The Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution
states, “Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor
cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.” This quote explains a human right
that is ‘guaranteed’ to everyone, regardless of crimes, by the United States of
America. This right ensures that no one is ever punished in an unusual way,
such as torture. However, the U.S. government has been suspected, and even
found guilty, of unusual punishments and torture. An article on the StarTribune
discusses issues surrounding Secretary Rice and a speech at the University of
Minnesota. Rice has been known to discuss torture and the use of this
interrogation method during Bush’s administration. Many human rights advocates criticized
her and Bush’s administration for acknowledging the use of torture and other
cruel punishments. Personally, I find the topic very interesting because it is
so hard to define the difference in punishment and cruel punishment. Also, it
is a very controversial topic because many times the government needs certain
tactics to protect the nation. However, many of them are cruel, over the top,
and just plain torture. These types of methods need to be stopped in order to
protect the human rights of the individuals being interrogated. America is one
of the most powerful and notable nations in the world. America is also known to
be a nation that follows the rules and does the right thing, even when the
issue does not involve them. This is where the Eighth Amendment creates a hypocritical
situation. How can America go around telling other people that they are wrong
and violating human rights, when it is breaking one in its own constitution?
The answer is: they cannot. It is not ethical
of America to go around enforcing laws and protecting human rights, when it is
breaking one as well. America needs to realize these methods are cruel and they
need to stop. The StarTribune article concluded with the following statement: “The
United States can regain its global leadership against torture, but we must
first begin with the full knowledge and public acknowledgment of the mistakes
of the past.” While it is impossible to erase the past, the U.S. government can
change how it is today. The government has the choice to stop using the cruel
practices and agree to follow the human rights laws they created for
themselves. Human rights are such special and fragile ideas that need to
protected, and most importantly, they need to be enforced. Especially when you
wrote the right yourself….
Link to the article:
Goering, Curt. "Secretary Rice
Should Explain Role in U.S. Torture." StarTribune.com: News,
Weather,
Sports from Minneapolis, St. Paul and Minnesota. N.p., 16 Apr. 2014. Web. 04
July 2014.
<http://www.startribune.com/opinion/commentaries/255569011.html>.
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