I grew up seeing movies that showed people refusing to talk until they are slapped around, at which point they give up accurate information. From conversations, I suspect that a lot of the people who think that "torture is bad but sometimes necessary" have that image in their minds, which has been exacerbated by the claims of the torture apologists.
As a result, I decided to send everyone I know a personal statement about torture, including footnotes with links to evidence. I've attached my current draft below the fold. I welcome your comments about anything in it, but especially about the footnotes. E.g., are there better ones, that make the point more quickly or clearly? Are some here weak or otherwise unnecessary? Are there links less prone to accusations of bias?
My goal is not to preach to the choir, but to convince conservative non-wingnuts and people who haven't seriously questioned the pro-torture propoganda. As a result, I want to use either non-partisan or conservative-leaning sources when I can. I got most of these links from DailyKos diaries -- thanks, folks! If anyone wants to re-use this text in some way, feel free -- I'm not concerned with getting credit.
Read More