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Torture And Ethics Essay

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In reference to a bill introduced to Congress forbidding the use of tactics defined by torture; The United States government must consider all of the ethical options and possibilities they have. Torturing anyone is morally unethical but allowing terrorists to murder innocent civilians is against every moral we, as humans possess. As morally just people America needs to find the exceptions in which we are willing to use torture in countering terrorism. As leaders of the free world our government has the responsibility to do everything in their power to protect innocent people and gain the needed information to do so. In order to win the war on terror, officials will occasionally have no choice but to torture the terrorists withholding information to prevent these attacks on humanity. …show more content…

The Utilitarian approach to terrorism and torture asks to “choose the action that will produce the greatest benefits and the least harm” and provide “the greatest good” for the innocent and the masses (Velasquez, et al. 1996). In the case of terrorist attacks and mass murders officials must know what lengths they are willing to go to protect their people and the rest of the world. The war on terrorism is one that The United States has been dedicated to fighting since the attacks of 9/11. Our focus needs to be on stopping the individual terrorists of the world and finding the information we need in order to ultimately end these attacks on civilization and this war on terror. In search for a greater outcome for everyone affected, our government officials have to be willing to do everything in their power to protect the masses. The amount of interrogation and torture that officials need to gain terrorist’s information should be established to protect the possible victims and their rights in any

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Mahatma Gandhi, the preeminent leader of the Indian independence movement states “You can chain me, you can torture me, you can even destroy this body, but you will never imprison my mind.” This is important because torture is brutal on the body and mind. The article “Torture’s Terrible Toll” by John McCain is more convincing then the article “The Case for Torture” by Michael Levin because McCain provides more logical reasoning, he adds his own personal experience of being a captured prisoner during the Vietnam War, and he creates an emotional bond with people around the world. Through more logical reasoning McCain Argument is more valid than Levin.

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Domestic terrorism refers any forcefulness act exerted on the civilian population or the infrastructure of a particular nation. Mostly domestic terrorism is done by the citizens of the nation with the intention of coercing, intimidating the national policy. A lone wolf terrorist is a situation where a citizen performs a forceful act supporting or basing on ideology and beliefs of certain movements or groups. One person alone without any command or assistances does a lone terrorist from the group.

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In Michael Levin’s “The Case for Torture”, he uses many cases of emotional appeal to persuade the reader that torture is necessary in extreme cases. There are many terms/statements that stick with the reader throughout the essay so that they will have more attachment to what is being said. Levin is particularly leaning to an audience based in the United States because he uses an allusion to reference an event that happened within the states and will better relate to the people that were impacted by it. The emotional appeals used in this essay are used for the purpose of persuading the reader to agree that in extreme instances torture is necessary and the United States should begin considering it as a tactic for future cases of extremity. One major eye catching factor of this essay is the repetitive use of words that imply certain stigmas.

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The author believes that the thoughts of enlightened societies are unwise and ascertains that there are situations whereby torture becomes morally mandatory in dealing with terrorists.

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