Thursday, November 03, 2005

No Torture? Get Real!

by Kimberly Brown

I posted the article about Sister Lil Mattingly below for a number of reasons. The lesser being, she 'did her time' in Danbury, Ct which is the town next to the one where I live. I am only about 15 mins. from the Correctional Facility. The greater reason is the fact that it is unrealistic to believe that the armed forces and other departments of authority don't use different forms of torture today. Yes I said today. Don't kid yourself, on the outside we claim to be too much of a humanitarian society to participate in such barbaric behavior. But much like sexual harassment or wife beating or other forms of inappropriate behaviors were swept under the rug years ago, with the premise that 'if we keep quiet and pretend we didn't see it or it didn't happen, it doesn't exist'. Torture continues to live under this ridiculous ruse. If a government agency were to be truthful and say "Of course we have to do that, how else could we get imperative information out of terrorists, 'evil-doers' , and other assorted and sundry law breakers" the protestors would be out in droves to say how can we allow such barbaric treatment of other humans in this day in age? Well in theory it would be nice to think we have grown spiritually to the point where we would truly live by our words that Americans and America as a whole would never behave the way those 'animals' in those other third world countries behave, we are much to smart and way more developed in all ways than them! HA HA HA right...sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but in my opinion we are worse. At least they aren't secretive, sneaky and ruthless. They blatantly behave the way they believe is right for them, they don't care what other people or countries think, nor do they allow such thoughts to deter them from their actions. At least they are being true to themselves, if nothing else. We put on this grand face that America is the greatest because we don't do things like that, but the fact remains that we do today in reality. You can believe whatever you want, it is certainly easier to live in a dream world than reality, it surely hurts less and you have to deal with less as well. I honor Sister Lil Mattingly for her convictions and her selflessness. Her ability to live in the reality of now and her ability not to pretend it isn't happening because it is easier to do that then to admit it does. Lots of things happen in this world that should not. Most are religious based; other not, but it doesn't matter what does or doesn't really happen we should not turn a blind eye to any of it. Even the small contribution I make by writing this blog passes the truth on to others. I live my life the way I 'preach' it, meaning I walk what I talk. I say what I mean and mean what I say. I also live by only one rule: The Golden Rule...Do unto others as you would have done unto you. That covers it all, think about it. If everyone in the world would adopt that one rule, everything would change. Well enough said for now. Sister Lil Mattingly, I bless you and thank you, you are a woman of conviction and strength, I wish you the very best.