In the November 21, 2005, edition of Newsweek Magazine, Vice President Richard Cheney is once again quoted as saying the U.S. government must "work the Dark Side" - that means killing and torturing enemy prisoners of war and U.S. citizens to win the failed Iraq War.

Cheney said the same thing on September 16, 2001: "We also have to work, though, sort of the dark side, if you will.  We've got to spend time in the shadows in the intelligence world. A lot of what needs to be done here will have to be done quietly, without any discussion, using sources and methods that are available to our intelligence agencies, if we're going to be successful. That's the world these folks operate in, and so it's going to be vital for us to use any means at our disposal, basically, to achieve our objective."

As most Americans know, the "Dark Side" is a reference to the movie "Star Wars."  The two main antagonists, Darth Vader and Darth Sidious, use the power of the "Dark Side" in their terrible quest for absolute military and political power.  The end result of using the "Dark Side" is death and destruction.

In the six movies that comprise "Star Wars," the use of the "Dark Side" by the criminal and evil "Sith Lords" causes the obliteration of entire planets and the mass murder of millions of innocent people.  The use of the "Dark Side" destroys a wonderful Republic where democracy flourished.  Darth Vader and Darth Sidious then substitute the Republic with a brutal dictatorship and a galactic Empire far worse than any ever seen in history.  Americans may remember that on December 18, 2000, shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court selected George W. Bush as president, that Bush said he wanted to be a dictator.

Therefore, when the U.S. Vice President boldly mentions the U.S. government should work the "Dark Side," this has very ominous and foreboding implications for our democracy and the lives of six billion humans on our planet.  Cheney’s glib comments shouldn't be considered a joke by anyone.

In fact, his revealing quote in Newsweek sends a disturbing chill down the spine of veterans who take an oath to uphold our U.S. Constitution against all enemies, both foreign and domestic.  The Eighth Article of Amendment in our U.S. Constitution, part of our cherished "Bill of Rights," prohibits "cruel and unusual punishment."

Furthermore, several laws and treaties approved by our Senate prohibit the use of torture, murder, and bodily harm by our government on anyone.  The U.S. Constitution and our laws are about us: our Nation, our values, and how we, as a free people, value life and oppose state-sponsored tyranny.

Cheney’s quotes are not an isolated incident.  In several recent court cases, President Bush and Vice President Cheney advocated the end of habeus corpus – the right for any citizen to be brought to court and not held in prison (or the King’s dungeon) indefinitely.  The loss of habeus corpus, specifically mentioned in the first Article of our U.S. Constitution, would represent a tragic major blow to our liberty.

Sadly, Cheney admits, with his outrageous quote, that he is ignorant of our Constitution, our laws, our treaties, and our American values.  His promotion of torture, rape, murder, beatings, secret prisons, and other high crimes raises questions about his sanity and his fitness for any public office.

Cheney's comments are stark and plain evidence demonstrating how "out of control" the Bush administration has become in their zeal to win the Iraq War -- the war Bush lied to start, the war Bush failed to plan to win, and the war Bush is losing so badly at the cost of thousands of lives and many more tens of thousands wounded.

Cheney’s comments deserve widespread rebuke and discussion among citizens.  Therefore, please share Cheney's quote with your family, your friends, and your neighbors.

Therefore, challenge them with this question: Do Cheney's quotes and the Bush administration's actions promote your values, American values, and democracy?  The only reasonable answer is no.

With the widespread torture at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq and elsewhere, with the loss of habeus corpus in the U.S., and with the Vice President publicly calling for the U.S. government to "work the Dark Side," when and how will we the people end this serious and significant criminal activity? 

The bottom line is plain common sense: Americans and veterans oppose using the Dark Side, and that means we oppose tyranny and torture.  Americans and veterans support our U.S. Constitution and the rule of law, and that means life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

-- Reasonable Veteran

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10020629/site/newsweek/

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/blog/2005/11/07/BL2005110700793.html