Andrew Sullivan has a post up nominating Captain Ian Fishback of the 82nd Airborne. Fishback was one of the first to call attention to the abuses going on in the war on terror. As an actively serving member of the Army, this West Point graduate had everything to lose. However, Fishback was more worried about losing his ideals, so he started a campaign to find out just what his orders were. After being unable to ever get an answer through the regular chain of command, Fishback went outside that chain, writing to Sen. McCain.
Sullivan has posted Fishback's entire letter. I recommend you read it. This man truly is an American hero. He is truly a patriot and staunch servant of the Constitution. One point he makes that stands out:
Do we sacrifice our ideals in order to preserve security? Terrorism inspires
fear and suppresses ideals like freedom and individual rights. Overcoming the
fear posed by terrorist threats is a tremendous test of our courage. Will we
confront danger and adversity in order to preserve our ideals, or will our
courage and commitment to individual rights wither at the prospect of sacrifice?
My response is simple. If we abandon our ideals in the face of adversity and
aggression, then those ideals were never really in our possession. I would
rather die fighting than give up even the smallest part of the idea that is
"America."
That's right, Dick Cheney. People who are against your "advanced interrogation techniques" are not pansy-assed liberals. They are not cowards. You are. And it's not just me saying it. It's someone like Capt. Fishback, a man who answered the call while you and your president were avoiding combat by any means necessary.
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