---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I knew about some experience on the…"
description: "\"I knew about some experience on the operational part of the CIA with Latin American services and so forth having to do with torture. But this was the f..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c34/ray-mcgovern-27150_abhorrent_i-knew-about-some-experience-on-the-oper_294764.jpg"
---

#  I knew about some experience on the operational part of…

![“I knew about some experience on the operational part of the CIA with Latin American services and so forth having to do with torture. But this was the first time that the CIA was openly advocating for permission to be able to torture. And that seemed to me so abhorrent that I wanted to disassociate…” quote by Ray McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c34/ray-mcgovern-27150_abhorrent_i-knew-about-some-experience-on-the-oper_294764.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c34/ray-mcgovern-27150_abhorrent_i-knew-about-some-experience-on-the-oper_294764.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c34/ray-mcgovern-27150_abhorrent_i-knew-about-some-experience-on-the-oper_294764.jpg)

> “I knew about some experience on the operational part of the CIA with Latin American services and so forth having to do with torture. But this was the first time that the CIA was openly advocating for permission to be able to torture. And that seemed to me so abhorrent that I wanted to disassociate myself from the CIA for the first time since 1963, because I didn't want to be associated in any way, however remotely, with an agency engaged in torture.”

[Ray McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-mcgovern/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The speaker expresses moral revulsion at CIA’s open support for torture, prompting personal disassociation.

**In simple terms:** CIA’s stance on torture felt abhorrent, leading to personal break.

Key Takeaway

Reject association with unethical actions.

Themes

ethics government human rights personal integrity disassociation

Mood

disgusted determined

Type

statement personal testimony

When to use this quote

- political activism
- whistleblowing
- career decisions
- public statements

Key Concepts

Moral outrage institutional accountability personal conscience

Questions to Reflect On

- How do we balance security and human rights?
- What responsibilities do individuals have when institutions act unethically?

A Different Perspective

The CIA may argue national security justifies harsh measures.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Cia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cia/) [Latin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/latin/) [Latin america](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/latin-america/) [Latin american](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/latin-american/) [Torture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/torture/)

## Related quotes

> [“Strange isn't it? How it's the direction we are viewed from that makes us attractive or abhorrent.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/galen-beckett/strange-isn-t-it-how-it-s-the-direction-we-are-viewed-from-that-makes/)

[Galen Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/galen-beckett/)

> [I've never seen anything so abhorrent in my life as Harry Reid. He's an equal opportunity basher. He goes after everybody, and I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-perino/i-ve-never-seen-anything-so-abhorrent-in-my-life-as-harry-reid-he-s/)

[Dana Perino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-perino/)

> [I said I thought female labour of the sort exacted from these slaves, and corporal chastisement such as they endure, must be abhorrent to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fanny-kemble/i-said-i-thought-female-labour-of-the-sort-exacted-from-these-slaves/)

[Fanny Kemble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fanny-kemble/)

> [While the behavior of the Russian government, Putin and Putin punks are abhorrent, nothing will be changed by boycotting the Sochi Winter Games. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mixner/while-the-behavior-of-the-russian-government-putin-and-putin-punks/)

[David Mixner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mixner/)

> [We don't have an appreciable American left any more in the United States. What I saw of the SDS in the '60s was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-bookchin/we-don-t-have-an-appreciable-american-left-any-more-in-the-united/)

[Murray Bookchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-bookchin/)

> [Man was born into barbarism when killing his fellow man was a normal condition of existence. He became endowed with a conscience. And he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/man-was-born-into-barbarism-when-killing-his-fellow-man-was-a-normal/)

[Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/)

> [As abhorrent as some of this content can be, I do think that it gets down to this principle of giving people a voice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-zuckerberg/as-abhorrent-as-some-of-this-content-can-be-i-do-think-that-it-gets/)

[Mark Zuckerberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-zuckerberg/)

> [We may love to say many things, but if these are not uttered in the Holy Spirit it is better to say nothing. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/watchman-nee/we-may-love-to-say-many-things-but-if-these-are-not-uttered-in-the/)

[Watchman Nee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/watchman-nee/)

> [NVC suggests behind every action, however ineffective, tragic, violent, or abhorrent to us, is an attempt to meet a need.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-b-rosenberg/nvc-suggests-behind-every-action-however-ineffective-tragic-violent/)

[Marshall B. Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-b-rosenberg/)

> [Communism requires of its adherents that they arise early and participate in a strenuous round of calisthenics. To someone who wishes that cigarettes came…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/communism-requires-of-its-adherents-that-they-arise-early-and/)

[Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/)

> [I guess there's nothing I don't like about Merlin, in this presentation. I love everything, even the things I find despicable and abhorrent in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-fiennes/i-guess-there-s-nothing-i-don-t-like-about-merlin-in-this/)

[Joseph Fiennes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-fiennes/)

