Over on The American Prospect, Adam Serwer has taken a bit of exception with Jay Nordlinger of the National Review and his assertion that Alhaji Umaru Mutallab, father of the Christmas Day bomber, is a candidate for father of the year. Serwer's less ticked about the assertion than the person/persons calling for it
Of course, Mutallab did indeed do a brave thing by contacting U.S. authorities. But I'm assuming Nordlinger shares the views of his colleagues at the National Review that his son Abdulmutallab should be tortured for information. I doubt many parents would come forward with concerns that their children are being radicalized if they think the United States is going to stick them in a secret prison somewhere and waterboard them. On the contrary, the realistic fear that people apprehended by American authorities might be tortured could help create the kind of toxic relationship with counterterrorism units that we see between urban communities and the police in the U.S., which would contribute to radicalization, rather than mitigate it.
Question: Would you turn your child in for actions that could lead to their torture?