TORTURE

Torture is a widely debated topic in our society.

• Torture is a widely debated topic in today's society.

HISTORY

• Torture has been practiced by humans for thousands of years.
• Traditionally used as a form of capital punishment.
• Inflicted to either publicly shame the person or as a form of execution.

PUBLIC SHAMING

• Shaming caused discomfort and was used as a message for other civilians
• In a way it is the old world's version of community service

Execution

EXAMPLE OF PUBLIC EXECUTION

• William Wallace
• Dragged naked through the streets.
• Disemboweled than beheaded.
• His head was hung from the bridge to the King's castle. Than his arms and legs were sent to the four corners of England.

EXECUTION

• The more brutal methods of torture were saved for rebels, thieves, and murderers.
• The more serious the crime the more brutal the punishment.

The Brazen Bull or the Sicilian Bull

The Heretics Fork

The Iron Maiden

MODERN DAY

• Torture is still a widely used tactic across the world largely due to the war on terror across the globe.
• According to the United States Senate annual human rights report torture is practiced in over 100 countries on five continents.
• In the modern world it is much less brutal and is referred to as enhanced interrogation.

THE UNITED STATES

• The Central. Intelligence. Agency has had an enhanced interrogation program since 1946 called the SOA
• The main purpose was to prevent a tragedy like Pearl Harbor from every happening again.
• As the Cold War began the S.O.A taught these interrogation methods to South American Nations in order to prevent the spread of communism
• This unintentionally spread the use of torture.

ENHANCED INTERRAGATION

• The methods used cause the detainee to experience psychological distress with no permanent physical damage.
• The methods are water boarding, sensory overload, sensory deprivation, and extreme climate exposure.

COUNTER ARGUMENT

• Torture is supposed to be outlawed in the modern world.
• Liberal leaders see the practice as beneath a civilized society.
• It also provides sympathy for terrorists groups within small countries who hear lies of the evil Westerners.

Senator John McCaine is a outspoken advocate to ban torture due to suffering brutal torture in the Vietnam war

CONTROVERSY

• More liberal members of the government alone with reporters claim that torture is barbaric and should be banned.
• Republican members of government alone with both current and former C.I.A employees claim that the report released by the Senate is biased and untruthful.
• Enhanced interrogation has produced useful confessions from known terrorists that have been helpful in the capture and killing of those who planned the September 11th attacks.
• It is also looked down upon across the world and damages the image of America.

SOLUTION

• Some of the possible solutions put forth are to allow detainees access to the outside world such as email and phones.
• Also to make torture a punishable crime across the world.
• My opinion is that we should continue the enhanced interrogation program in order to acquire information on high value targets.

From the examples I have given you can easily see why torture is one of the most controversial topics of our time.