...for good reason: because we aspire to hold ourselves to that higher standard. And because we did, for many years, attain that higher standard.
Aberration it may be, but it's one aberration too many. If we declare ourselves "free" and try to convince the world that we're the most free country on the planet, then we'd damn well better act like it, and not torture and wrongfully imprison people without due process.
Yes, some other countries do far worse things on a far more regular basis, but that's no excuse for us to do so, however infrequently. See also: "but he started it!" and its application as an excuse to your mom. |
