A Response to Torture by Henry Shoe

From the book

Disputed Moral Issues

A Response to Torture by Henry Shoe

According to Henry Shoe, torture is a means employed by those in government and in opposition of the government for interrogation and intimidation. The United Nations Torture Convention of 1984 defines torture as an action, performed by a public official, to inflict mental or physical pain on an individual for the purpose of obtaining information (The Telegraph, 2005). Cardenas (2011) has explored the causes of state violence. Poverty, war, absence of democratic practices, security threats and exclusionary ideologies are the reasons for which state make use of torture and violence. States opt for violent means even when situations could be handled by taking other options into account. The reason is that certain ideologies are deemed to be exclusionary. It implies that people believing certain ideologies do not deserve any human rights protection. Such people are taken as a threat to national security. Amnesty International (2013) believes that no excuse, not even national security, is strong enough to validate torture.

Henry shoe suggests that torture is something which should be extremely condemned by the law. Nevertheless in extra ordinary situations torture is the only option. Whoever favors torture should be made to give an explanation.

I believe Shoe has rightly regarded torture to be an activity which could not be placed into constraints. Hence it should never be employed. Torture violates the laws related to humanity and is, therefore, considered a crime against it (Bassiouni, 2011). Nothing worthy but social harm can be achieved from it. The tortured person and his family get influenced the most. The life of a tortured person can never be normal. The community to which that person belongs and even the whole world get distressed by witnessing torture. It can even ...