Your wife (or husband), your two daughters, your son and your four grandchildren have been kidnapped by [insert your choice of “Bad Guys”]. Your family has been beaten and abused.  Your daughters raped.  All are put into an air-locked room. The air runs out in 12 hours. 11:59:59. 11:59:58 . . . . .

One of the bad guys has been captured and knows with precision where the air-locked room is. It’s 30 minutes away. Somewhere. The bad guy is seated in front of you. Tied to a chair. And when you ask him where the room is – he smirks and says %&#*x!.  And he asks for a glass of water. And demands some food.

Now there are some who would shrug and be resigned that their family would be wiped out in a few hours. And go get a pitcher of water and a ham and cheese sandwich for the guy. “Not ham – lamb you %#&^*x!  – and don’t forget the chips.” But I’m sure that many of us, given a scenario that is this close to home, might narrow their eyes. And start thinking how can I get this information. I need to save my family.  I just heard Mr. Obama state casually that America had “tortured some folks” and that it’s wrong.  I wonder if confronted by this situation, Mr. Obama might react differently. 

I’m not here to posit a moral judgment either way.  But simply to raise the question of — what would you do if your family was in harm’s way?  How far would you go?  What if you had the chance to save your whole family or someone else’s family?  With “enhanced interrogation.”  What if you had the chance to save 3,300 people from being incinerated?  Let’s say your whole family is in that group.   It is a tough question until it walks in your door.  And sits down at the table in front of you.  The answer may be a simple one.  With an asterisk.  You tell me.