Well, in that case, why do we even bother to have a law against torture?

We executed people in the past for doing the same things we ourselves have now done. Where was our forgiveness then? I think if we are only willing to enforce laws on other people, while "forgiving" ourselves for doing the same things, that makes us far worse than hypocrites. And it compounds the criminality of what we have done.

If our government prosecutes people who are responsible for torture, it's not something we are doing to others. It is our country taking responsibility for our transgressions against others. If we say, "Oops. Sorry. Get over it." We are sending the rest of the world the message that we really don't give a goddamn shit about anyone but ourselves.

Now, I realize this is a stance that this country has taken for a very long time, but I thought we had decided that we were going to do better than that now. Perhaps I was mistaken.