I took this “Political Compass” quiz at http://www.politicalcompass.org/test . The screen shot of my test results are below. A couple of the questions were confusing and I couldn’t quite figure out how to answer, but most are pretty straight forward.
Tiffany
I don’t like the idea of myself getting into the torture debate. I’m honestly over the idea of interrogating those who use enhanced interrogation. If there were any subject I really did not want to blog about, this would be it. However, watching the season finale of Criminal Minds gave me all the reason I need to finally buckle down and write it.
Army Sergeant Hightower crashes into a Canadian border patrol booth and claims he’s killed 10 people, but won’t give any details to anyone but the FBI. He’s labeled as suffering from PTSD and everyone is ready to convict and claim he’s psychotic from being overseas in the war. The BAU comes to the conclusion that he is not the killer he claims he is, but rather trying to get someone to follow the missing persons cases.
The missing people are homeless, junkies and prostitutes from Detroit. Detroit police won’t look into it because the people aren’t necessarily “missed” in the first place. However, Sgt. Hightower’s sister is one of the bunch, and the case is very personal for him. He nightly does a head count (as he did with his men in Iraq) to see if any people on the streets are missing. They find he is not psychotic or suffering from PTSD, rather he is taking care of people out of love and honor. Fighting to save citizens here in America as he did overseas. They then decide to utilize him rather than criminalize him.
Our military men and women are heroes. No ifs, ands, buts about it. They are not crazed lunatics out to kill us all or blow up buildings, they are Americans with a desire to stand up with honor no matter how big or little the cause. The irritation I get just from hearing lefties attempt to ruin our armed services’ reputations is the most excruciating of all. But this is another argument for another day.
When Hightower’s mother is informed about her daughter’s disappearance and possible murder, Hightower doesn’t want them telling her anything until they are absolutely sure. Someone mentions that she needs to hear that there is hope. To that, he says “Hope is not good…hope is paralyzing.” Things that are most likely going to end badly shouldn’t always have “hope” tagged on the end of them. There are dark realities that we sometimes need to face and understand that not everything ends well just because we will them to.
Prentiss later makes a point while driving through the area of Detroit where the abductions have taken place by saying “the bailout can’t fix all this.” I admit, I smirked when she said it. A stab at the government bailout…sweet. Yet sad. Right, a bailout can’t fix everything. CM makes the point that the men and women on the streets would get welfare checks and head right back out to the streets. A junkie explains to Morgan that “these people don’t want to spend money on food and shelter.” These people were continuing to put their own lives in danger and we were only enabling them by giving them more money without a plan to help them utilize it for a better life. The same with the bailout. You can’t just hand someone thousands and expect them to use the money the right way without a plan, checking in on them, making sure that not just money, but tools are available to them, etc. Yet another debate for another day.
I’m getting to the torture argument. We find that the missing persons have been taken to a pig farm just across the Canadian border and tortured. Not water boarded or put in a room with a bug, real torture. Paralyzed, injected, cut with dull saws, used as experiments, then fed to pigs. This is serious torture. Real torture is sadism with no intent to get answers or help someone, only intent to harm, maim or kill for personal pleasure.
What I really liked was when they found out that the “mastermind” was Mason Turner, a quadriplegic using his brother to do the dirty work for him, Rossi performed a little “enhanced interrogation” on him. Stuck to a tracheal ventilator, Turner was pressed to give information on his brother’s whereabouts and what had been going on when Rossi hinted at turning off his air supply. If he thought he was lying or hiding something, Rossi gave a pinch to the tube Turner was breathing out of. Was Rossi demonized? No. He did what he had to do to get viable information on who was killing, why they were killing, and where they were. Was Turner harmed? No. Startled, maybe, but no harm done.
It isn’t wrong to use enhanced interrogation.
It is wrong to torture.
We don’t torture, we get answers.
The homeless people were experiments on stem cells to regenerate Turner’s spine. The BAU argues with Mason that humans that some find useless are still not good subjects for radical science. *Same goes for fetuses. Though some find them useless, they shouldn’t be used for invasive science research and then dumped.
