Call me a naive idealist, but when I think of America, I don't think about torture, ruthless self-preservation, and the cold and hopeless doctrine that might makes right. When I think of America, I think of unshakable optimism, faith in the ability of human beings to achieve greatness and about moral values. It is for this reason that I believe those who want to weaken the war crimes act, and get rid of the Geneva conventions because they believe that they are impediments to the fight against terrorism don't understand that if America wins this fight by giving up its ideals, by un-Americanizing itself, it would have lost, and the world would become a less hopeful place. The fight against terrorism is not about who the terrorists are, but about whom we are and about whom we want our children to be. America is great, because so far, it has been a proof that it is possible to build a country on idealism and on positive ideas such as liberty and happiness. Authorizing cruelty and ignoring international laws, which reflect American values, would be failing not only the founders, but also all of the people who made America.
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