The recent capture and subsequent questioning of Khalid Shaikh Mohammed raises awareness to an important issue. We have been told the information Mohammed gave us was obtained by using “stress and duress” methods and nothing else. Along with Mohammed, the United States currently is detaining hundreds of people who supposedly have links to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and who probably possess valuable information, according to an American Press article.
By what methods is it acceptable to obtain this valuable information that could possibly prevent future terrorist attacks? A question many U.S. officials and citizens need to consider is whether torture ever is justified. Even if its use could possibly save a country from future physical and mental harm, is torturing someone okay? The answer is no.
I have always been quite a utilitarian about things. Obviously the best decision in any case is the solution that benefits the most people. But with torture, it’s different.
Torture comes in many forms. From methods so gruesome I refuse to even write about them, to less obviously cruel methods, such as mental stress and moderate physical pressure, it’s unarguable any information gained from the use of torture is gained at an unimaginable price.
There are some among us who think torture should be allowed, and even subject to the American legal system. Alan Dershowitz, an American lawyer and author, has created quite a fuss with his writings saying not only is torture acceptable in certain cases, but also those wanting to use torture should first obtain a “torture warrant” from a court. He insists that by doing so, America can avoid being hypocritical and having other countries do the torturing for us.
Mr. Dershowitz’s arguments do make some sense and seem almost logical. Of course we must use torture for some situations, and by it becoming legalized and somewhat legally controlled, torture will not remain the taboo thing it is and become a mainstream, perfectly acceptable form of information gathering.
America cannot take Mr. Dershowitz’s advice though. America cannot use the means of torture in any way. Any country that claims to be intelligent can never use torture, even if legal and controlled, unless it wants to be labeled a hypocrite.
Physically harming a person to achieve a goal is absolutely disgusting, cruel and all of the other adjectives used to describe horrible things. It should never be used in any way, shape or form, even if its very use means countless lives are saved.
America would never be able to claim it is a world leader again if it began to use torture. No one would take us seriously. The rest of the world often labels us a bully, and we take it in stride, knowing when we do get involved it is because we are helping to stop injustice, stop cruelty — stop the torture — whether it be the physical harm of a people or just the coldness of not doing anything while a group of people starve to death.
As a leading country that patrols the world constantly making sure every human is treated with the respect he or she deserves, we honestly cannot expect for torture to be okay. Although there is no doubt we should possess important information, torture is not the way to get to it.
If we cannot use force to obtain information from captors, than how should we get it? I do not have that answer, and I am not sure anyone else does either. But why not use our resources to find better methods rather than beat people up?
Those who do support torture’s use do it with the best of intentions. They only are trying to ensure our protection. And while they do carry a heavy task of protecting a whole country and should be given access to everything that makes their job easier, torture is not something they should have access to.
Nothing — not the protection of the nation, not the most precious piece of information ever — is worth the torture of anyone. If we all strive to make the world a better place, to free it from civil injustices, then everyone must work together to rid the world of the ultimate civil injustice: torture. Simply put, violence cannot end violence.