A Triumph of Life: Jeff Jacoby's article "A triumph of life and hope" about the 60th birthday of the State of Israel was so beautifully written. I had tears rolling down my cheeks throughout as he expressively states "The ovens of Treblinka and Auschwitz had barely cooled, and Jews were again being threatened with annihilation." A thriving Jewish homeland born from the ashes of Auschwitz, hewed by muscle and shear will has morphed the desert into life itself. The emergence of Israel as a Jewish state is testament to man's ability for rebirth in the face of overwhelming death. Am Yisrael Chai. The Jewish people live. On that we can agree.

Yet again, Bill Moyers brings excellence in journalism to the airwaves through the revelatory interview of Phillippe Sands whose book "Torture Team" I hope to read. Who would have thought in 2000 the failure-in-life person of George W. Bush would give us reading material about the plethora of illegalities and debacles of his administration which will be enough to take us into the next century to read and internalize?

In view of ALL that has occurred -- including, I submit, the treasonous activity of the outing of a CIA agent, beginning a war based on lies which has taken 4000 lives and counting costing this country soon-to-be trillions with no end in sight -- it will be astounding if this country does not change the tenor and nature of its power by overthrowing Republican politics then I completely throw up my hands. When a populous has an utterly shortsighted unaware understanding of things political which allow it to continue to vote fools into the highest most powerful office in the world, then it gets what it deserves.

Mr. Sands was passionate, verbally eloquent and academically credentialed. He offers up for examination what most of us already suspect. Our country, to its own peril, has been involved in the overthrow of the Geneva Conventions, has illegally employed torture techniques and brazenly flouted the law. Too bad more people like Mr. Sands do not occupy positions of power most especially within this most inept, corrupt, oblivious, cruel and murderous administration in US history.