Pity the poor terrorists and filmmakers

IT would take a heart of stone not to laugh at Tina Daunt’s account of Alex Gibney’s supposed ordeal in making his documentary on alleged American “torture” of terrorist detainees in Afghanistan [“ ‘Taxi’s’ Difficult Route to an Oscar,” Feb. 29]. Two whole years to get his movie made -- oh the humanity!

When the reasonable person hears the word “torture,” he thinks of things like pliers pulling out fingernails, cattle prods to the genitals, that sort of stuff. What are the specific tortures Gibney’s movie depicts? We’re not told. The worst that this article comes up with is this: “He captures not only the appalling physical acts of torture (even describing how a prisoner cried for his parents). . . .”

Sorry, but I could care less if some terrorist planting roadside bombs to blow up our soldiers and innocent Afghans cried for his parents.

I bet the folks who were forced to jump off the top of the burning World Trade Center cried for their parents too. But they’re not getting three square meals and seven prayer sessions a day at Guantanamo.

Kevin McMahon

Santa Clarita