Mason Turner, a mastermind of a sadistic killing spree, might still get away with it because he never touched the victims himself and was doing it with “good intentions.” Rossi and Reid make this point to Hotchner. Is this true with what we are experiencing with terrorism today? Are the masterminds of 9/11 like Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and other attacks on innocent U.S. Citizens going to get these “fair trials” and be acquitted just because they weren’t in the cockpit of the planes? Are we really going to let this happen because we’re afraid of a little water on the face? Really? Sgt. Hightower didn’t even let Turner get to that point, killing him point blank. He did this being fully aware he would spend the rest of his life in jail. How sad is it that someone who would bring about true justice would have to worry more about going to jail than the man who orchestrated the killings of many? It’s sick.
Hotchner summed up the Bush Administration/Enhanced Interrogation amazingly. “Sometimes you do everything right, everything exactly right. And still you feel like you failed. Did it need to end that way? Could something have been done to prevent the tragedy in the first place? … Sometimes the day just ends.”
We are a country that doesn’t torture. Our men and women who fight for our protection every single day do not torture. We may question ourselves, but in the end, we’ve done the right thing by these memos and orders and techniques. We’ve saved the lives of many innocent people by giving a little face bath to the evil people. There is nothing wrong with that, and we should not be ashamed of it. These men and women are not sadistic or vengeful, they are experienced, trained professionals with one goal in mind: find the answers no matter what it takes. As it should be. The real torture is listening to those who care less about Americans’ lives and more about making evil people smile. That’s my argument.
Tiffany
My father is a great man. A man of great conviction, unparallelled love and support, and unending common sense. A great part of who I am owes credit to this wonderful person. And so does a great part of who I will be.
I remember, when I was a little girl, my dad had an impeccable work ethic. He woke up early and went to work everyday. If we were awake when he left, he always gave us a quick squeeze and kiss on the forehead. I don’t remember a day when he was sick and missed work.
His routine was so simple that I caught on to it early. He went to work every morning, came home, flipped on the news and opened the newspaper. I’m pretty sure it was the sports section that he was reading while absorbing what the news anchors said on television, but I doubt he’d ever admit it! Mom was in the kitchen finishing dinner and us 4 kids were running around somewhere. A lot of times, Emily was in the highchair near Mom, Danielle was trying to read the newspaper under Dad’s arm, and I was following my big brother, Christian, annoying him incessantly (a story for another day).
We would sit down to dinner, Dad at one end, Christian at the other. Mom on Dad’s right hand side with Emily in the highchair next to her. I would sit next to Dad, and Danielle in between Christian and I because I had bothered him enough already. Dinner time was when we all let loose. My brother sitting across the table from my father meant that us four girls had to endure the fart jokes and burp jokes. All too often, though, Danielle and I were right in on the action, giggling nonstop. Mom would pop her jaw forward and give “that look” and nudge my dad. He would smile back as if to say, “Barbara, it’s okay.” See, it was the time of day when everyone could let loose. We were with eachother, so the topic of conversation couldn’t matter. We’d been serious all day, so let’s wiggle it out.
After dinner, we’d “attempt” to help Mom with the dishes, but all we really wanted to do was play some more. Dad would laugh as us girls would play “the three ballerinas” and twirl around until we fell down. He’d put Danielle and Emily on his shoulders and walk around. I got to play “airplane” with him holding me up by his feet. Mom would come in the living room shortly and sit next to Dad on the couch. Christian was always somewhere else doing “boy stuff” because his sisters were too weird.
My dad loved us so much. I never felt he didn’t. Even when we got in trouble and were punished, I didn’t like it, but I never questioned his love for us. And with that love came my respect for my father – a respect I still have today.
My dad is intelligent. So much so that I feel he could answer any question in the world. Sitting down to watch Wheel of Fortune or any other game show, he’d let us answer out loud, laughing at our silly answers. No matter what the question though, every time I answered I looked back to check my dad’s face. Biting his nails seemed to mean he knew the answer and was hoping the contestants got it right. I still believe he could tell me anything I needed to know.
My father has an intense amount of common sense as well. This comes from thinking things through, something I could also tell he was doing by biting his nails or wrinkling his brow. My dad tried to instill this common sense in us four kids, and I like to think that one day it will kick in.
If there is any reason that the kids in my family are in the least bit successful, we owe it to our parents. We didn’t get excuses, we got answers. We didn’t get a free ride, we got support. We were taught to work hard and play hard. We knew that crying was okay, but laughing was better. The best way to help us was not to give us everything we wanted, but to give us an idea of how to achieve it. This wasn’t an advanced degree in parenting to my father, this was common sense.
