One of the unreported facts which occurred during Saturday evening’s Republican debate was that front-runner Donald Trump stated that he would reinstate torture as a policy for interrogating suspected terrorists. Add this to his plan to refuse all Muslims entrance to the United States, and his promise to deport nearly 12 million undocumented workers, and we witness a very sad fact; the principles of our nation are at stake, and the Constitution is in danger of nearly total destruction.

Any individual who calls themselves an American must have been appalled when we heard that our leaders approved torturing our presumed enemies. Not only is this against everything our nation stands for, it is an ignorant practice. Those in the mental health profession have stated for years that torture is ineffective. After causing repeated mental or physical pain to any man or woman, they will tell you anything to end their suffering. It is highly unlikely that the truth will be revealed.

When America practices discrimination, the very ideal of our nation, and the dreams of our founding fathers are dismissed. To isolate one race, one religion, or one ethnic group, and deny them equal treatment is against every principle once revered by the people of the United States and its government.

The use of fear to acquire votes is abominable. Not a single Republican presidential candidate has spoken about issues most important to the American people.

All of them join Trump to some degree regarding his views for the future of America. Our nation would become a third world country in an instant. The United States of America would cease to exist in its original form. They would begin to destroy all amendments to the Constitution one by one, with the exception of the second; the NRA lobby provides millions of dollars in campaign contributions to the right wing.

If I was told that in the future politicians would advocate the denial of what I learned in ‘social studies’ while in high school, I would have scoffed at such a suggestion. Now that this has become a reality, I fear for the nation in which I was raised.

I have lost complete faith in my government, and in some of my fellow Americans. I was proud to recit the ‘Pledge of Allegiance’ every morning in elementary school. Sadly, the words do not apply today. In case you’ve never heard it spoken, or don’t remember it, these are the words I reverently recited before classes began.

“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands; one nation; under God; indivisible; with liberty and justice for all.”

I don’t believe that our government believes in ‘one indivisible nation,’ and definitely would deny ‘liberty and justice for all.’

Politicians seek the division of our nation, and has accomplished that fact through the creation of ‘red and blue’ states. Politicians believe that liberty and justice belong only to those who can afford them.

Op-Ed

By James Turnage

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Photo Courtesy of Salim Virji

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