Torture vs. Freedom / Contemplaing the Gift of Freedom

by Debbie Pelley, NW Arkansas: Columnist Nancy Salvato wrote an article by this title, "Contemplating the Gift of Freedom." Salvato used as the basis of her article the recently discovered drawings, which depicted methods Al-Qaeda uses to torture captives (e.g., blowtorch to the skin, eye removal, drilling hands, severing limbs, etc.). The pictures were a good reminder to me of why we are continuing our fight in Iraq and why we must continue to fight for the right of our military leaders to use the techniques, which in no way compare to any of these, to protect our soldiers from becoming captives.

But Salvato's article also reminded me of my own contemplation in the last few years. As I have tasted the bitterness of the fruit of intimidation, coercion, corruption, and the looming loss of freedom in our own country, I have often meditated on just how painful it would have been to live an entire lifetime, like millions have, in Cuba under the reign of Castro, in Russia under Stalin type dictatorship, under China's Mao, or Iraq's Saddam Hussein.

For me, I have at least escaped that type of torture for almost a lifetime! And I am deeply grateful, but still not nearly as grateful yet as I should be, for those who sacrificed and are still sacrificing for us so that we could have these blessings. For that I become more grateful every day; and as corrupt as our country is becoming, we still are far ahead of any country I know of in blessings and freedom. But I do greatly fear for the future generations!

I think Emily Dickinson's poem speaks to my own feelings - as I taste the looming loss of freedom, I count the nectar of freedom even sweeter. And Dickinson expresses the feelings of hundreds of thousands of those who died in battle and didn't get to experience on this earth the victory for which they died.
Success Is Counted Sweetest* by Emily Dickinson
Success is counted sweetest
By those who ne'er succeed.
To comprehend a nectar
Requires sorest need.

Not one of all the purple Host
Who took the Flag today
Can tell the definition
So clear of Victory

As he defeated-dying
On whose forbidden ear
The distant strains of triumph
Burst agonized and clear!
*(1864) published later (1878) as "Success"

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