Discussion»Statements»Rosie's Corner» If there were no rules regulating interrogation of suspected terrorists would you do whatever it takes or be humane? Why?
If there were no rules regulating interrogation of suspected terrorists would you do whatever it takes or be humane? Why?
Does "humane" vary from subject to subject and target to target? Is there one definition of "human treatment" with which all would agree, domestically and internationally? Should there be? Why?
I believe in humane.......however if one of my family were in a plane and the police had a person they knew had planted a bomb or some kind of explosive and the only way to find out what/where it was would be to torture them I'd vote for torture. Would that make it right? How would you feel in that situation Rosie?
I'm gonna be a Devil's advocate here Yogafan. First of all when the police say they KNOW for sure who did whatever he/she allegedly did they have lied in the past. Even to the extent of planting "evidence". How many people have you read about who have wasted years of their lives in jail serving time for crimes they never committed? Setting that aside we have been told repeatedly that torture doesn't work. That to stop the pain people will tell you whatever you want to hear. Of course the other side says that is bullsh** and torture is the only way to extract the truth. I suspect it is the former that is more likely to be true and not the latter. Some will support any excuse that frees them to do whatever the he** they want to do. If it were one of my family I would probably be useless to do anything. I'd probably be so consumed with worry I'd be made impotent/immobilized. I hope that situation never arises for either of us. Two wrongs don't make a right anyway. And if you change whom you are from humane to inhuman for even one moment/one action what guarantee do you have that you can ever go back and become that humane person again? So I guess I don't think anything you can come up with would make me feel OK about becoming someone I'm not even temporarily. In the final analysis that is all supposition. You never really know for sure what you would do until you are in that situation. Have I totally bummed you out? :( Thank you for your reply. Did I answer your question m'dear?
I absolutely agree with you that two wrongs don't make a right and that I could not torture somebody. We all have that in us which I hope for most people never surfaces but when our loved ones are threatened it is shocking to realize how we react. When we had the tube bombings in London several years ago that was the day that my niece went to London on a school trip and we knew they students were going to get around on the tubes. I cannot tell you the anguish/anger/fear and loathing our family went through especially her mother. We would have done anything just anything to make sure she was unharmed. I was really shocked is the only word I can use at the feelings that welled up in me after seeing the crying and hysterics and imagining my niece being hurt or killed by terrorists. I think the same would be said of anyone and again I'm agreeing with you that torturing someone is wrong but on that particular day if they'd wanted to torture someone they'd captured in order to keep someone I love safe I would have gone along with it in fact our whole family would.
I'm sorry you and your family had to experience something like that m'dear. What a nightmare that must have been! I have never been in that situation so I can't KNOW what I would be willing to do. Thank you for sharing your personal experience with us. It helps to understand your views. Having experience with something certainly carries much more validity with it than simply opining/conjecturing/supposing! Happy Monday Yogafan! :)
Then you would be PERFECT and I could trust you to do the right thing. Thank you for your reply carbonproduct. If I'm ever prez (gawd forbid) I'm picking you for something important. We currently suffer from an enormous lack of humane in government. We need you! :)
You're welcome. Absolutely! It comes with all the benefits you would need. Plus at retirement you will get a very fine retirement package including fully paid-for insurance coverage for you and your family for life. So I can count on you then m'dear? I am preparing well in advance so that when we take over we will hit the ground running and will efficiently and effectively govern from DAY ONE! Thank you for your reply carbonproduct and your obvious patriotism. I appreciate both!:)
Pearl 