This editorial appeared in The Tri-City Herald.

There's not a big enough rug in the world to cover the controversy over torture, no matter how hard or diligently anyone tries to sweep.

The magnitude of the problem and questions about the moral climate in the United States push us toward a high profile, apolitical (if possible) panel of distinguished and trusted Americans to sort through the facts.

President Obama has expressed reluctance to have such a commission.

Former Vice President Dick Cheney has advocated the public release of all of the documents pertaining to torture, believing the full story will absolve the Bush administration.

Other interest groups, government agencies and political interests have weighed in both for and against such a commission.

Bring it on.

We can handle the truth.

Some opponents to a commission worry about where it might lead. Do we put a few lawyers in jail? The former vice president? The former president?

The fact is, we've already punished Americans over interrogation techniques used in the war on terror.

Ask Lynndie England. She served 521 days in prison for her offenses at Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad.

To read the complete editorial, visit The Tri-City Herald.