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Torture symbol
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Jan. 11 was the 11th anniversary of the opening of the Guantanamo Bay detention center, which has become a symbol of our country's torture policy. It was also around the time that the new movie about the death of Osama Bin Laden, "Zero Dark Thirty," became available in movie theaters in the Pittsburgh area.
While the use of torture was not a contributing part of the raid, many are seeing the movie as a vindication of our torture policy.
Partly because of movies like this over 47 percent of our citizens think torture is necessary at one time or another. It is vital we counter this perception and take this opportunity to call for an end to our torture policies, to demand that Guantanamo be closed and to call for the release of the Senate Intelligence report. The release of this 6,000 page report on our use of torture at the hands of the CIA would be an important step to facing our past and hopefully holding those who committed torture accountable.
The nation needs to have awareness of the fact that torture doesn't work and its use is against U.S. and international law as well as being immoral.
SCILLA WAHRHAFTIG
East Liberty
The writer is program director, American Friends Service Committee Pennsylvania.
First Published January 15, 2013 12:00 am
