In fact, the converse is true: At a time when the United States has been called on for a level of moral leadership, vision and inspiration not seen since World War II, we cannot afford to dissemble about crimes against humanity.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
I do think the U.S. has a moral and political leadership role to play.
We Americans have a sense of ourselves as a moral people. We have led the way in the fight for human rights in the world. Mistreating prisoners makes the world see our moral claims as hypocrisy.
Americans have been taught that their nation is civilized and humane. But, too often, U.S. actions have been uncivilized and inhumane.
Under the leadership of President Bush and Vice President Cheney, the United States has given up the moral high ground that we used to occupy as an international leader.
Yes, America must do the right thing, but to provide moral leadership, America must do it in the right way, too.
It is impossible to think of a world in which America was not there in the honorable service of humanity.
When the world lacks muscular and wise American leadership, it devolves into total chaos, which, in turn, produces unspeakable evils.
The U.S. is supposed to be a nation of second chances, but for the 70 million Americans with a criminal record, we're not doing such a great job. Even among those whose crimes were nonviolent and committed long ago, too many still bear a scarlet letter.
The concept of war crimes is an American invention.
The U.S. used to be perceived as the moral leader of the world, and we have absolutely lost that.