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Ever heard the phrase "Don't stoop to their level?" I'm sure most of us have. When torture is used as a tactic to gain information from someone, it leaves me to believe that the information is not reliable. Also, if torture is used does it not put us on the same level as those we may see as a danger to our security and well-being? We flaunt the fact we are a Democratic society, a free nation. But when we use techniques, such as torture, to get information which may be viable to our security; we stoop to the level of those individuals who WE accuse of being inhuman and cruel.

The Bush administration has picked and chosen tactics of torture and deemed them suitable for use in interrogating prisoners. Would he tell an individual who was held in Vietnam or Korea those practices were necessary in order for the interrogator to obtain the information they sought? Hopefully not. But yet, Bush is telling the world differently. However, the Geneva Convention says otherwise.

According to the Third Geneva Convention of 1949, Article 3, Section 1 (Source: The Avalon Project, http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/lawofwar/geneva03. htm):

In the case of armed conflict not of an international character occurring in the territory of one of the High Contracting Parties, each Party to the conflict shall be bound to apply, as a minimum, the following provisions:

(1) Persons taking no active part in the hostilities, including members of armed forces who have laid down their arms and those placed hors de combat by sickness, wounds, detention, or any other cause, shall in all circumstances be treated humanely, without any adverse distinction founded on race, colour, religion or faith, sex, birth or wealth, or any other similar criteria. To this end the following acts are and shall remain prohibited at any time and in any place whatsoever with respect to the above-mentioned persons:

(a) violence to life and person, in particular murder of all kinds, mutilation, cruel treatment and torture; (b) taking of hostages; (c) outrages upon personal dignity, in particular, humiliating and degrading treatment; (d) the passing of sentences and the carrying out of executions without previous judgment pronounced by a regularly constituted court affording all the judicial guarantees which are recognized as indispensable by civilized peoples.

(2) The wounded and sick shall be collected and cared for.

An impartial humanitarian body, such as the International Committee of the Red Cross, may offer its services to the Parties to the conflict.

The Parties to the conflict should further endeavour to bring into force, by means of special agreements, all or part of the other provisions of the present Convention.

The application of the preceding provisions shall not affect the legal status of the Parties to the conflict.

Americans, realize the threat of terrorists to the fabric of our lives in this country. September 11th changed everything about our way of life. But when we applying the practice of torture, we tell the rest of the world that we can do as we like because we ARE America. The world sees us as believing we are above the laws set aside by the world governing bodies. And when that happens, we lose not only our effectiveness within the world community, but our allies as well. Torture is inhuman and indecent to use; and should be left to those who are still living in the Dark Ages.

Learn more about this author, Tanilan Prescott.
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