I do some pro-bono work for a group in GA that assist immigrants who have been tortured in their native countries. They help them attain permanent asylum in the US.

I see articles like this and what they describe and I have to laugh. I’ve met (and seen the effects) of people whom have actually been tortured.

Charles is very right when he says that tossing around the ‘torture’ word willy-nilly like the Times is doing degrades the word and its meaning.

Side note: GA’s Federal Court track record of granting asylum to individuals who have been proven to be the victims of brutal torture is around… zero. Maybe 2 over the past decade. I’d have to double-check.