I had an argument with my mom last night. I was explaining that one of the professors at Berkeley happens to be the author of that infamous memo drafted from the Justice Department that attempted to argue that using torture was OK and that the Geneva Convention does not apply. Or at least I think that's the gist of it. I haven't read the memo itself and never really read an indepth article about it.
He also wrote substantial portions of the Patriot Act. So I was explaining how he's a staunch Republican and he teaches constitutional law at Boalt. I have heard that he is not very tolerant of other viewpoints.
My mom got angry when I was said how bad it was to condone torture. I understand that some people might feel it's appropriate to torture "enemy combatants" in order to get information out of them.
After all, as my mom said, "It's just sleep deprivation, not real torture."
But having taken many courses in Holocaust, Genocide, and Peace Studies, I know that it's more than just "sleep deprivation" or humiliation. It's the mindset that dehumanizing a person is ok. I know it's extreme to draw an analogy to the Nazis but I think that's where it begins. When you can see someone as less than human, I think you are more willing to slide toward that kind of extremism. Not saying that we will end up with a genocide, but it seems easy to say it's just sleep deprivation and then find that we're using more brutal tactics.
Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe it's ok to use these tactics to get information from the terrorists. Am I unpatriotic if I think that no person should be dehumanized? Even if they want to kill Americans?
Then my brother got involved because he heard my mom and I talking and he spewed some crap about it being war and we have to do what's necessary to protect ourselves, even if it means torturing people.
I disagree. I'm sure this professor is a brilliant thinker, but I disagree with his politics. And it amazes me that such a staunch conservative would be teaching at such a liberal university.
What do you think?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
This conservative was brought on board for one reason... Berkeley only accepts the most brilliant and oftentimes most liberal students in the United States. They want that bastard prof to roast alive, every semester, and they want their students to know who the real enemy is.
Post a Comment