Over the last few years, starting with the Abu Graib scandal, and disclosure about Guantanamo, we have found out that our government has been routinely torturing captured prisoners, and is continuing to do so.

In the Republican Convention, one of the speakers mocked Obama about being concerned of “reading terrorists their rights.”

The fact is, the great majority of the prisoners in Guantanamo were there because they happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time, and they got washed up in Afghanistan, brought to Cuba, and left there to languish under the label of terrorist for years. The large majority of those prisoners were not terrorists. However, the current administration, and sadly, the McCain campaign, will have our country believe they are all terrorists. We’re being subjected to a very one-sided view, and it’s called propaganda.

Whatever the reason, whatever the justification, the fact is that America is now torturing prisoners and the world knows it. The civilized world knows it, the third world knows it, Russia knows it, China knows it, and the Middle East knows it.

I feel very, very sorry for the poor American son or daughter that gets captured or shot down in Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan or any other dangerous country, and falls into the wrong hands. They will be tortured. And the captors will not care about the Geneva Convention. After all, the United States does not care and routinely, and per official government policy, tortures people.

Not only will our sons and daughters be tortured because it’s effective, they will be tortured as payback.

The reputation of the United States has been tarnished for decades to come. We can no longer demand that other nations follow the Geneva convention.

When we send our troops into harm’s way, we’re REALLY sending them into harm’s way now.