For the last couple of years, a debate has been brewing about the military’s treatment of terror suspects. There has been evidence of prisoner abuse, complaints of innocent people being held without trial, and questions of whether water-boarding is considered torture.
The root question of this debate is how we balance the rights of individuals versus the protection of the American public from potential harm. Do we have the right to treat someone in an inhumane way in order to prevent a terrorist attack?
The question becomes – how big of an attack must be prevented in order to justify the torture of someone? Do you treat a major attack similar to 9/11 the same way you would an attack that might kill 2 people?
When, if ever, is torture justified? What do you think?
