Tourcher
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Should people be tortured in order to extract vital information or confessions?
In a time of uncertainty and fear of a devastating attack on our homeland, should we allow our government to apply Machiavellian tactics and primitive means in an attempt to carry out the pledge stated in the preamble to our Constitution? I think we should but only when such actions are based on specific evidence of an eminent threat.
The main idea behind my belief is the fact that every human being has a free will and we (by Gods grace) have the capacity to choose. This does not mean that we can lose this right. We can do so by a variety of means; such as by committing a crime we may be confined to a correctional institution. My point being that we can choose to give up our freedoms including the right to civility.
I do not by any means advocate a policy of torture as the grassroots for a justice model, but it must only be used when the circumstances leave no other option. The procedure should only be carried out as a means of acquiring information and not as a direct form of punishment. It is not possible to sacrifice the lives of many innocent citizens for the comfort of one who has given up his rights.
For that reason I believe that torture may be used but only under extreme circumstances. It is not a crime that should be held against the ones who must use this option under justifiable circumstances. My argument being that they gave up their rights willingly when the conspired, executed, or willingly aided a criminal action.