I’ve been thinking about this quite a bit lately – maybe it is because I actually have a son now instead of it being the "hypothetical child" that will come of age in the next couple of decades. But either way, it is something that I am sure I’m not alone in thinking about.
As time passes and years go by, history will no doubt be quite harsh on the atrocities that were carried out by the Bush administration (and if nothing else, tacitly approved by members of BOTH parties) in the name of "freedom", "protection" and the "United States". We are now at a crossroads – a time where the current administration has made some very important first steps towards redeeming and rebuilding the reputation of the United States here at home as well as overseas.
I believe the saying goes something like "the first step is admitting you have a problem", and releasing the torture memos was part of this first step. Unfortunately, when that same first step includes "yes, there is a problem but as long as we acknowledge it and promise not to do it again we are ok", we are most certainly not going to move on to the next step or quite possibly not be viewed as redeeming ourselves or rebuilding our reputation in the eyes of the world (and many here at home as well).
The stigma of knowing what was ordered by the highest levels of our own government, approved (or not called out) by leaders of both political parties and carried out by our intelligence agencies is something that will not only impact those who were directly involved, but also all of us and future generations, whether we think it is fair or not.
As my son grows up, he will no doubt learn about the invasion of Iraq and will (at some point) hear that tens of thousands of people died because of (at a minimum) reasons that turned out to be false. He may come across someone from a foreign country – whether it is in his travels or through someone he meets here in the United States – who may ask him how he feels about his country torturing others, or why nothing was done to hold those accountable who were responsible for setting the tone and climate which enabled torture.
He may come home from school one day and ask why our government thought it was ok to slam someone’s head against a wall repeatedly or why waterboarding someone close to 200 times in one month (if not in those specific words) is acceptable.
And what happens if the unthinkable happens and another attack occurs – in retribution for not holding those accountable for creating a culture of torture? He will undoubtedly know that torture is not just wrong but inexcusable and unacceptable. What would I say if he asks why we allowed those who did these horrible things go unpunished? What if someone tells him that it never would have happened if the United States did the legally and morally right thing and showed the world that we really truly do know right from wrong and punish those who do wrong?
The Obama administration, with its decision to not investigate or prosecute Bush, Cheney, Bybee, Gonzales, Yoo, Rumsfeld or any of the others involved in one of the biggest black marks (if not the biggest) on this country’s history, is not only setting a dangerous precedent for future administrations.
It is impacting future generations of innocent Americans who will be forced to either question or defend the indefensible. And it is a HUGE mistake.