TORRANCE TRIBUNE December 18, 2014 Page 7 One Man’s Opinion Another Man’s Opinion Interesting Times Revelations of Torture Are Not Surprising, We’re Moving! During the month of December, Herald Publications is moving to a new location. Our new address is 500 Center St., El Segundo, CA 90245. Please note: There may be times during the month of December when our phones will not be working. You can still contact us via email. See our staff box for email addresses to suit your needs. Thank you for your patience and please come visit us at our new location! Burkley & Brandlin LLP A T T O R N E Y S A T L AW Living Trusts/Wills, Probate, Employment Law, Personal Injury Trust and Estates Litigation, Business Litigation, Civil Litigation 310-540-6000 *AV Rated (Highest) Martindale - Hubbell / **Certified Specialist Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law, State Bar of California, Board of Legal Specialization El Segundo Herald* Manhattan Beach Sun Hawthorne Press Tribune* Inglewood News* Lawndale News* Torrance Tribune* EL SEGUNDO OFFICE • 500 Center St. • El Segundo • CA • 90245 Phone: (310) 322-1830 • Fax: (310) 322-2787 • www.heraldpublications.com *Our papers are legally recognized and adjudicated newspapers of general circulation Graphic Artists Mike Gonzales, Patty Grau, Matt Lopez Contributing Writers Gerry Chong, TerriAnn Ferren, Greg McMullin, Duane Plank, Adam Serrao, Laura Sorensen, Brian Simon, Joe Snyder, Cristian Vasquez Photographers Marcy Dugan, Peter Thornton, Osvin Suazo Herald Publications Board Members Chairman and Vice President: Richard Van Vranken CEO and President: Heidi Maerker Director-at-Large: John Van Hook Herald Publications Staff Editor-in-Chief: Heidi Maerker Classifieds: Kimberly Roach Editorial: Laura Sorensen Display Advertising Sales: El Segundo: Linda Cohen, enrichlife@aol.com, (310) 322-8007 Torrance: Charlene Nishimura, charlenenishimura1@gmail.com, (213) 709-8590 Real Estate: graphics@heraldpublications.com Display Ads: marketing@heraldpublications.com Important Emails class@heraldpublications.com For classified ads dba@heraldpublications.com For Fictitious Business Name (DBAs) publications editorial@heraldpublications.com For announcements (weddings, engagements, obituaries, calendar), and subscriptions legalnotices@heraldpublications.com For publication of legal notices other than DBAs letters@heraldpublications.com For “Letters to the Editor” pr@heraldpublications.com For press releases and submissions for consideration Still Disappointing By Cristian Vasquez The recent report by the Senate Intelligence Committee into the Central Intelligence Agency’s “enhanced” interrogation tactics are definitely disappointing but even worse not surprising. Sitting in front of a computer makes it easy to criticize or rally behind any cause or action by our government and other world leaders. However, that’s not the purpose of this piece. None of us have to be told or reminded that torturing people in custody [or using enhanced interrogation techniques] is plain wrong. Attacking the people involved will probably do little to alleviate the situation or end such practices. What is disheartening is that there are enough people within our national defense agencies willing to engage in such acts and lie to keep it a secret. I get it: when it comes to national security many things must remain classified and certain steps are taken to keep the nation safe that might disturb average American citizens. However, when we as a nation pride ourselves as leaders of the free world, when we as a country boast about our respect for law and order and due process, knowing that at least one of our national security agencies torture detainees is shameful: it is embarrassing and wrong. The argument will be made that I know nothing about the dangers that exist and threaten American interests abroad and at home. That’s right; I don’t know all of the risks and vulnerabilities that we would face if we did not have these national security agencies investigating and acting against any and all threats. I do understand that when our troops or fellow Americans are arrested or detained abroad, that they don’t always receive the most humane treatment. However, when we carry the title of leaders of the free world and as a country with a charitable history to nations in need, engaging in acts of torture provides mixed messages to our allies and us as citizens. How effective can our enhanced interrogation methods be if the groups that threaten us know we will torture them? With terrorist willing to die in their efforts to destroy America, wouldn’t knowing that in our custody they will be tortured only convince them even more that dying in a suicide mission is a better alternative? We have had our share of Americans tortured abroad when in custody of enemies. Louis Zamperini was tortured as a POW in WWII; Senator John McCain was tortured as a POW in Vietnam and what did that accomplish for our enemies? Nothing. Senator McCain spoke from the Senate about the report and considered the techniques mentioned in the report to have “not only failed their purpose -- to secure actionable intelligence to prevent further attacks on the U.S. and our allies -- but actually damaged our security interests, as well as our reputation as a force for good in the world.” Whether those interrogation methods are effective or not, they are wrong. We can’t brag about law and order and due process while engaging in such inhumane and deplorable acts. I love living in a country where we are safe and can sleep at night without the fear of random military attacks from foreign enemies. However, in many instances the ends do not justify the means. • By Gerry Chong “May you live in interesting times” – purported Chinese curse Can anyone think of more interesting times that border on or cross over into insanity? For example, The Freedom of Information Act, through Judicial Watch, revealed that the government had paid The Baptist Children and Family Services $182 million to house for just four months, 2,400 children who had entered the U.S. illegally from Central America. Of that, each child was allocated $75 per day for food. $200,000 went to laptops. $160,000 bought 800 cell phones with international calling capability. Each child could call home twice a week for a four-month tab of $576,000. In just four months we had spent over $75,000 for each child! Generosity knows no bounds in interesting times. Interesting Times example Number Two: On Thanksgiving eve, when no one was looking, President Obama released a list of 3,514 new regulations on the Land of the Free. Interesting Times example Number three: Edwin Hill, President of the International Brotherhood of electrical workers, said the nation could not afford to lose more than 100 gigawatts of power over 5 years without compromising the reliability and safety of the nation’s electrical grid. Of that, 72.7 gigwatts of electrical generating capacity had already been scheduled for retirement. Now the EPA will require closing of plants producing 41-49 gigawatts of power, bringing potential loss up to 121 gigawats, more than enough to destabilize power in this country. Moreover, these closures will cost 52,000 direct and permanent jobs along with 100,000 indirectly, related jobs. That loss of capacity is sufficient to power 44.7 million homes, or every home in every state west of the Mississippi. No cost is too great for the cause of environmentalism. Interesting Times example Number Four: Traditionally, cities have established land use regulations specific to its own unique situation. Now President Obama has instituted a new rule that threatens a cut off of all federal funding to any city that fails to comply with Federal guidelines regarding racial mix, residential density, and other matters as the federal government may advance. The rule, entitled Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH), bypasses the states and exercises control over cities directly. If you like your city or neighborhood, be sure to check with Washington to be sure you’re in compliance. Interesting Times example Number Five: President Obama has proposed the “Fairness Doctrine,” placing the internet under government control. No one has defined either “fairness,” nor identified the arbiter of “fairness.” ‘Nuff said. Interesting Times example Number Six: Oil prices have fallen 40% since July, resulting in a national average $0.59 drop in gasoline prices. That translates to a $120 annual savings for the average family. Most would consider that a boon, but according to Energy Secretary Steven Chu, the Obama Administration has set a target of raising gas prices to $10 per gallon to reduce driving and preserving the environment at the expense of the economy. And so it goes in an interesting time. If it is true that the phrase is a Chinese curse, then we are a cursed nation. •
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