Mahatma Gandhi, the preeminent leader of the Indian independence movement states “You can chain me, you can torture me, you can even destroy this body, but you will never imprison my mind.” This is important because torture is brutal on the body and mind. The article “Torture’s Terrible Toll” by John McCain is more convincing then the article “The Case for Torture” by Michael Levin because McCain provides more logical reasoning, he adds his own personal experience of being a captured prisoner during the Vietnam War, and he creates an emotional bond with people around the world.
Through more logical reasoning McCain Argument is more valid than Levin. A logical example from McCain is: “Until about 1970, North Vietnam ignored its obligations not
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McCain states” The effects of most beatings heal. The memory of an execution will haunt someone for a very long time and damage his or her psyche in ways that may never heal”. (McCain). McCain also says” Many of many of my comrades were subjected to very cruel, very inhumane and degrading treatment and few of them unto death” (McCain). These two examples are affective because readers can only try to imagine what McCain and his solders went through. McCain is correct when he means it does not matter how many times someone can hit or torture a soldier, but seeing soldiers apart of the squadron getting executed will harm the mind forever. Levin’s essay has some examples that may create an emotional bond. Levin’s article states “I’m sorry, you’ll have to die in agony, we just couldn’t bring ourselves to …” (Levin). Levin has some guilt for the American soldiers because they were tortured. But Levin does not have feelings for captured enemies during war that they may suffer in order to get information. Levin has no personal experience with war or being tortured. If Levin had one personal experience with being captured prisoner than his point of view would change dramatically and
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Show MoreNot only are the soldiers affected by war, but regular civilians living at home are as well. Many people feel that soldiers show absolutely no emotion and are extraordinary people. However, in “Imagine Dying” written by Rick Loomis, the author proves his audience wrong when he states “here was a group of men, 37 in all, whom [he] viewed as courageous warriors, well-trained and well-equipped, and they seemed to be falling one by one right in front of him” (3). Although the majority of a population feel soldiers are extremely brave and are seldom afraid of their circumstances, this is untrue. Loomis spent a long period of time with a group of soldiers and came to the conclusion they are everyday, ordinary people simply fulfilling the role of
They let me know in no uncertain terms that it was wrong to laugh about such a thing” (www.commondreams.org/views/2013/08/08/us-wars-dehumanization-and-me). Brandon had became so dehumanized and so brainwashed that a simple story to him is a horrifying to his family members. Another war veteran named Bradley Manning shared his war experiences with Common Dreams. Manning who was surrounded with so much killing and death questions his own sense of humanity. “A part of me felt dead, or never alive, bloomed.
This painful feeling and longing for the past is also damaging to the soldiers
Death will always complement war. This is seen clearly in Tim O’Brien’s short story “The Man I Killed”. In this tale the Main character, Tim, is vividly describing in his mind the enemy Vietcong solider he just killed life story before his death. He details everything, from the visible wounds on the soldier’s body to a fantasy of the man’s life. Meanwhile, to soldiers in Tim’s platoon acknowledge that he killed this man and try to speak to him about it.
In addition, the deaths of soldiers will forever be with the ones who remained alive. In “Hope, Despair and Memory” written by Elie Wiesel, the author describes how “for the first time in history, [soldiers] could not bury [the] dead, [they] bear their graves within [themselves]” (2). Throughout the time of a war, each and every soldier will experience a variety of different deaths, each playing a unique emotional role in their lives. War, as challenging as it already may be, is created to be made even more difficult with the immense loss of life every soldier must suffer through. There is absolutely no time to grieve or mourn toward a dear soldier that was lost.
These men made a choice either go to war or remain shameful and go to jail. “They carried their reputations. They carried the soldier’s greatest fear, which was the fear of blushing. Men killed and died because they were embarrassed not to. It was what had brought them to the war in the first place, nothing positive, no dreams of glory or honor, just to avoid the blush of dishonor” (Obrien
These themes are exemplified by the experiences of the narrator in “Ten Kliks South” and Tina Beller in her e-mail to her parents. The major takeaway from these two pieces is that soldiers undergo tough situations that are unknown to the average human being. Just like everyday humans face the trials and tribulations of life, soldiers too come face to face with situations that can leave an emotional scar. Therefore, it is important for us to show appreciation for soldiers, for all that they do, and for all that they will continue to do for
Events that occur randomly and that are traumatic can take a toll on all aspects of an individual that endure them, what if an individual were in a gruesome situation and the lives of human beings were lost under their unintentional control? How would they feel for the rest of their lifetime? In the article “The Moral Logic of Survivor Guilt” by Nancy Sherman, she describes the emotional reality of soldiers in their home are often at odds with the civilian public, and are struggling to carry the burden of feeling responsible of traumatic situations. Survivor’s guilt is the bold feeling that survivors have after a tragic event taking place when others have passed away. Soldiers in battle experience losses during combat.
While analyzing “The Torture Myth” and “The Case for Torture”, it is very clear to see the type of rhetorical appeals used to persuade the audience. Anne Applebaum, the writer of “The Torture Myth” --in context of the decision of electing a new Attorney General--would argue that torture is very seldomly effective, violates a person’s rights, and should be outlawed due to the irrational need upon which physical torture is used. On the other hand, Michael Levin strongly argues that physical torture is crucial to solving every imminent danger to civilians. Levin claims that if you don’t physically torture someone, you are being weak and want to allow innocent people to die over something that could have been simply done.
This means that even the most-seasoned war veteran has trouble handling the anguish caused by war. If the most experienced soldiers struggle to handle the mental intensity of war, just imagine the unbearable magnitude of trauma a boy experiences in only a few days worth of fighting. These boys are already mentally traumatized in minutes of
In Michael Levin's The Case for Torture, Levin provides an argument in which he discusses the significance of inflicting torture to perpetrators as a way of punishment. In his argument, he dispenses a critical approach into what he believes justifies torture in certain situations. Torture is assumed to be banned in our culture and the thought of it takes society back to the brutal ages. He argues that societies that are enlightened reject torture and the authoritative figure that engage in its application risk the displeasure of the United States. In his perspective, he provides instances in which wrongdoers put the lives of innocent people at risk and discusses the aspect of death and idealism.
At Fredericksburg and Petersburg, Inman witnesses casualties, inflicts wounds, and receives injuries. Not only was close combat immensely painful, but one could distinguish the characteristics of the enemy. Men fought with, and against, young boys. Emotions brew, but since it was unmasculine to display those of weakness, some men struggle with inner thoughts provoked by Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
In Jane Brody’s alarming article, “War Wounds That Time Alone Can’t Heal” Brody describes the intense and devastating pain some soldiers go through on a daily basis. These soldiers come home from a tragic time during war or, have vivid memories of unimaginable sufferings they began to experience in the battle field. As a result these soldiers suffer from, “emotional agony and self-destructive aftermath of moral injury…” (Brody). Moral injury has caused much emotional and physical pain for men and women from the war.
However it is still an important issue that must be brought to light. We cannot turn away when at least 141 of the world’s countries participate in torture. Another issue that makes torture difficult to discuss, especially in an academic setting, is the lack of proper research and the inability to perform such research. This makes it rather difficult to find well documented and supported evidence on the effects of torture.
Soldiers train rigorously, preparing for the departure of war. They sacrifice all that they have to fight for their country. As they return after the war, they are left with painful experiences and traumatizing memories, suffering from their inevitable conditions. However, the spouse, families and children back at home are suffering even more than soldiers.