The Sedition Act - Dick Durbin

Although both the “Sedition Act” and the “Espionage Act” were repealed in 1921, we should all understand the reason they were inacted in the first place. See:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sedition_Act_of_1918

Senator Durbin stood on the Senate floor and did another “moral equivalency” speech that would surely have qualified under either of the acts above as treason, had they still been in effect.

There is no other Country in the World that is so self-examining to try to better itself than the United States of America. We criticize our selves more than any other country on earth. But we sometimes do it at the wrong time and without any regard for “unintended consequences.” We should have more brains than to say things that will become propaganda for our enemies.

Let’s examine how we as Americans are being so bad in our treatment of the prisoners at GITMO. First many, many have been released. How many were release from the Gulag or Auschwitz?

Not only released unharmed, but weighing more than when they went in. Many have said it was the best food, (we give the Muslims honey glazed chicken, and other fine foods because it is part of their strict diet), and have said it was the best treatment they have ever had.

And now let us examine the complaints. A few say they are being tortured, (the definition of torture is “the infliction of severe physical pain." - American Heritage Dictionary)

First torture complaint is that we played with the thermostat and actually made it too cold for one prisoner. Wow! That is severe pain. Almost like pulling out fingernails as happened in the Gulag.

Next we played with the thermostat and made it too hot. It got up to almost 100 degrees. Wow, severe physical pain again. Never mind that here in Sacramento we have and average of over 60 days a year where temperatures approach 100 degrees, or that the temperature inside a hummer in the desert approaches 130 degrees.

These statements by Durbin are inciteful and fallacious.

We really need to come up with several new words that could be used for the following:
1. A small amount of pain, like playing with the air conditioning.
2. A medium amount of pain, like hitting someone with an open hand.
3. A severe amount of pain, like pulling out fingernails, cutting off extremities, poking out eyes, burning people alive in ovens. Oh, I forgot, this is the definition of torture!

Which of the three above are the ones associated with Gulag and Auschwitz? That third one is the only one that means torture. Number 1 and 2 have no definitions and for Durbin to equate them is to be intellectually dishonest. Anything to get back at Bush!

There is a reason that we have about 150,000 words in our language. Each one means something. That is why we should choose our words carefully.