Provocative thread Cristine,
Your scenario depicts, a peace time, kidnapping of a loved one, and would YOU torture. Would I torture if I ( key word here is I ) had the chance to maybe save them, you bet, emotions get in the way, vengeance is the only answer, you have no regards to human rights.
Would it be logical, no. Why, the info may not be of any use. Torture has been proven to the point that the person being torture will say anything to make it stop, even if they do not have any. End results can be more damaging, to all concerned.
Now, lets take the torture scenario into different light, from peace time to war time. Are there human rights in this situation?
In our ( U.S.A. ) way of thinking....it's alright as long as it is them who gets tortured. At least that is the level we have seemingly dropped to.
How many lives were saved in the scenario below, NONE, on both sides.
You are at war, mortal combat, you already know what the enemy does to your troops, there seems to be no human rights in this situation, it's war, and they are all dirty. You capture five prisoners. They are put on a chopper, with an interpreter. The officer on board tells the pilot to take it up to 5000 feet. They maybe of no special rank, but they will have info about where there comrades are. Now, torture by fear. The first one is questioned, looks at the other four and does not speak, he is thrown out of the chopper door. The same interrogation goes on, three more out the door. The last one, talks his fool head off. Was the info good, yes.
Was this right, no, but at the time, it got good info. The reality is, it gave the info to kill more people. Individual rights versus the needs of the many. Now this must be pondered.
Just who is relevant anymore, this is the question?
What was really gained? Where and how far down has humanity gone? We are the good guy's right? The land of John Wayne and all that is good. The Geneva Convention spells this out, right? Wow, now that's irrelevant!!
Would we learn not do it again, regrettably no.
Now, the war on terror. This is a tough one to answer in today's reality. Just my thoughts, you have to play as dirty as the other guy,....where are our human rights, we know what they do!!! In war and peace, some innocent people suffer.
Example, look at the prison system, that is a good example of how some innocent people pay for the needs of the many.
In conclusion,
We must hold ourselves to a higher standard, for we are the ones that have to face our own conscious, face the world, and look in the mirror to judge.
Tammy
<p>A life without purpose, is a life without reason!</p>
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