Why does torture
matter? This is a serious question with significant implications. The more
appropriate question is, why wouldn’t torture matter? Besides the obvious fact
that torture yields an automatic gut reaction so vile that is beyond contempt-
in the vast majority of us at least-, should there ever be a time or situation where
torture is appropriate? Rebecca Gordon argues that torture matters because of
what it does to a nation. It matters because it is not an isolated event. It matters
because torture is a practice, and torture engenders in us habits that not only
ruin the image and perception of this overly proud nation when exposed, if
exposed, but it instills in the torturers, values that are thrown into grave
questioning, and nations that allows this to happen behind the shadows will
certainly be questioning their own values as well, regardless of the values
this nation supposedly stands for beyond all else. What does it say about a
nation who covers up the veracity of what really goes on inside or behind enemy
lines? It would devastate the nation’s reputation for one thing, but the
individuals who participate in the abuse are guilty of cruelty to its fellow
mankind. After all the changes and uprisings between groups of superficial
difference this nation has seen, you would think we would all understand to
treat each other with courtesy and respect, as we are not so
different. But apparently when it comes to institutions of power such as the
military, where information of what really happens can easily be kept a secret
from the public, we can lose the common decency we show for each other. One may
say, “Hold on a minute, they are the enemy! Why should we care? They deserve
it!” And while I can understand the anger and hate against our “enemies”, and
may even agree on an emotional level that these people should be treated
horrendously for what they have done, we shouldn’t. Why? Because of what it
does to us as individuals. Because of what it does to our character and values.
Certainly the acts of war may be as criminal as murder, as soldiers are
motivated to kill the enemy out of differences in what they believe (e.g.
religion). One can argue that soldiers only go to battle because they have
orders to follow, and while this is true, when we are in the midst of a heated firefight,
and we see our comrade go down, it becomes personal. It is not about just
following orders. We are increasingly motivated to murder the enemy in a heated
moment in time. Certainly the murder is not planned like a calculated
cold-blooded serial killer who stalks and executes his plan to fill some obsessive,
twisted desire, but as a Delta Force soldier named Hoot in the award-winning
film, Black Hawk Down, stated, “Once that first bullet goes past your head,
politics and all that s#!t just goes right out the window”. And even better stated, is another
quote from this same soldier when talking about how he responds when every day
people ask him why he goes to war. “When I go home people ask me, ‘Hey Hoot,
why do you do it man? What are you some kind of war junkie?’ You know what I'll
say? I won't say a goddamn word. Why? They won't understand. They won't
understand why we do it. They won't understand that it's about the man next to
you, and that's it. That's all it is”. I bring this up not to try and turn the
acts committed in war into something that is glorious save the fact that the
values of soldiers such as trust, teamwork, valor, courage, and loyalty are certainly
tested on the battlefield, but because to remind us that torture instills
values of deceit (making it hidden from the public); cruelty to our fellow
mankind; hate and truculence towards people of difference; along with the self-doubt,
self-questioning, shame, and guilt in the minds of people who commit acts of
torture.
What
about the ticking time bomb or Jack Bauer scenario? Is torture acceptable then?
My answer to this is quite straight forward and simple. I would respond that if
it has come to this, if it has to come to the point where there is a calamitous
threat where the number of lives impacted would be colossal, we have already
failed. The fact that if we have a ticking time bomb on our hands with an enemy
that hates us with that much intensity, we have severely failed as a species
with the intelligence and capacity to be compassionate and help each other live
life more optimistically and peacefully. At this point, whether torture is
acceptable is purely a decision based off your values and beliefs. If you
believe in doing what it takes to save the greatest number of people, torture
is absolutely what you are going to promote for the individual with “knowledge”.
Is it despicable? It doesn’t matter anymore by this stage. The fact that we
cannot help each other out as the human race, the fact that there are people
who are so lost in greed and power to the point where we can’t solve our
differences with compassion and understanding for each other is entirely
reprehensible and much more worthy of scorn than the torturing of an individual
with knowledge of where the bomb is. It’s the same with these massive school
shootings. People are all about the gun control debate, vehemently arguing that
guns don’t belong in the household. But where are all the people who are
vehemently promoting to get help for these individuals who are at risk of committing
these crimes? Many of these shooters acted out of incredible rage built up from
years of bullying, loneliness, hopelessness, and a feeling of being unloved and
uncared about. Certainly these shooters are responsible for their actions, but how blameworthy are they? What
I am saying is that we are all interconnected. We all affect each other and
that while massive killings are acts of horror, we need to be on the offensive
on helping people who are getting bullied at school or in the work environment,
or anyone who is in distress. We have to have options and people who will care
about those who are going through times of difficulty so they don’t feel so
alone. We need to be there for each other and that happens through compassion
and understanding.
Torture
is a result of a lack of compassion, understanding, and a willingness to put
aside our own desires to help others. Torture matters because it is the epitome
of savagery. And understand this, savagery is worse than primal instincts because
you know the impact and the damage that you are inflicting while ignoring the
needs, perspectives, and reality of others. Torture matters because of what it does
to our character. Our character matters because it is the key that will sustain us. Our
character is what will sustain our species and our children to live in a better
world than the way we found it. Our character is what we all individually have
to live with. We will never escape ourselves.
We all have to decide what type of person we
want to be, whoever that person is.
We can all help to change the world. The philosopher Lao Tzu
said it best, “Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they
become actions. Watch your actions; they become habit. Watch your habits; they
become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.”
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