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Blog Entry 14 of 27 Personal Transformation and the World Around You.
The culture we live and the events around us directly effect the way we think and feel about things. This blog will discuss the world around us and ways to transform our lives.

Blog Url: http://denver.yourhub.com/~MichaelKilmanblog

Torture
Contributed by: Michael Kilman   on 2/16/2008

It saddens me that I even have to be writing a blog like this. Torture is a terrible thing, and in no way is there ever a reason to torture anyone. It is so easy to forget our humanity and the humanity of the person that is being tortured. If it was my life on the line and the only way to save myself was to have someone tortured, I would much rather die knowing that, the other human being was not suffering unspeakable horror. It amazes me that in this modern age, with all our education and technology, that we still have to resort to something like torture.

When thinking on this subject you have to think of two things. One could you torture someone, and two could you receive that torture.

Lao Tzu said it best around 600 B.C.E. and to me these words still ring true today.

"Weapons are the tools of violence;
all decent men detest them.

Weapons are the tools of fear;
a decent man will avoid them
except in the direst necessity
and, if compelled, will use them
only with the utmost restraint.
Peace is his highest value.
If the peace has been shattered,
how can he be content?
His enemies are not demons,
but human beings like himself.
He doesn't wish them personal harm.
Nor does he rejoice in victory.
How could he rejoice in victory
and delight in the slaughter of men?

He enters a battle gravely,
with sorrow and with great compassion,
as if he were attending a funeral."

These people we are torturing are human beings. Some of them may have forgotten their own humanity, but are we taking the high road by using torture as a tactic in our arsenal? If we really are suppose to be the "good guys" in this "War on Terror" then why would we ever resort to such barbaric violence. Isn't torture a terrorist tactic? I don't care if it was one person they tortured or a thousand. Torture is torture regardless of how many you subject to it. I am appalled and disgusted that anyone representing this country in any way, be it our bodies of government, or the military, would use such tactics.



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Showing 1-3 of 3 comments
Submitted By: Michael Kilman
posted on 2/19/2008 @ 2:45:02 AM
Rated Blog Entry
Might I ask, if our current definition of terrorism, is torture also not a part of that definition?
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Submitted By: Michael Kilman
posted on 2/19/2008 @ 2:43:30 AM
Rated Blog Entry
Violence always perpetuates violence no matter how you look at it. I love my son with all my heart but if I was required to torture someone to save him, I am afraid I could not do it. That may sound insane, but I am a strong believe in the teachings of not only the Tao, but also of Gandhi and his passive resistance. There are a lot of people out there who have forgotten their humanity. It is up to the few to help those people remember their humanity in a non-violent way. The question you must ask yourself is are you willing to forget your humanity?
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Submitted By: Joe McDaniel
posted on 2/17/2008 @ 12:24:02 PM
Rated Blog Entry
Is death torture? I remember the late 1970's when the terrorist bands of Robert Mugabe would enter remote villages in Zimbabwe and rape the daughters and wives of those men who would not join their movement. And when the first election was held in 1980 those people would enter a village and hold up a box of matches, asking the question "who will you vote for?" Everyone knew that one match applied to a thatched roof hut would destroy the whole village. This sort of thing happens in the world today even though we hope it doesn't. So how would you deal with these people? Would you engage them in combat, as we did, and shoot them? Unfortunately the simple answers we seek can't be found in quotations. If the life of your infant child was on the line, would you answer the same way?
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Showing 1-3 of 3 comments
CONTRIBUTOR INFORMATION

Michael Kilman

Castle Rock , CO

Michael Kilman has posted 27 blog entries and 18 comments since joining on 1/5/2008. Michael Kilman 's average blog rating is 4.97.
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