We put ourselves on this pedestal. We therefore ought to act like we belong up here.

I have deliberately not commented on this story, much. I am extremely distressed.

I believe in the rule of law, and wait to see if it will be applied.

If the United States is to be a bastion of political liberty, we cannot force a political system on another nation. True, we have forced one out in Iraq, but if Iraqis sunsequently choose leadership not to our liking, we will have to shut up and take it, or abandon all the liberty talk.

If the United States is to stand for justice for all, we cannot have different standards of justice for the people we like vs. the people we don't like. Somewhere on one of these boards within the last week or so, Buck said that the trials (if any -- my cynical addendum) should be broadcast live to show how Americans apply justice. I agree, I agree! But I doubt it will happen.

If the leadership of the United States is going to continue to refer to this country as "a Christian nation", it should go without saying that torture is not an acceptable form of behavior by the official representatives of the United States, nor is it acceptable to wink as we farm out interrogation to those who think torture is just one more power tool in the tool box of nationalism. Nor is humiliation acceptable. The directive is to clothe the naked, not to take the clothes from those who have them.

We can't throw words like liberty, justice, and compassion around without applying a very strict standard to ourselves, unless we are willing to rob them of their meaning.