Humanity Barred “I’m not sure which is worse: intense feeling or the absence of it.” - Margaret Atwood, The Blind Assassin. The Human Rights Act is a document that was drafted in a time of global crisis. Article 5 is defined as a ban on torture or cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment. While this document was created to combat torturous acts, unfortunately they have been repeated through history, ranging on a small scale to a global crisis. Society will continue to repeat acts of torture if they do not find a way to global peace. When Nazi Germany unleashed its cruelty onto the Jewish race, their methods of torture were inhumane, degrading and beyond the comprehension of the world. Hitler’s inhumanity is widely known, dark
…show more content…
Small acts of disobedience can be met with large punishments, such as public beatings, imprisonment and even execution. There was time in Isis controlled Istanbul, when citizens could enjoy lunch in a cafe but not since the regime has taken control of the territory . The group uses local areas for mass burial grounds, and while the local government is under the thumb of the militants; there is little citizens can do to defend themselves (Weiss, "Inside ISIS’s Torture Brigades"). The recent stories of torture that shock the world often have foreign headlines. Not often do we see these acts committed on American soil. The United States was founded on the idea of freedom, fairness and liberty for all; so when the breaking news erupted that the American government was behind a scandal of the century, it was unfathomable. The sordid details came from a surprising source, the CIA and its soldiers stationed in Iraq ("Global Policy Forum"). Journalists made the story of their lifetimes and the government had plenty to try to explain away. The sources that unveiled the event claimed that not only did the American government know about the scandal, but large branches of the government ranging from the CIA to the President of the United States knew about the crimes. According to the Global Policy Forum, “Gruesome stories of mistreatment occurring at the Abu Ghraib prison, outside of Baghdad surfaced.” Stories of burning, strangulations and mock executions were unsettling. Meanwhile high ranking officials assigned to the case, dismissed it as the case of a few,“ bad apples.” The denial of responsibility was widespread, and many argue that the punishment that was promised to be distributed was never put in action ("Global Policy
Small acts of disobedience can be met with large punishments, such as public beatings, imprisonment and even execution. There was time in Isis controlled Istanbul, when citizens could enjoy lunch in a cafe but not since the regime has taken control of the territory . The group uses local areas for mass burial grounds, and while the local government is under the thumb of the militants; there is little citizens can do to defend themselves (Weiss, "Inside ISIS’s Torture Brigades"). The recent stories of torture that shock the world often have foreign headlines. Not often do we see these acts committed on American soil. The United States was founded on the idea of freedom, fairness and liberty for all; so when the breaking news erupted that the American government was behind a scandal of the century, it was unfathomable. The sordid details came from a surprising source, the CIA and its soldiers stationed in Iraq ("Global Policy Forum"). Journalists made the story of their lifetimes and the government had plenty to try to explain away. The sources that unveiled the event claimed that not only did the American government know about the scandal, but large branches of the government ranging from the CIA to the President of the United States knew about the crimes. According to the Global Policy Forum, “Gruesome stories of mistreatment occurring at the Abu Ghraib prison, outside of Baghdad surfaced.” Stories of burning, strangulations and mock executions were unsettling. Meanwhile high ranking officials assigned to the case, dismissed it as the case of a few,“ bad apples.” The denial of responsibility was widespread, and many argue that the punishment that was promised to be distributed was never put in action ("Global Policy