> [“The most dangerous aspect of religion is its tendency to glorify the absurd and justify the abhorrent.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stifyn-emrys/the-most-dangerous-aspect-of-religion-is-its-tendency-to-glorify-the/)

[Stifyn Emrys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stifyn-emrys/)

> [Nothing can be more abhorrent to democracy than to imprison a person or keep him in prison because he is unpopular. This is really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/nothing-can-be-more-abhorrent-to-democracy-than-to-imprison-a-person/)

[Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/)

> [Individual web pages as they first appeared in the early 1990s had the flavour of person-hood. MySpace preserved some of that flavour, though a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaron-lanier/individual-web-pages-as-they-first-appeared-in-the-early-1990s-had/)

[Jaron Lanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaron-lanier/)

> [We deal, unfortunately, every single day with leaders of countries who are responsible for actions we find either objectionable or abhorrent, whether it's Vladimir…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antony-blinken/we-deal-unfortunately-every-single-day-with-leaders-of-countries-who/)

[Antony Blinken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antony-blinken/)

## More by Ray McGovern

> [You do what you know is good, because it's good, and then you have a certain peace of mind, saying, you've been an activist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-mcgovern/you-do-what-you-know-is-good-because-it-s-good-and-then-you-have-a/)

[Ray McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-mcgovern/)

> [Now, how do you explain Obama's claim, that he can kill American citizens without due process? Well, he has his attorney general get up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-mcgovern/now-how-do-you-explain-obama-s-claim-that-he-can-kill-american/)

[Ray McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-mcgovern/)

> [I have the manual, and the sad thing is that many of the techniques are exactly the same ones with a few enhancements by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-mcgovern/i-have-the-manual-and-the-sad-thing-is-that-many-of-the-techniques/)

[Ray McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-mcgovern/)

> [You know, it's hard to say this, but I suspect that Obama is afraid either of blackmail potential or even worse. And he has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-mcgovern/you-know-it-s-hard-to-say-this-but-i-suspect-that-obama-is-afraid/)

[Ray McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-mcgovern/)

> [I would have never thought that I would hear myself saying that the president of the United States is afraid of the CIA. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-mcgovern/i-would-have-never-thought-that-i-would-hear-myself-saying-that-the/)

[Ray McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-mcgovern/)

> [Well, the role of our "allies," in my view, is a scandal. 53 other countries cooperated in the kidnapping, "extraordinary rendition," of suspected terrorists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-mcgovern/well-the-role-of-our-allies-in-my-view-is-a-scandal-53-other/)

[Ray McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-mcgovern/)

> [Form a small group. Five or six people, of people who think the way you do, and are willing to meet regularly, every week,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-mcgovern/form-a-small-group-five-or-six-people-of-people-who-think-the-way-you/)

[Ray McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-mcgovern/)

> [You know, we may just be planting seeds for future generations, but that's okay. We can't be deterred from doing things, because we might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-mcgovern/you-know-we-may-just-be-planting-seeds-for-future-generations-but/)

[Ray McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-mcgovern/)

> [Now the big danger is to avoid doing anything, unless you have a surety, unless you have an assurance that you'll be successful. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-mcgovern/now-the-big-danger-is-to-avoid-doing-anything-unless-you-have-a/)

[Ray McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-mcgovern/)

> [Our bill of rights has been shredded. The fourth amendment specifically prohibits the kind of activities the NSA is involved in domestically. The fifth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-mcgovern/our-bill-of-rights-has-been-shredded-the-fourth-amendment/)

[Ray McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-mcgovern/)

> [I would answer with the words of the Stasi alumnus Wolfgang Schmidt, who was asked that question: "What about these Americans who say, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-mcgovern/i-would-answer-with-the-words-of-the-stasi-alumnus-wolfgang-schmidt/)

[Ray McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-mcgovern/)

> [We all have a responsibility, and as Rabbi Heschel, one of my prophets, has put it: "Those who condone, or are silent, in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-mcgovern/we-all-have-a-responsibility-and-as-rabbi-heschel-one-of-my-prophets/)

[Ray McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-mcgovern/)

> [I would say that not many German people are still alive, who experienced what happened during the third reich. We don't have to go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-mcgovern/i-would-say-that-not-many-german-people-are-still-alive-who/)

[Ray McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-mcgovern/)

> [Everyone knows that due process means judicial process, and when John Brennan brings him a list of people to be killed this particular week,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-mcgovern/everyone-knows-that-due-process-means-judicial-process-and-when-john/)

[Ray McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-mcgovern/)

> [I think the question really is, whether our political leaders have stepped out of bounds. Because all this has been approved by our political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-mcgovern/i-think-the-question-really-is-whether-our-political-leaders-have/)

[Ray McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-mcgovern/)

[Explore all 21 Ray McGovern quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-mcgovern/)

## More Abhorrent quotes

> [“Strange isn't it? How it's the direction we are viewed from that makes us attractive or abhorrent.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/galen-beckett/strange-isn-t-it-how-it-s-the-direction-we-are-viewed-from-that-makes/)

