On Tue, 25 Apr 2006 14:20:46 GMT, Ken Fortenberry
wrote:



We'll have to agree to disagree, in my world morality and
responsibility are always material and in my opinion leaking
the existence of torture prisons is more honorable and patriotic
than keeping them a secret because of an oath.

Hmm...OK. Now reverse it. Suppose the officer in question discovers
that a foreign national, in the US, has a bomb and is planning to blow
up a school, so they decide that honor, morality, and patriotism suggest
that they kill this person immediately. And in doing so, they discover
a co-conspirator on-scene, so they start questioning them. With no
answers readily offered, they shoot them in the foot. In walks family
members...

In short, you are making the biggest mistake one can make with this type
of thing. You are attempting to substitute _your_ judgment in place of
the law for guidance as to what one should do. And that's real
comforting and all...until the judgment made isn't one _you_ like.
That's why things like personal judgment and "morality" have nothing to
do with this and the law and lawful orders is and should be controlling.

It's a whole lot easier on the soul and the psyche to lead men into the
breach than to order them into it, and both are harder than following
someone in, and until you've had to do all of it and understand why,
it's pretty difficult to even comprehend any of it.

HTH,
R