Tiffany
Okay ladies*, imagine this scenario:
You’re at a friend’s get-together when you spot a group in the middle of the room having a great time. In the center of the group is a person who seems to be the one carrying the conversation. Your friend, Nina, notices you looking that way and calls you over, introducing you to everyone, including the charismatic guy. You strike up good conversation, find that you have a lot in common, and exchange phone numbers.
Another gentleman in the group, not quite as charismatic and good-looking but very intelligent and coy, tries to talk to you in hopes for the number exchange. He is only slightly successful, as Nina keeps interrupting him to tell you how much she likes boy #1 and thinks you two would be a great match. While you think your friend may be right, you still take boy #2’s number just in case #1 flakes out.
A few days go by. Nina calls you up to see if you’ve set up a date with boy #1 (we’ll call him Brian) and you tell her you haven’t heard from him. She hangs up with you, and about an hour later, the phone rings. You answer it, Brian is on the other line asking if you’re available that Friday night. Sounds good, you’re both excited, so you decide to meet at a restaurant for dinner.
A phone call with Nina a short while later gets you even more excited. The way she talks about Brian makes him seem perfect. He’s a rich up-and-comer with some community work under his belt. He’s well-traveled and very popular. The guy can do no wrong. Boy #2 (we’ll call him Jake) has no chance now that you made your choice in the perfect date. Jake’s number is now in the trash.
Friday night: tonight is it. Brian is really on his way, Jake no longer has a bid in your life, Nina and your other friends are so excited for you, and you are pumped and ready to start a new chapter in your life. It may only be the first date, but he sounds like he could be the One already.
Brian calls. He’s working late, so he’ll have to meet you there. Bummed but still full of hope, you grab your keys and head out the door, climb in the car and back out of the driveway.
On the way to the restaurant, you notice your gas light flashing in your car. Damn, I’ll have to fill up on the way home. Times have been so tough lately. Work had to make cutbacks on commissions and credit collectors have been calling every day. You were doing so well until you started spending too much, too often. It’s finally caught up with you, and you’re hoping Brian and his cushy job may one day soon bail you out.
At the restaurant, Brian is waiting. He looks so dapper in his suit. You’ve been waiting for this date all week.
Seated at the table, Brian starts talking about himself. At first, he seems to be saying all the right things. You both agree on politics, religion, family, education, Hollywood and other gossip. He talks long term, you swoon. Too good to be true. But soon, his long-winded one-sided conversation is just that. The waitress approaches to take your order and when she repeats your order back, you quietly correct her that you want white wine and not red. No biggie, just a small difference. Brian puts his hand in front of you, as if to shut you up and looks to the waitress. “I’m sorry. She’s never been a waitress before. She doesn’t know what it’s like. Whatever you bring will be fine, no complaints here.” The waitress smiles at him, frowns at you and walks away.
“What the hell was that?” you ask him.
“I just meant that if you knew each other better, you would learn to get along,” he replied.
You’re pissed, but give him another chance. After all, Nina did talk so highly of him.
The night goes on, his conversation seems to be prewritten, more of a speech to a wall rather than cander between to people in the moment. He ordered the most expensive thing every time, and he criticized you for choosing a salad because you weren’t taking full advantage of the chef’s talents. When the waitress delivers the order, he announces he will give her a huge tip and hands her a business card. As she walks away smiling, he notices the puzzled/pissed look on your face and says it’s only if she needs a good lawyer.
You’re eating your salad, he’s droning on and on about the life he could provide for a girl, as if he’s still trying to get a first date with you. Well, at least he’s paying for this date. Right?
Check comes, you get up to use the powder room (do people still call it that?), and upon your return, the check is still sitting there. He looks at you and says, “you’re picking up the tab, right?”
“What?” This is insane.
“I mean, you’re the one who wanted to go out with me. And don’t forget to leave a huge tip for the waitress. You owe her for earlier. I’ll see you later.” And he jets out the door.
This is the shittiest relationship you’ve ever had, and it only lasted one date! You have to pay the bill because he’s already out scot free. The date was his idea and because you went along with it, you’re stuck footing the bill and you’re already in debt and still have to get gas. When you call Nina, she defends his side even if she knows he’s wrong and you’re the one who’s been there for her. Grr. You really should have kept Jake’s number.
Sound familiar? America, we’re on the world’s worst first date, and it’s going to last 4 years. MSNinaBC and all her friends are covering for him, when it’s you they should be caring about. In the world of dating, as in the world of politics, Jake’s date might not have been the perfect one either, but I can guarantee you it would have been better. Instead, we chose charisma over character, and now we’re stuck footing the bill.
