Haunting "Ghosts"

Ghosts of Abu Ghraib physically affected me. While I know that horrors like those in the prison occur around the world on a daily basis seeing the victims as well as those who performed acts of torture speaking about it and try to explain why it happens was too much for me to handle. Horror movies often depict acts of torture, painful deaths, and greusome images, but for me that is completely different because those aren't real. Though they may be based on real events, the actual images are not from real life and the actors in the films aren't being harmed. The idea that those actual people performed, created and lived through those actual scenarios is extremely disturbing.
Another thing that really sent me over the edge was the exploitation of humiliation and the use of family members and culture against individuals. Just to have to live through the horror every day of being humiliated would probably kill me, but to also watch the humiliation of those you love and the destruction of the values and ideals that you live by is absolutely horrific.
I agree with Lauren that the military personell that blindly followed orders to torture and humiliate those prisoners is completely unacceptable and outrageous. To see them smiling and recalling events and emotions that compelled them to do unspeakable acts was sickening. Our citizens and our government should have much higher respect for humanity than that, especially since we consider ourselves leaders in democracy and freedom. We criticize and denounce the acts of other countries who perform autrocities but are willing and able to create our own? Something just does not add up. Should we really consider ourselves a role model for other nations if ours is capable of such things? We need to seriously reconsider our military and international policies and take power away from people who are nothing less than blood-hungry elitists who cannot fathom the value of a human life, but rather regard their own positions of power as sacred.