We are now a nation of torturers; we've known that for a while, but the following is still un-frickin'-believable!
In Tennessee, this story is hitting the wire again. The first time around, Janet's boob, at the Super Bowl, grabbed the headlines, and that was WAY more important than 5 cops torturing an alleged drug dealer in his own kitchen. These cops beat him, hooked his privates up to batteries, put a gun to his head, beat him some more, threatened to do the same to his wife, and they did it because he 'voluntarily' sign a 'consent to search'.
There is audio and a transcript(pdf); the guy's wife had the presence of mind to turn a recorder on before she was hustled out of the house (down to the store where, fortunately, the cops didn't feel secure enough to drag her back from). The audio is riveting, but if you read the trascript along with the audio, be sure to take some Vallium or something - and keep loaded weapons out of your reach. (Warning: the tape is graphic and disturbing. This is, after all, someone being tortured, up close and personal)
Sample from the tape:
Officer David Webber: "Let me tell you something. We're gonna know everybody that's supplying you. We're gonna know everything about your business today. And you're gonna take us and where you got your money, we're gonna take every dime you have today and if we don't walk out of here with every piece of dope you got and every dime you got your (expletive) (expletive) is not going to make it to jail. And if you think we're joking, we're not."
Now, for you Rethuglicans who think that torturing druggies or gang members or liberals should BE the law, let's start with a quote from your hero, shall we?
"If people are violating the law by doing drugs, they ought to be accused and they ought to be convicted and they ought to be sent up."
--Rush Limbaugh, October 5, 1995
The reason I quote Rushbo is that you'll notice he makes no mention of torture, although his non-use of the word may have been more of a self-serving edit than a true sentiment, given that he might have suspected that, one day, he would be caught.
The police chief 'terminated' (his word) the deputies, but wasn't all that condeming of their methods.
Remember, boys and girls, countries/companies/police departments are led from the top!