When Is torture OK? I say never.
Firstly, what is torture? Well, how about a bit of historical perspective?
“In 1947, the U.S. sentenced a Japanese military officer, Yukio Asano, to 15 years of hard labor for using a form of water-boarding,” Maureen Byrnes, Executive Director of Human Rights First, said.
60 years ago water-boarding was considered torture and a punishable offense as a war crime. That’s a fact.
So what do we say to the people who say that “it was a different time”, and that we are now living under different circumstances. Is that to say that sometimes it’s OKAY to torture someone? Are we to consider the offense first, before determining that water-boarding is acceptable? Or are we to assume the position that the end, in this case, justifies the means?
I say no. I say water-boarding is wrong and will always be wrong.
Today it was found online — The torture memo (PDF) that George W. Bush himself signed. I believe this is the infamous torture memo that John Woo authored. The National Lawyers guild wants Woo fired from his post at the Berkeley Law School because of this memo.
ABC News aired a segment on their daily news show that after a five month investigation, they could say that Bush’s most senior officials not only knew about the torture they were inflicting on suspected terrorists, but decided down to the last detail exactly how much torture to inflict.
Some say republicans are turning back the clock on human rights by 60 years. I say this is partly true. I think many democrats are also complicit in this.
We private citizens haven’t done enough to try to stop this bullshit from happening. Why aren’t we in the streets. Why aren’t we on the white house lawn with signs crying foul? Why has apathy taken over as if it were a disease?
April 15th, 2008 at 10:16 pm
Because too many Americans remember 911. I am personally not comfortable with the idea of torture, but that is why I dont put myself in that position.
Where was the outrage when these terrorist where airing video of beheading american construction workers. Where is the American outrage when a former President (Carter) visits with a terrorist organization that hates Americans and Isreal for the sake of religious differences. Where is the outrage of Muslims given more religious freedom that any other religious organization in this country.
For the matter, Where is the outrage over the fleecing of American’s Money given away for social programs, which I read is about 40% of the taxpayers dollar.
There are many things to be outraged over, it is so hard to choose. Until Democrats and Republicans learn to stop caring about partisan politics, our leaders will continue to create outrages against its own citizens.
60 Years ago, wars were fought much different than the way they are now. Our leaders must do what they may to protect its people. I would imagine that Hamas and its terrorist would kill every American and Isreali if they could. Talk about Human Rights. Hum..
April 15th, 2008 at 11:33 pm
“Where is the American outrage when a former President (Carter) visits with a terrorist organization”
what? Nixon visited China. Reagan visited Gorbechev. At the time, that was a HUGE deal. we were in a cold war with russia.
I do agree, we should be outraged that 43 cents of every tax dollar is going to the war, and only 2 is going to education. Our social programs are bleeding us dry.
and yeah, i was outraged when they aired the video of the beheading, but I don’t think torturing is the answer. two wrongs don’t make a right do they?
April 15th, 2008 at 11:36 pm
one more thing….
today, Obama said: “If FDR can meet with Stalin and Nixon can meet with Mao and Kennedy can meet with Khrushchev…then the notion that we can’t meet with some half-baked dictator is ridiculous.” Here’s the rest from time magazine
April 16th, 2008 at 6:51 pm
We cannot compare the likes of Gorbechev with the Hamas terror organization. Gorbechev did not believe that everyone different from him should die. Surely you see the difference between this instances.
Meeting some “half-baked dictator” gives credit to the terrorist group which is what the world needs to avoid.