Preview

Torturous English Assignment

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
392 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Torturous English Assignment
A Torturous English Assignment

Torture, specifically the act of waterboarding, has been used by American interrogators since the Vietnam War. Waterboarding simulates the experience of drowning, utilizing large quantities of water poured over the face into the breathing passages, and it is used to obtain information from victims (“Torture”). Interrogators are not using waterboarding for questioning at this time, however, our president-elect promises to bring the method back, as well as more severe techniques (Mora). A large amount of Americans agree with President-elect Trump; others are repulsed by even the suggestion of waterboarding. Should the use of waterboarding return?
Waterboarding is primarily used for the obtainment of information
…show more content…
citizens. Many of these same Americans support President-elect Donald Trump, who stated he will restore the use of waterboarding, in addition to more severe torture methods. A supporter of Trump, Jo Ann Tieken, 71, says "You're dealing with people who don't play by any rules. And I can't see why we would tie our hands and take away options like waterboarding.” Tieken includes her views were influenced by her two step-grandson’s injuries, which they received while serving in Afghanistan (Kahn).
“Enhanced interrogation”, as torture has been termed by the George W. Bush administration, may not work. The Central Intelligence Agency has confirmed this (Constantini). Retired Army lieutenant general Harry Soyster, said waterboarding produces “bad intelligence”. “It ruins the subject, makes them useless for further interrogation. And it damages our credibility around the world." Soyster a was former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency. President Barack Obama banned waterboarding, by executive order, in 2009 (“Torture”).
Should torture be once again instituted by American interrogators? No; torture is degrading, inhumane, and futile. Torture is a violation of human rights, and prohibited in international law (“Convention”). The use of waterboarding damages the American government’s credibility. The act should never

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    military opposing torture as an interrogation method. One of the five statistics presented in this survey is that 56.66% agree that they should. Without the doubt this proves that the American public is most definitely against the acts of torture. This is not an entirely credible source as the author relies on the use of logical fallacy to convince his audience. Nevertheless, it may be affected in the sense that he utilizes a form of rhetoric by using the appeal of pathos to create a sympathetic vibe in reference to the prisoners for his audience.…

    • 927 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    There are real-world scenarios which not only allow for the use of torture, but which in fact necessitate it. This is Michael Levin's core argument in The Case for Torture (Newsweek, 1982). Levin effectively advances his argument primarily by presenting a number of hypothetical cases, designed to force the skeptical reader to question whether his opposition to torture is truly absolute. Levin's argument also relies on employing analogy as a rhetorical device and considering a number of counterarguments to his position, which he rebuts in a logical, if not incontrovertible, manner. What the casual reader may fail to notice, however, is how weak the scope of Levin's argument really is.…

    • 1018 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    In 2002, the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, the Department of Justice approved the CIAs request to perform what it called Enhanced Interrogation Techniques (EITs). There were ten techniques in total, they are: attention grasp, cramped confinement, cramped confinement “with an insect”, facial hold, facial slap, sleep deprivation, stress positions, walling, wall standing and the most controversial of these being waterboarding.1 Following unfavorable media exposure of EITs the Obama administration banned it's use in 2009, just three years after the Department of Justice…

    • 2081 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    The U.N defines torture as a way people get answers from detainees. The CIA would use harmful techniques to figure out what someone did, and how they did it (“5 Interrogation Methods”). One of the techniques used to get out answers was waterboarding. People are put on the ground or anywhere and they have a towel on their face. The prison guard would pour the water all over the other person's face to imitate drowning (“5 Interrogation Methods”). Having said this, because of the interrogation less people have been attacked and the CIA has found more…

    • 599 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Eifs Pros And Cons

    • 1411 Words
    • 6 Pages

    In addition to the overwhelming public support for the use of EITs, the same ABC News survey found that 53% of Americans believe that the interrogation techniques used by the CIA produced important information for the United States fight against terror, and indeed they were correct. Of the 119 individuals detained after the 9/11 and subjected to EITs only 26 did not provide actionable intelligence or were “wrongfully held” (Ashkenas). In addition, only 3 detainees were subjected to the harshest technique of waterboarding. Waterboarding is defined by the BBC…

    • 1411 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    At some point everyone has heard of torture. It could have been in a movie or on the news, but they have heard of it. In this day and age, people would like to have believed it was all behind us in the past. Then 9/11 happened, everyone’s lives were changed with one simple act of cruelty. Before 9/11 hit the U.S. in a wave of pain, panic, and anger, our viewpoints on torture would probably have been less likely that it should be allowed. The decision to torture people who are suspected of being part of terrorist groups has always been decided by the government, for the simple reason that it is required to keep us safe from harm. Some people believe that torture is cruel, unsightly and just inhumane. On the other hand there are people who see it the same way but also believe it could be necessary in extreme circumstances. We’re going to look at two different points of torture: When it is acceptable and when it is not acceptable.…

