Patrick Leahy: “this is a troubling time in America. Yesterday I spoke on this Senate floor about the despicable abuses perpetrated…”

“this is a troubling time in America. Yesterday I spoke on this Senate floor about the despicable abuses perpetrated against Iraqi prisoners. The damage done to every American and to the reputation of our great Nation as a whole as a result of these barbaric acts is incalculable. It has severely tarnished our image as a nation of laws, a nation that for more than two centuries has been a beacon of hope for oppressed people around the world. Every day, quite rightly, we pride ourselves on our Constitution and our Bill of Rights. After all, they were the template for the universal declaration of human rights. We often criticize other nations for violating those rights, for engaging in torture and other crimes, and it is right that we do. We should speak out when human rights and liberties are violated whenever and wherever it occurs. But today we see our own faces in the mirror. Until recently, it was beyond our ability to contemplate that we would become the subject of such universal ridicule and scorn for the actions of a handful. The reputation of our Armed Forces, certainly since the First World War, has deservedly been the finest in the world. As the father of a former marine, I can attest that the training of our troops and the outstanding performance of the vast majority of them should make every American proud. They conduct themselves professionally. They treat others with respect. They perform bravely.…”