From Democracy Now:

According to the New York Times, Vice President Dick Cheney and CIA Director Porter Goss met with Senator John McCain last week to urge him to exempt CIA officers from a proposed ban on torture. Three weeks ago the Senate voted 90 to 9 to ban the use of “cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment” of any detainee held by the government.Vice President Dick Cheney reportedly said the CIA needed to be exempt because the president needs maximum flexibility in fighting the so-called war on terrorism. On Wednesday, Human Rights Watch declared that the U.S. has now become “the only government in the world to claim a legal justification for mistreating prisoners during interrogations.”

Remember a time, not too many years ago, when it was easy to take pride in the U.S? Back during a period where we were seen as the fountain of democracy, setting a standard of justice for the world?

If America is the greatest country in the world, it is because of our system of justice, our protection of individual freedoms, our tolerance of those withwhom we disagree, our protection of minorities. It is not the colors of the flag, but the ideals for which the flag stand. So many people have the flag on their car antenna, or as a bumpersticker. I hope they give occasional thought to what is behind it.