Grr…
Tiffany
*If you’re a dude, change Nina to Nick, Brian to Brittany, Jake to Jackie and all the he’s to she’s and you’re good to go. It’s the same damn story.
I just got finished watching tonight’s episode of Criminal Minds. A bioterrorist used an invented form of Anthrax to poison people in a D.C. park and bookstore. Considered a nutso, a military scientist is removed from his position and locked out of any position pertaining to biochemistry in the military. Reduced to working on the simple flu, he becomes intrigued with a student’s proposal to study Anthrax together. However, the student doesn’t have the same innocent intentions and uses the new strain to get revenge on his rejectors.
Criminal Minds is based around the FBI’s criminal profilers. Using their knowledge of the way that people think and react to life, they find serial killers, kidnappers, rapists, and now bioterrorists.
[…hmm… Got me thinking, if actors on a television series can find and prosecute domestic terrorists, how come our own government can’t get a grip on international terrorists? I mean, we did for 8 years (minus Bin Laden), but now we can’t even say that they’re naughty without worrying about offending them? Pork, please. Gimme a break.]
So the show starts out with a pitch to current events. They don’t want to tell the whole country about the few first cases because “mass hysteria will cause more deaths than it will prevent.” Definitely what a lot of people have been saying about the Swine Flu. Mass hysteria caused more people to freak out, lose money by avoiding work and school, exile friends and family who simply cough.
By not taking a simple immediate action by closing the border to prevent more cases from coming in, we caused more cases to flow in, allowing the virus to continue spreading. And by not reducing the number of cases and curing them before they spread, we put many more lives at stake. This is a problem that began in Mexico, could have been easily contained, yet has affected 3352 people and caused 3 deaths in the U.S. as of this morning. The failure of POTUS and his officials to take necessary PREcautions, we now have to deal with the continuing stress of an epidemic not worth having.
The show continued on, not releasing info to the public, and then they criticized a man for saying that sacrificing few to save many is a good idea. In the terms of the show, killing a few with Anthrax to get the government to fund Anthrax prevention for the entire nation is wrong. I can’t see anywhere where taking this idea upon yourself when you don’t have the authority or permission to do so would be ethical. However, if this was a stab at war, which I don’t think it was, it was a lame way to do it.
The last point that the show made was when Rossi asked Prentiss “would letting the public know of all the terrorist plots we have prevented make them feel safer or feel more vulnerable?” It’s an excellent question, in theory.
On one hand, knowing of all the attacks prevented would help regain a trust/security in our military and intelligence agencies that is dwindling. These men and women work day and night to keep us safe. They are heroes and should truly be commended for their efforts and successes. It would be an excellent idea to know that not only have we not had an attack in 7 years, but to know that the possible ones didn’t happen because of those who do an awesome job in ensuring our safety. To say that we couldn’t handle knowing about our own security is sort of dumbing down the whole society.
On the other hand, would it be another installment of mass hysteria? Would our country full of lovable freaks and geeks and everyone else be able to handle the news? Would letting out this information not be a relief to Americans, but a destruction on our way of life? Would it let our enemies know what we could and could not prevent?
I don’t know all the answers. I won’t until I look into it a little more and then figure out where I stand on the whole issue. Both sides of the table pull very interesting points. Is the information really out there and being hidden because it would enforce the idea that Bush was a great President when it came to security and international terrorism? Or is it all just another bit of conspiracy theory? In the age of media reporting whatever the heck they think is true rather than intelligent journalism, who knows other than those doing the actual job?
Information has now been released about an attack prevented in Los Angeles at the Library Tower. An attack that could have killed hundreds or thousands of people, I’m not sure. There could have been more, there could have not been. If there haven’t, it means like with Reagan and Bush 41, terrorists took our 43rd President seriously and decided to wait until we are more vulnerable to attack. If there have, it means that Bush 43 and his team of officials and people in the military did an amazing job. Either way, it doesn’t villify the former Prez, so is that why we really aren’t talking about these things unless we’re discussing how waterboarding makes a known-terrorist feel. (Pork, Please).
Would we be relieved or have an increased sense of vulnerability?
The only person I can speak for is myself. And my answer is one of relief. Because whether it happened or didn’t happen or whatever, I have an increased sense of pride in my country, my military, Mr. B43, and our ability to stand up for ourselves.
Tiffany
Tifftwin 