[Vision2020] Outrage and Nicholas Berg
Joan Opyr
auntiestablishment@hotmail.com
Fri, 14 May 2004 18:50:09 -0700
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To answer Pat's question, outrage is not the correct word for what I thin=
k and feel about Nicholas Berg's murder. Disgust, revulsion, horror -- t=
hat's what I feel because that's what I always feel when I learn of a bru=
tal crime. I am sorry for Mr. Berg's family, and I hope that his killers=
are brought to justice.
Unlike those killers, however, I refuse to recognize the eye-for-an-eye r=
ationale implicit in trying to link what they did to Mr. Berg and our own=
tragic lapses at Abu Ghraib. Just as they cannot be allowed to claim th=
at beheading civilians is a legitimate response to our abuse of Iraqi pri=
soners, we cannot let Mr. Berg's murder serve as a cover for our mistakes=
The United States is a signatory to the Geneva Conventions, a democrac=
y, and, ideally, a nation of laws. If we win the war on terror by settin=
g fire to our values, what have we gained?
Joan Opyr/Auntie Establishment Get more from the Web. FREE MS=
N Explorer download : http://explorer.msn.com
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<HTML><BODY STYLE=3D"font:10pt verdana; border:none;"><P>To answer Pat's =
question, outrage is not the correct word for what I think and feel about=
Nicholas Berg's murder. Disgust, revulsion, horror -- that's what =
I feel because that's what I always feel when I learn of a brutal cr=
ime. I am sorry for Mr. Berg's family, and I hope that his killers =
are brought to justice.</P> <P>Unlike those killers, however, I refuse to=
recognize the eye-for-an-eye rationale implicit in trying to link w=
hat they did to Mr. Berg and our own tragic lapses at Abu Ghrai=
b. Just as they cannot be allowed to claim that beheading civi=
lians is a legitimate response to our abuse of Iraqi prisoners, we cannot=
let Mr. Berg's murder serve as a cover for our mistakes. =
The United States is a signatory to the Geneva Conventions, a =
democracy, and, ideally, a nation of laws. If we win the =
war on terror by setting fire to our values, what have we gained?</P=
> <P>Joan Opyr/Auntie Establishment &n=
bsp; </P></BODY></HTML><br clear=3Dall><hr>Get mo=
re from the Web. FREE MSN Explorer download : <a href=3D'http://explorer=
msn.com'>http://explorer.msn.com</a><br></p>
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