I had to laugh when I read the letter, “We can’t let US condone use of torture” by Joan O. King. Yes, no doubt, torture is barbaric, but I have a question. How else are we supposed to fight barbarians? Maybe ask them to go to their room for a time-out?

These extremists want to slash the heads off your children and grandchildren. They would like nothing more than explode a nuclear bomb right in the middle of Atlanta and kill millions. How would you suggest we stop them? I’m afraid Kum Ba Yah, love thy neighbor and “look what great Christians we are” will not get the job done.

OK, I agree, the U.S. should not “condone” torture, but we are fools to take it off the table while we see ISIS slicing the heads off journalists, burning Christians alive in their churches and forcing children to shoot “nonbelievers.”

Those “holier-than-thous” who think having a strong military will cause us to “lose our souls” are dangerously naive. And, of course, they never consider the real elephant in the room, the most obvious type of hypothetical. Let’s say we are at the lake surrounded by loved ones at a family reunion. We have just learned a 10-megaton bomb has been planted somewhere in Gainesville and it will detonate within 24 hours. Also assume our military has been fortunate to capture the one person who can tell us where it is and how to turn it off.

OK, Ms. King, you’ve got the ball. What do we do, run like hell or bring on the water-boarding?

Steve Ward
Gainesville

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