Monday, January 20, 2014

Terrorism is problematic and should be handled accordingly. There are lists of procedures in order to manage such a catastrophe. Among many events that demonstrate torture is the tragedy of the September 11th attacks. Should torture be allowed to deter terrorism? There have been countless reports of torture in the United States and other countries. Attorney General Gonzalez states that, "the War on Terrorism is a new kind of war" (pp.234). According to Assistant Attorney General, Jay S, Bybee, torture is defined as extreme acts, where the pain is physical, it must be of an intensity akin to that which accompanies serious physical injury such as death or organ failure... because the acts inflicting torture are extreme, there is a significant range of acts that though they might constitute cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment, fail to rise to the level or torture (in Hooks and Mosher 2005: 1634) (pp.234).
Torture is a federal crime punishable up to 20 years in prison or death if the victim dies from such an event. Some forms of torture are often held in secrecy. However, some methods have been approved by the Justice Department and the Pentagon for use in prisons. What happens to the subjects who exceed the limits of torture listed in the guidelines? Enough is enough. When you start breaking laws, the situation becomes messy. It is evident that the United States uses forms of torture to retrieve information from terrorists relevant to the War on Terror. No one wants to be treated like an object, but to be treated as a human being. Many citizens believe that torture is used as a defense mechanism to protect the United States against terrorism. Although the government wants to protect American soil, and the good of its' people, is it ethical to put someone’s' life in danger?

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/nov/04/cia-doctors-torture-suspected-terrorists-9-11


                                                                                   

                                                                           Reference
Banks, C. (2013). Unethical Situations. Criminal Justice Ethics: Theory and Practice (3d ed.) (pp.173). Location: Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.


Boseley, Sarah. (Nov. 3, 2013). CIA made doctors torture suspected terrorists after 9/11, taskforce finds. Retrieved from: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/nov/04/cia-doctors-torture-suspected-terrorists-9-11.