An estimated 100 detainees have died during interrogations, [including] some who were clearly tortured to death.
The only way to prevent this from recurring is to prosecute and imprison both the Bush administration officials who approved torture, and those Democrats and Republicans in Congress who were in positions of responsibility to uphold the constitution and the nation's laws but failed to do so.
Otherwise, some future president is tacitly free to say, "Well, I respect former president Obama's reasoning in his decision to discontinue [insert Orwellian euphemism here], but I must take all factors into consideration. I realize the gravity of this decision, and I make this decision with a heavy heart, but I feel that in order to protect America, I have no choice..."
The president after that can then say, "Look: there is an established history of this happening. It's one of those decisions I don't enjoy making, but if any situation calls for [insert Orwellian euphemism here], the current crisis is certainly one of those times."
Where has Americans' sense of collective decency gone?
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