Dennis Ruppert, a personal trainer and former anti-terrorism specialist, undergoes a mock interogation — including waterboarding — on Dale Mabry Highway.
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Last night, two people were waterboarded in Tampa. One of them was 44-year-old Dennis Ruppert, a personal trainer and a former anti-terrorism specialist. The other was, well, me.
Organized by The Bleepin’ Truth, a local cable access and online debate program, Ruppert and I volunteered to undergo this form of interrogation (or torture, depending on your view) on camera. Chris Krimitsos, host of the show, said he wanted to give viewers an idea of what waterboarding really is.
“We did a debate on waterboarding a while back and most of our crew didn’t know what it was,†he said. “They know the word, but they don’t know exactly what it is.â€
He’s right, which is why I agreed to endure it.
This article appears in Feb 27 – Mar 4, 2008.