Bookmarked for frequent reference. Thanks for posting. nt

[Spazito]

38. Wow, excellent Op-Ed!

Impressive, very impressive!

Recommended.

[waiting for hope]

39. +1 infinity

:thumbsup:, rec and :kick:

[WCGreen]

40. Well stated and presented with constructive arguments....

You have learned how to eviscerate the opponent with class.

[bottomtheweaver]

41. Nice job, congrats!

Very clear and convincing. Good luck with your studies!

[Mithreal]

42. Awesome K&R, nice job. nt