It was in 1970 that I re-joined Columbia Pictures Television Company (Screen Gems International) to be responsible for sales.
Within a few months, I concluded a sale in the UK for about fifty of our feature films. Each title had been individually negotiated with the buyer, and I reported the deal to our accounting department.
The next day I was visited by a senior corporate person who came into my office, closed the door and handed me a sheet of paper revising the prices from the UK deal. He explained that by using my prices we would have to pay two of our producers a couple of hundred thousand dollars, and by submitting the deal the way he wanted it, we would save the money.
When I refused, he said something like, "Look, Norman, the producers steal from us when they make movies, and all we are doing is getting even." I told him that I would not participate in this "you stole from me so I will steal from you" scenario.
I listened this morning to additional details surrounding our detention and torture of prisoners. The rational for all of this is similar to the rational of Columbia Pictures: These people attacked us on 9/11m, ergo we are only "getting even." What ever happened to American due process?
The Bush administration has done many bad things in five years, but this is probably the worst.
I am unable to rationalize the torture of these prisoners. There is something so immoral, sadistic and UN-AMERICAN about this that it is overwhelming to me.
As broadcasters and newspapers periodically report on our casualties in Afghanistan and Iraq, they should similarly call attention to the prisoners we are detaining and torturing. Repeat the information each day and try to create a ground swell of Americans who just might say, "I'm fed up, and I'm not going to take it anymore."
Bring these prisoners to the United States and put them on public trial. Shine a big light on the situation and tell the world that America will not continue to do what we have been doing. And please do not tell us it will harm our security if we do this.
What we are doing now will harm our souls.
How sad.