About Waterboarding

RBB asks me, why do I hate America. OK, Let's put that to the test, Do I love America more or Humanity more.

There is an apocryphal story, no one knows if it's true. But the answer explains why I would waterboard or more to protect large numbers of people even if after doing so I were to come under criticism or prosecution. That deals with many very hard decisions people have to make.

The story I mentioned is about a man who is a bridge tender in the days of passenger rail. He moves the tracks and lifts the bridges according to the trains that pass. If he makes a mistake or misses his cue hundreds of people will be in peril and hundreds will die. His job to make sure the bridge is down when it should be is in order.

One day he takes his young son on the job with him. The boy is playful and fun. While his back is turned the boy escapes and scampers down to where the large gears are to lift or lower the bridge. The bridge is in a kilter position which means if a train were to come it would plunge hundreds of feet off a precipice into a gorge.

A train is coming. His telegraph tells him hundreds of souls are on board. The bridge is in the wrong position. It's early 1900s and he can't quickly or efficiently communicate with the train. His son is engaged in climbing the gears.

The train is now only a mile away. The bridge tender has been yelling for his young son. It's too far down the scaffold to retrieve him and still turn the bridge.

It's only seconds. He must make a choice. If he moves the bridge into the correct position his son will be crushed in the gears he plays on and die,, if he does not move the bridge hundreds are sentenced to certain death.

What decision do you make? You have only two options. There are no other. Time is up. Is the suffering and death of one person worth the saving of hundreds? Rules or no rules? Or do you go by the book and millions die.

The reality of life is sometimes both options are horrible. One is not less horrible. torture is horrible. Sometimes the life of one to save many even if they don't appreciate or understand it is the choice we must make.

In the apocryphal story, The man moves the bridge and his little boy is crushed to death. People go by in the train at 60 miles per hour, eating , drinking, laughing, enjoying life. The bridge tender is in horror and screams at them unheard, "Don't you know what I've done, don't you know I've killed my own boy to save you".

Yes, my dear friend RBB. I LOVE America and Americans too much NOT to waterboard you or anyone else or worse if I had to if in my understanding it was the only way to save the lives and futures of thousands.

I hope for America's sake you would do the same. The rules apply to those who would routinely torture. Sometimes you have to do the horrible to save the world.

Last week the man who dropped the abomb on Japan died. Tibbet. I thank God for Tibbet. He saved millions by sacrificing thousands ending the war with Japan.

Life is hard and choices must be made by those with the courage to do the right thing. Like Tibbet did.