Lately, there's been a lot of news about the torture techniques that have been used on "enemy combatants" to illicit information. But quite frankly I have a hard time with the fact that there's any debate at all. Yes, I'm aware that sometimes prisoners hold information that could be considered vital but isn't the refusal to use torture what's suppose to separate us from being barbarians ourselves? Aren't we suppose to be a nation that stands for high principles even when those principles aren't easy or convenient? To suggest that something like waterboarding is "legal" has to be the ultimate in legal hair splitting. No wonder our international reputation is at an all time low. How can we call for others to respect human rights when we don't? As has been said by many, being a free democratic society isn't for the faint of heart.