Take a moment please,

And remember Admiral James Stockdale, former VP candidate and POW who died this year. The Carpetbagger Report links to a New York Times Magazine story (sub. required) about Admiral Stockdale that is worth checking out. Here is the part that grabbed me:

After his release, Stockdale became president of the Citadel, a civilian military college in South Carolina, but only lasted a year. Stockdale apparently wanted to curb the school's violent hazing culture, his board blocked his efforts, so he quit. As he later told a friend, "When you've been tortured by professionals, you do not have to put up with amateurs."

We have discussed torture on this blog and in our radio show quite a bit in the last few years. I think it is instructive to consider the treatment of American POW's in the Hanoi Hilton in truly grasping the depths of human degradation and evil that torture represents. Not to mention, for you *realists*, the complete and utter failure it was in this context for providing useful information or even propaganda. Admiral Stockdales resistance, and his almost superhuman efforts to retain his dignity and humanity in the face of his brutal treatment, deserves a moment of reflection on his memory, and as inspiration to redouble our efforts to restore the honor of this nation and it's ideals and end the support and practice of torture by this country.

Godspeed Admiral.