[Galen Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/galen-beckett/)

> [Individual web pages as they first appeared in the early 1990s had the flavour of person-hood. MySpace preserved some of that flavour, though a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaron-lanier/individual-web-pages-as-they-first-appeared-in-the-early-1990s-had/)

[Jaron Lanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaron-lanier/)

> [Nothing can be more abhorrent to democracy than to imprison a person or keep him in prison because he is unpopular. This is really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/nothing-can-be-more-abhorrent-to-democracy-than-to-imprison-a-person/)

[Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/)

> [“The most dangerous aspect of religion is its tendency to glorify the absurd and justify the abhorrent.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stifyn-emrys/the-most-dangerous-aspect-of-religion-is-its-tendency-to-glorify-the/)

[Stifyn Emrys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stifyn-emrys/)

> [I guess there's nothing I don't like about Merlin, in this presentation. I love everything, even the things I find despicable and abhorrent in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-fiennes/i-guess-there-s-nothing-i-don-t-like-about-merlin-in-this/)

[Joseph Fiennes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-fiennes/)

> [Communism requires of its adherents that they arise early and participate in a strenuous round of calisthenics. To someone who wishes that cigarettes came…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/communism-requires-of-its-adherents-that-they-arise-early-and/)

[Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/)

> [NVC suggests behind every action, however ineffective, tragic, violent, or abhorrent to us, is an attempt to meet a need.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-b-rosenberg/nvc-suggests-behind-every-action-however-ineffective-tragic-violent/)

[Marshall B. Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-b-rosenberg/)

> [We may love to say many things, but if these are not uttered in the Holy Spirit it is better to say nothing. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/watchman-nee/we-may-love-to-say-many-things-but-if-these-are-not-uttered-in-the/)

[Watchman Nee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/watchman-nee/)

> [As abhorrent as some of this content can be, I do think that it gets down to this principle of giving people a voice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-zuckerberg/as-abhorrent-as-some-of-this-content-can-be-i-do-think-that-it-gets/)

[Mark Zuckerberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-zuckerberg/)

> [Man was born into barbarism when killing his fellow man was a normal condition of existence. He became endowed with a conscience. And he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/man-was-born-into-barbarism-when-killing-his-fellow-man-was-a-normal/)

[Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/)

> [We don't have an appreciable American left any more in the United States. What I saw of the SDS in the '60s was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-bookchin/we-don-t-have-an-appreciable-american-left-any-more-in-the-united/)

[Murray Bookchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-bookchin/)

> [While the behavior of the Russian government, Putin and Putin punks are abhorrent, nothing will be changed by boycotting the Sochi Winter Games. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mixner/while-the-behavior-of-the-russian-government-putin-and-putin-punks/)

[David Mixner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mixner/)

> [I said I thought female labour of the sort exacted from these slaves, and corporal chastisement such as they endure, must be abhorrent to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fanny-kemble/i-said-i-thought-female-labour-of-the-sort-exacted-from-these-slaves/)

[Fanny Kemble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fanny-kemble/)

> [I've never seen anything so abhorrent in my life as Harry Reid. He's an equal opportunity basher. He goes after everybody, and I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-perino/i-ve-never-seen-anything-so-abhorrent-in-my-life-as-harry-reid-he-s/)

[Dana Perino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-perino/)

> [We deal, unfortunately, every single day with leaders of countries who are responsible for actions we find either objectionable or abhorrent, whether it's Vladimir…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antony-blinken/we-deal-unfortunately-every-single-day-with-leaders-of-countries-who/)

[Antony Blinken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antony-blinken/)

Browse all 89 Abhorrent quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I knew about some experience on the operational part of the CIA with Latin American services and so forth having to do with torture. But this was the first time that the CIA was openly advocating for permission to be able to torture. And that seemed to me so abhorrent that I wanted to disassociate myself from the CIA for the first time since 1963, because I didn't want to be associated in any way, however remotely, with an agency engaged in torture.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Ray McGovern"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-mcgovern/i-knew-about-some-experience-on-the-operational-part-of-the-cia-with/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Abhorrent"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-mcgovern/i-knew-about-some-experience-on-the-operational-part-of-the-cia-with/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c34/ray-mcgovern-27150_abhorrent_i-knew-about-some-experience-on-the-oper_294764.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c34/ray-mcgovern-27150_abhorrent_i-knew-about-some-experience-on-the-oper_294764.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c34/ray-mcgovern-27150_abhorrent_i-knew-about-some-experience-on-the-oper_294764.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I knew about some experience on the operational part of the CIA with Latin American services and so forth…” — Ray McGovern",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Ray McGovern",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-mcgovern/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I knew about some experience on...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-mcgovern/i-knew-about-some-experience-on-the-operational-part-of-the-cia-with/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-mcgovern/i-knew-about-some-experience-on-the-operational-part-of-the-cia-with/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
