Torture is slamming fingers in drawers, shooting the man next to you, gas chambers, etc. But not the methods described by the media, and this administration. These methods, less the “water-boarding,” have been used by the military in boot camp since time began, and are still being used.
Fort Leonard Wood in 1962 used the sleep deprivation technique to great effect, as 2-3 hours a night were common. Marches in 90-degree weather were a great source of character building, and woe on the individual who couldn’t keep up.
Then there was the sadistic tactic of pulling PT in front of the base swimming pool, usually filled with young ladies. A recruit who glanced sideways, and got caught, was subjected to a severe tongue-lashing and extra push-ups. One learned not to look, but to keep the eyes straight ahead and not move the head, regardless of the amount of time at attention.
Scrubbing the barracks floor with a toothbrush is a form of torture that I would like to forget, but it was part of the training.
Fort Riley is another post that uses torture to mold its soldiers. Field trips in 105-degree weather with no shower facilities is the toughest torture of all. After 11 days, a shower is offered, and it is water from the local lake, which is not very warm. Does that qualify as “water-boarding”?
How about sleeping on top of an Armored Personnel Carrier for eight days with a maximum of four hours sleep a night? Is that torture? You bet it is, if you are the one trying to sleep on the APC.
The methods used to extract information from terrorists have kept America safe since 9/11. They are not torture, and should not be discussed as such, as that will encourage the terrorists.
Terrorists must be defeated, and America is the only nation capable of doing so.
Roy L. Winans
Joplin
Opinion
Voices: Torturous training
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Our View: Victims should come first
Millions of dollars in donations have poured in from around the world since the May 22, 2011, tornado. Those donations represent money from lemonade stands, charity auctions, corporate gifts and celebrity checks, just to name a few. In fact, one year later donations continue to come to Joplin.
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Beth Meeker, guest columnist: Same-sex marriage battle a quest for equal rights
I would like to take a moment to reply to guest columnist Anson Burlingame’s, “The Marriage Debate” (Globe, May 13).
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Sunday Forum: 2012 graduation speakers key on tornado, mall school and president’s visit
Editor’s note: In addition to speeches by President Barack Obama and Gov. Jay Nixon, Joplin High School’s top students addressed graduates, faculty, parents and other guests packed into the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center on the Missouri Southern State University campus. Following are the text of those speeches.
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Geoff Caldwell, guest columnist: Pack mentality takes truth as a casualty
President Obama’s Joplin graduation speech Monday showed that while there’s the political “right,” there’s also a very active “rabid” political right.
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Your View: ‘Study’ can mean anything
A few evenings ago, I watched a television program on the science of marriage.
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Our View: Support for museum
How can you tell the story of Joplin without the accounts of its mining history?
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Our View: Finding middle ground
The G-8 summit held last week in Camp David ended as expected.
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Anson Burlingame, guest columnist: Class of 2012 upholds character, hope
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Scott Charton, guest columnist: 'Deadline in Disaster' film a story about storytellers
Local newspapers are at their best when they help their communities confront, understand, endure and overcome shared challenges.
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Our View: Make voting easiser
This year’s ballot will not include a proposed constitutional amendment that photo identification be required at the polls in Missouri. Good.
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