Peter writes:
You seem to think it a no-brainier that the Hackman character in Mississippi Burning was guilty of torture. Yet I don't remember anyone saying that in the 1980's. His character was considered a hero, if a flawed hero.
I comment:
Not by me. Not by some of us.
Peter writes:
And surely if the nation were holding up an obvious torturer as a hero character, you would have been compelled as a pastor and journalist to write something about what a shame it was to praise a torturer. Did you write something? If not, did you just not care that society was praising a torturer?
I comment:
Well, I'm not sure there was all that "praise," but no matter. For heaven's sake, Peter, are we to take out after every mass media piece, whether television, film or book, that shows immoral actions? Really?
What I am concerned about here - in this modest forum of people who claim to be Lutheran Christians - is what seems to be an easy acceptance of despicable acts.
"They" are worse. "They" kill. So if we torture a little, it's OK.
"They" are out to kill us. So anything we do, legal or not, moral or not, to keep them from doing that, is OK.
Criminals and murderers are really bad guys. So if cops or the feds break a few laws or jaws in getting them convicted, that's OK.
No. It is not OK.
And you are, Peter, tying yourself up in knots about "societal standards" in an effort to justify your views. We are discussing law and related matters. Yes, what was illegal at one time, is legal now; lovely things like inter-racial marriage, and gay and lesbian marriage. "Societal standards" whatever the heck they might be, do not seem to be endorsing cops shooting people just for carrying a weapon while being black; or beating the pinfeathers out of suspects to get a confession or badgering witnesses into giving false testimony.
Coach-Rev writes (re my comment on the reaction to the report):
Fascinating. Just fascinating. So they can't be trusted though they were there and were participants in that. They must be lying to cover something up you imply.
I comment:
Well, Duh! Yes! Because - wait for it! - they have already covered something up. Several times. At several levels of government. Of course, of course, they are covering something up. That is exactly what the recent report is telling us.
Coach-rev goes on:
And a couple of years back you incessantly hammered that second hand reports didn't count for anything because they were NOT there and first hand witnesses, AND there obviously had to be more to the story.
I comment:
Yes, I do not trust second-hand reports, especially the ones you seemed to favor so dearly, especially when they came from one "side," a "side" that had a considerable ideological stake in the matter at hand. In some of those now dust-gathering dust-ups, no one from the "other" side was here to make their case.
Coach-Rev:
So its now clear that you will only accept testimony, first hand or other, that corresponds only to your point of view. In certain circles that's referred to as a self-reinforcing delusion.
I comment:
How do you know what my "point of view" is? I do not believe I have ever commented anywhere on the matter of our government involved in allegedly illegal kidnappings, torture and murder.