SOUNDING OFF:

I have been either Republican or Libertarian for the past 20 years, since I was first able to vote.

I always felt that the GOP stood down the USSR with courage, intellect and honor.

I felt that when President Reagan made mistakes he defused the crisis by stepping forward and admitting fault and responsibility and helped end the scandal without impeachment or a constitutional crisis.

Unfortunately, the lesson learned from that period of time was not that the leader must lead and take the good and the bad of subordinates, but that if you are in power you can get away with anything.

Now I think the current scandal over torture taints the whole history of the modern rise of the Reagan revolution.

His administration, and frankly Nixon’s as well, should have been held to account and investigated and prosecuted. Instead the Rumsfelds and Cheneys of those scandals learned to do or say anything to get their results, leading to finally advocating for torture.

There is nothing more un-American than abusing POWs.

“But despite the cruelty shown to American POWs,” George Washington insisted, “we’re going to set a different standard consistent with the values of our revolution.”

While the American public cried out for revenge, for “an eye for an eye,” Washington determined to redefine the rules of war to reflect the humanitarian principles set forth in the Declaration of Independence.

In 1776, Washington declared, “Treat them with humanity, and let them have no reason to complain of our copying the brutal example of the British Army.”

The GOP rose up against President Clinton for lying under oath and holding that the rule of law was absolute and he must be impeached.

If perjury is bad, how much more is torture? Why is the GOP trying to quibble over whether water boarding is torture?

In doing so they align themselves with the Spanish Inquisition still remembered 500 years later for torture including water-boarding; they align themselves with the Japanese Empire who attacked this country and tortured our soldiers; they align themselves with Pol Pot and Khmer Rouge; in doing so they lose my vote.

DAN MORTENSON lives in Huntington Beach.