Can torture ever be acceptable in democratic civilized society Essay

Can torture ever be acceptable in democratic civilized society - Essay Example With reference to the writings by Reddy (2005), he described torture as the act of inflicting physical pain and possible injuries to a person using a variety of methods that also include psychological methods, moreover, the perpetrator of torture can be an individual, group, or the state. Levinson (2006) stated that torture is commonly used as an interrogation tactic aimed at obtaining information from the victim. Secondly, it is used as form of punishment, revenge, deterrence, and political re-education, and thirdly, it is used to forcefully obtain information from the victim who is suspected to be withholding vital information. Lastly, Parry (2010) stated that torture is also applied for sadistic gratification for the perpetrator or the person observing. Acts of torture differ on the techniques applied, the tools that are used, and the duration it takes, and even the overall objective of the torture process. According to the writings by Scott (2003), he wrote that the acts of torture have been pre-existing even in the biblical ages and in fact, Jesus himself underwent serve torture whereby he was thoroughly beaten and nailed on the cross, and then left to die. The act of crucifying Jesus is perhaps among the most documented forms of torture in the biblical ages whose main intent was to coerce Jesus into proclaiming that he is not the son of God. Harbury (2005) wrote that in the modern era torture had been usually common in the correctional system, whereby prisoners were subjected to corporal punishments, which were stipulated by judges in the form of strokes. Torture in the prisons were usually meant to punish the prisoners for the crime they did or coerce them into giving additional information that will help law enforcers to solve other crimes connected with the prisoner. Different types of torture Scott (2003) in his studies wrote that the simplest form of torture is the starvation o f a person by intentionally denying him food and water. This form of torture is used to push the victim to his last brink in order to break him down and obtain crucial information from the victim. Secondly, torture can be in the form of severe beating of a person using different objects, holding the breath of a person, use of electric shocks on a person, burning of person, pouring of corrosive or hot liquid on a person, cutting the person bit by bit, or chopping of some body parts. James (1998) stated that the perpetrators of torture also use psychological methods to torture a person and this could include simply informing the victim of the different forms of physical torture that could be applied on him or her. Other methods of psychological torture include using insulting words on the victim or violently reminding the victim about experiences that were also torturing to him or her. According to Levinson (2006), among the most common instruments of torture, include rack, iron chair , breaking wheel, electroshock weapon, wooden horse, tongue shredder, breast ripper, and choke pear, among others. Cases of torture In the past two decades, cases of torture have significantly declined and this could be attributed to increased pressure from the civil society who document and agitate