All this talk about Communism...

It's gotten me thinking, thinking about people who were wrongly killed because of misguided political ideology.

Archbishop Oscar Romero, one of the great advocates for human rights in Latin America, said it best:

"When I give the poor food, they call me a saint. When I ask why the poor have no food, they call me a Communist."

Taken by an assassin's bullet while leading Mass, his death is a chilling example of how reactionaries will do anything to keep power and silence strong voices for progress and change. I really think the time has come in America for an honest discussion about improving our nation and lifting our people up.

It's not about socialism, it's not about Communism, and it certainly has nothing to do with fascism. This is America. The country that was founded upon principles of equality, egalitarianism, and most of all - free will and the ability to believe as you should. It's time to retire antiquated Cold War ideologies and open our minds to greater possibilities. The marketplace of ideas, as Mill put it, will allow free societies the opportunity for open forums and civil discourses and naturally, the best ideas will evolve out of that marketplace and take hold.

Ending torture to make America safer

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- CIA Director Leon Panetta has carried through on his pledge to prohibit independent contractors from conducting interrogations of terror suspects.

In a message to agency employees on Thursday, Panetta said he had notified the congressional oversight committees about the current CIA policy regarding interrogations.

Besides discontinuing the use of contractors, the director outlined in the message other steps taken in response to executive orders issued by President Obama in January.

The harsh interrogation techniques authorized by the Bush administration will no longer be used. Panetta said questioning of suspected terrorists will follow the approaches authorized in the Army Field Manual.

He said that included suspects held by Americans or those who might have been transferred to other countries.

The secret prisons used to detain terror suspects have been closed, Panetta said.

This single action alone will make America ten times safer than any Bush-era policy. When America can ethically and morally conduct business and follow the guidelines set forth in not just the Geneva Conventions, but the Bill of Rights, and the Army's own field manual, we will be more respected, have more authority on which to dictate to other nation's, and can rest assured that we are not lowering ourselves to the level of our enemy.

America doesn't torture. We don't outsource torture. We don't use "harsh negotiation tactics". We don't torture - period. Not only does torture yield inaccurate results, it's illegal, immoral, and un-Christian. This is a decision all Americans can be proud of.

No longer will this abominable practice be carried out in our name.