Can we all agree about the torture, please? And do something about it?

James Schamus writes, and I wholeheartedly agree, that our biggest problem right now is the torture (see, that's why with the blog title, about the Biscuit Teams. Because the whole torture thing is eating away at me. It's really unpleasant. And I'm not even one of the ones being tortured).

So can we all stop arguing about economic vs. cultural populism, whether the values question was a red herring, gay marriage, who we should have for DNC chair, Al From, exurbs, rural messages, and George Lakoff for just one minute and focus on the torture?! Please?

Schamus suggests we focus, then, on Alberto Gonzales, or, as he calls him, "Mr. Torture", and that we insist that Dem Senators filibuster him. Alberto Gonzales thinks torture is A-OK. If we allow him to become Attorney General, we are also saying we think torture is A-OK.

So let's all stand in front of a mirror, right now, and practice saying to our kids, "Torture is A-OK." Practice explaining to them what constitutes torture. "Torture is when you stub out cigarettes in someone's ear, threaten to rape their sister, or their son, beat them in the kidneys, don't let them sleep, and use the advice of psychiatric experts to permanently damage their minds, all in the expectation that good will come of it."

Feeling a little nervous about how to have "The Talk about Torture" with your kids, current or future? A little shaky on the best way to explain why torture is A-OK? Vomiting into your toilet about now, thinking about what it means to teach your kids that torture is A-OK?

Then please, please, let us stand up against the perverse and depraved lifestyle of torture. Let us purge the government of people who think torture is a legitimate lifestyle choice. Let us tell our perhaps-elected representatives exactly what we think about torture-loving perverts serving in high office.

It's unlikely they'll pay us any mind, of course, but what else can we do?