by Samberg

Created on: January 24, 2010

Torture can be seen in the history of every culture, stretching back thousands of years ago, even before 'heretics' were burnt at the stake and betrayers were publically drawn and quartered.  In fact, some of the earliest written evidence of torture occurring can be found in a book that is considered - by some - as a symbol of mankind's morality: the arrest, public beating, and crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth is a clear description of a man's torture and subsequent murder. 

For some, the bible is just a story and for others it is a historical event but regardless of whether or not it actually occurred, the very presence of crucifixion in the bible is a testament to mankind's long-standing liaison with torture.  

If the written evidence wasn't enough, the physical evidence has proved to be plenty; eager archaeologists and historians have spent decades collecting and categorizing the unique - and nasty - tools and machines that have been discovered around the world, built purely for the purpose of causing pain.  Over the years, enough has been collected to creat showcases around the world, macabre displays lovingly designated as 'torture museums'.

But one must also consider that the debate over whether torture is acceptable has likely existed for as long as the act itself has and thankfully we live in a time where we can state our opinion on the matter without the threat of the guillotine looming over our necks.

The primary use of torture - beyond causing pain and humiliation to the victim - is to extract a confession.  In the medieval ages, people would be swept off the streets and brought into dark dungeons and tortured for days while their interrogators questioned them, usually seeking specific confessions from their victims.  Stretching muscles beyond their limit, breaking fingers, putting out eyes and mutilation were all common methods used, but because guilt had already been assigned to the victim (as evidenced by the torture and trial occurring in unison), the only way the victim was able to make the pain end was to give in to their torturer's demands.

Obviously we're no longer being accused of witchcraft or regicide and thumbscrews are so nineteen centuries ago, but torture still occurs regularly across the world - sometimes with the same barbaric hand that was used thousands of years ago - but given the laws that have been laid down to preserve basic human decency, man has come up with much more sophisticated methods. 

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