New York State Senator Greg Ball has stirred up controversy with a comment he tweeted Friday advocating the use of torture on the Boston Marathon bombing suspect as well as others suspected of terrorism, reports USA Today.
Ball, a Republican, tweeted, “Who wouldn't use torture on this punk to save more lives?” shortly after Dzhokhar Tsarnaev surrendered to Boston authorities early Friday evening.
In an interview with Fox News Monday, Ball defended his comment, saying that the use of torture would be justified if it saves even “one innocent life.”
“And it comes down to this,” Ball said. “When you talk about terrorism, information matters. And if getting that information, including torture, would save one innocent life -- including, that we've seen, children -- would you use torture?
I can tell you I would be first in line.”
Ball said he believes most Americans share his opinion.
He is also convinced that, like him, most New Yorkers would have seized the chance to put that belief to the test with Osama bin Laden.
“How many New Yorkers who wouldn't have appreciated at least 30 minutes in a room alone with Osama bin Laden? I know I would,” Ball said.
It would have been me, Osama bin Laden and a baseball bat.”
Ball said it’s time the country took off its kid gloves when pursuing potential terrorists.
“In the United States of America, we have people who believe that we can play patty cake,” Ball said.
“These terrorists play by a different set of rules. ... You have to take the fight to them.”
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