    • 886 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The United States has always prided itself on being a country of freedom. A country with liberty and justice for all. How can we as a nation still pride ourselves on these virtues when we subject people to torture? Where does the line get drawn when we allow torture to be used? We look at the Constitutional rights and the Geneva Convention, as having rules which clearly frown upon the use of torture. However under the Patriot Act we have seen the use of powers under this act to allow the use of torture which contradict the Constitution and the Geneva Convention, which were intended to stop the use of torture, and this become an issue. Do we terminate the use of torture, or do we continue to use the cruel, inhumane, and degrading acts on captivated ‘terrorists’?…

    • 1840 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Waterboarding is a torture technique used by military personnel to retrieve information, or at least attempt, from terrorist during investigations. In recent events Donald Trump has stated “…it actually works…” and it’s time to “…fight fire with fire.”(“Donald Trump says torture ‘absolutely works’—but does it?) However, despite the theory that it works, many other factors apply to the reasoning of why it should not be used. Waterboarding is a torturous, unethical, murderous method of interrogation and should be illegal.…

    • 456 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Annotated bibliography

    • 664 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Very brief summary: The article ‘Using torture is illegal and never justified’ argues against torture by mainly focusing on the fact that the information gained from torture is highly unreliable because the prisoner could be lying to get the torture to stop. Who makes the decisions is also called into question.…

    • 664 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Tragedy In Torture

    • 1125 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Using torture to as a way to gain intelligence involves a tremendous amount of assumptions. The Torturer is assuming that they have the correct person, they are assuming as the victims level of involvement and guilt in the situation, and lastly by using torture they are assuming that there is no alternative way to extract the information.…

    • 1125 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    There are many questions relating to the use of torture against any person whatsoever. As such, there are different perspectives on the ethics of its usage as well. While some believe that the use of torture becomes necessary at times, others believe that whatever the circumstances are, torture can never be justified. Some very pertinent issues related to the use of torture are, “Suppose a child has been kidnapped and a person has been suspected of committing the crime. Is it justifiable to torture that person in order to try to extract information from him about the child? Now suppose the person would not react at all if he is subjected to torture but there is a chance that he would divulge information if his child of the similar age as the…

    • 545 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    This is the first time I have heard about “waterboarding”, I have seen it in movies but never knew it was a real life situation people can face. In my opinion about torturing people to be able to get the information involving an attack or any kind of crime, is unacceptable. I do not think that many people will give up their country, or group of people out to not be tortured. It is cruel, scary, and it will hunt a person for the rest of their life’s. Many people have committed crimes and terror attacks and they deserve to be put away for life. I strongly agree with the CIA for disagreeing with President Trump, they have proven other countries wrong by not torturing people. They set a good word for themselves and America. However, in some cases…

    • 273 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Why Torture Is Wrong

    • 933 Words
    • 4 Pages

    That is one of many arguments our government makes when it comes to torture. Additionally, there are a certain group of people that agree with our government to do the inhumane action towards detainees. However, that is not always the case. From Duke University, Robin Kirk expressed, “Torture is wrong; it does not make us safer; it does not work; it paves the way for further and more reprehensible torture; it stains those who practice it; it damages torture practitioners, who live with the effects for the rest of their lives” (234). The case of torture that the American government uses is wrong and not the safest way to keep the people protected.…

    • 933 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Torture Is Waterboarding

    • 641 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Torture is causing pain and suffering to gain information and confessions. It’s a traditional, historical, well-understood term. Waterboarding is a form of torture in which a bound, gagged prisoner is forced to breathe in water. There are several techniques but all produce the same effects, a physical sensation of drowning and a psychological sensation of panic, fear and loss of control. Calling it anything other than torture is absurd. You wouldn’t call a bank robbery a “cash gathering technique,” even if the president said it was so. There are no such things as “enhanced interrogation methods.” That is the euphemism the Bush administration used in 2002 when they were redefining torture so the president could authorize it. There is never an excuse to torture a person, not even during war. It undermines our cause, endangers our soldiers on the battlefield by encouraging reciprocity, and it breeds more enemies of the United States than coercive interrogation methods will ever allow us to capture.…

    • 641 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    As Americans, as a nation founded on the basis of fundamental human rights, and equality for all, torture is an unacceptable and inexcusable act that degrades us as a nation and as individuals. It debases us and makes us scarcely better than those we condemn. Just as a rose by any other name will smell just as sweet, torture by any other name remains just as deplorable.…

    • 639 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays