Argumentative Essay: Should We Use Torture?

No one wants to be tortured. Sitting in my padded chair facing my desk it is easy to say that. There are problems out in the world that will put pressure on others into doing things that will hurt others. The source of these problems could be religious, family, or threats, but again the world isn’t so nice as to leave out the people who will do these things just because they want to. I have mixed feelings about using torture but it could be a possible solution to life-threating issue and only a fool would ignore a solution, but it is important to decide when to use torture and how far to go. There are problems such as the morality, personal rights, world laws, and if torture even works. Torture will not always work just like anything else, it is not like a …show more content…
You still cannot see but hear a voice questioning you about an accident you heard about on the news this morning. You try to tell the voice that you know nothing and that this is all a misunderstanding when suddenly you feel intense pain. Sometimes you will be shocked others times you will be laid down with a cloth over your head and then have the sudden sensation of drowning. A very important part of torture is knowing that you have the right person. When applying torture to someone it is inexcusable to apply it to an innocent. One of the requirements that must be met to use torture would be ‘clear guilt’ as Levin puts it. Levin says, “Torture only the obviously guilty, and only for the sake of saving innocents, and the line between Us and Them will remain clear.” (533) Torture should be treated as a last resort to save lives. Levin’s masked gunman case is a good example of clear guilt but we should not be so quick to apply torture on those that show clear guilt as it is not the only solution. We must also keep in mind that the torture will not always work and could fail just like any other