Noun: torture
1. The deliberate, systematic, or wanton infliction of physical or mental suffering by one or more persons in an attempt to force another person to yield information or to make a confession or for any other reason
2. Extreme mental distress
3. Unbearable physical pain
4. Intense feelings of suffering; acute mental or physical pain
5. The act of distorting something so it seems to mean something it was not intended to mean
Verb: torture
1. Torment emotionally or mentally
2. Subject to torture
So, using the definitions above, would water boarding be considered torture? Seems like it to me.
I have to admit, in a perfect world, torture of any kind would seem totally unacceptable. It’s a no-brainer. No one wants to be tortured, and therefore, if you don’t want to be tortured yourself, then you shouldn’t torture others. It does seem a bit contradictory, though, that in war…you can kill the enemy, but you can’t torture that same enemy to get information that might save others. Killing them on the battlefield…fine. Torturing them, not fine. Even if the torture doesn’t impose any real threat of death or physical harm, still not fine.
Imagine this scenario. Someone kidnaps your young children. The children are in a situation that promises they will be terribly abused and ultimately killed. You have captured one of the kidnappers. They have information that would likely save your children, but they aren’t talking.
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