Torture

The Legalization of Torture in America

The United States of America is a very strong country as far as economics and military power goes. Having a strong tie to neighboring and distant countries economically, has kept the United States afloat for so many years. Freedom and equality for all make the United States what it is today. Staying true to the Constitution for the past 220 years has made me proud to be an American in this world full of diversity and war. So other than other factors, the United State's principals of governing have kept together for so long. But what happens to a person's spirit when these basic, everyday freedoms are taken away? October 17th 2006, The Military Commissions Act of 2006 was signed to fight the war on terror. This Bill takes away every American's basic freedoms that we take for granted every day.

According to (whitehouse.gov) the president stated that this Bill is "...one of the most important pieces of legislation in the war on terror." Some people have argued that it's hard to understand how being able to torture Americans on U.S. soil is going to help "fight terror." Granted, citizens will only be "interrogated" if a threat is suspected. Nevertheless, the Constitution was founded to ensure that everyone has an equal and fair trial if accused of a crime. Terrorism is nothing more than a crime to those who believe in this Bill. If suspected of being a terrorist, the Central Intelligence Agency has the authority to do what is necessary for the well being and safety of the United States, to those who are interrogated. What do all the past wars the United States has been in mean if our own freedom is taken away? According to the Constitution, Amendment 5, "No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury." (http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com) Terrorism could, and does fit under what the Constitution states as an "infamous crime."

Some may see this Bill another way, as a way to not only prevent already planned attacks, but to deter sympathizers within the United States from helping terrorism. Being able to obtain information from terrorists using conventional methods is probably a very demanding, measured and shaky procedure. Could it be possible that Americans would really be content with the fact that one individual being tortured is worth the lives of thousands of innocents?

To debate whether this is right in the eyes of our Constitution is a debate that could easily last for years. But this country was also founded on a higher privileged concept, the concept of God and the Christian faith. In the eyes of a majority of the country who happens to be of the Christian faith, God is the only being who has the divine right to cast judgment and take one's life. It is possible that a person cannot take the extent of the Central Intelligence Agency's "methods." Capital punishment seems like something of the past, some states do not even allow the use of capital punishment because of a strong moral belief in God and the gift of life.