Torture is Justice? Opinion on torture tactics by governments.

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By Briana Booker

We are living in an era where terrorism, a political revolt and war tactic, is placed in the spotlight of international concerns. Debates on whether torture can be justified to obtain crucial information for the sole purpose of protecting American civilians is becoming common. However, torture is never justifiable because there is an alternative to protecting American citizens from social and physical harm without sacrificing the social and physical well-being of labeled offenders. The government should never allow the desire for information to outweigh the moral and ethical elements that the United States of American has built this country upon- the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. In fact, crucial information can be obtained by giving out incentives rather than punishments. This tactic should be used rather than torture.              Torture is not justifiable because its objectives are too similar to terrorism; it can not win a battle against an opponent with similar strengths and weaknesses.                                                       

Terrorism objective is to use fear to coerce governments and civilians to do its will. Terrorists seek social solidarity and commit violent and unlawful acts because they want to revenge against those whom have created and live within social structures they disfavor. They blame western culture for the economic failures and political instabilities within their own homelands. They feel vulnerable. The dramatic irony is that the USA and its civilians want revenge for being placed in a similar predicament of vulnerability.                                                                   

Americans see the tactic of torture as a way to squeeze out crucial information from terrorists to give them back the security they once held in financial and social structures before September 11^th. Americans want to use coercion through emotional and physical pain.             

  Both parties using various degrees of coercion and torture have not resulted in much success in achieving their objectives fully. This suggests that an alternative strategy is necessary.   Specified needs and wants of both parties need to be address so a resolution can be achieved, this includes restoring due process for offenders and reforming positive social policies and structures in America and societies that breed and harbor terrorists’ cells.                                  

There is no profile of a defined terrorist or any universal agreements against torture. This is highly problematic. Torture can never be used as an instrument to rehabilitate, bring peace or order to society. It is inappropriate. By no means should detainees be physically and judicially abused in civilian and military trials. Both torturers and terrorists intentionally inflict suffering upon target groups in hope for some type of confession or intimidation success. Two wrongs never make a right.                                                                                                                                            In the global community torture is not allowed under international law. The United States government, whom has vowed to honor agreements protecting human rights of all, should not use loop holes in the system to practice torture in countries that openly use such heinous acts. It displays the United States government as illegitimate if it cannot be accountable to honor its written and unwritten support for universal human rights. Article 5 of the Universal Declaration of Human rights declares no one should be subjected to any degree of torture. This includes offenders and those suspected to be offenders. It is inhumane to take away these universal rights from anyone.                                                                                                                          

Conflict of interest is the issue. The alternative that will be in the best interest of all and has a better potential to obtain crucial information would be to use financial incentives to persuade terrorists to be more cooperative with the United States government. I do not mean using actual liquid assets and giving them to terrorist cells. Financial incentives should be used in the form of commodities and building up infrastructures in the societies terrorists’ families live within. A majority of individuals whom become terrorists initiate themselves into these violent causes to improve the health and financial well being of their families.                                            
By the United States government promising and living up to this promise of developing these communities, it would decrease the appeal for individuals to support and be instruments in terrorist’s ideologies and actions. By creating a strong, positive, social and organic solidarity to the environments that breed and harbor terrorist cells, will in fact maximum the United States civilians’ freedoms and securities.                                                                                            Forming organic social solidarity in developing countries vulnerable to terrorists’ cells will form open discussion, equality of opportunity in society as well as moral and social justice (over time).  It will decrease the amounts of social misfits who are attracted to terrorist organizations, as Tom Friedman (American journalist and three time Pulitzer Prize winner) discussed with Katie Couric on CBS News. It is a win-win situation for all involved. Torture will not give these benefits to the American people or anyone else in the global community.                             

It is crucial to remember that every choice comes with consequences. Neither terrorism nor torture is new in social behavior. To allow the United States government to obtain the most beneficial information to protect the American people, it must trace back to the origins of why this present dilemma is such a serious issue. The origins signify that this problem is a resultant of national and social inequalities. No one wants to be at a disadvantage. Everyone wants to develop and be socially comfortable. Violence will not help. To end terrorism social reform needs to be accomplished that benefits both sides of the debate. Torture benefits no one. Implementing pain increases conflict, but implementing incentives increases cooperation. We need and want joint action and cooperation. This is the reason why torture is never justifiable.

Is war really necessary?

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By Briana Booker

   In class we have discussed whether war was necessary. In some instances I think war is necessary. Sometimes, people have to experience negative consequences to allow positive change in behaviors. I do not like the thought of war, but I know that not all conflicts can be resolved verbally nor can they be walked away from by any means. I say this not by observations of society, but the natural state of nature. Nature demonstrates inequalities, for one to survive, sometimes another must die. War in nature has nothing to do with emotions, simply instinct. But most people say humans are different because we have the ability to rationalize our actions. We have the ability to articulate our discontentment and flaws. We have the ability to know right from wrong. But is this a gift or a curse to have the ability to rationalize? Is it a gift or a curse to feel emotions, to know you are alive and have the ability to hurt?

 I know in most monotheistic religions people say the word of God and of God’s prophets is to love. Not love specific people or things but to love. It is the word of God. But at the same time I see violence in scripture. It demonstrates to me that violence is part of life. Survival of the fittest flows in my head when all else fails. I am not saying it is wrong or right. But I am asking what makes war right? What makes peace right? Both seem emotionally driven in every sense of the word. Most wars are fought based on clashes of beliefs and clashes on how systems are ran. Most peace comes when people learn to compromise. People learn that they gain more by being at peace. I find both war and peace self-fish attributes because they still consist of gaining something at the expense of someone else.                                                                                                

For example, in war the United States motto was ‘it is not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country?’ Yet troops lose their lives everyday in a war I feel can not be won simply with violent tactics.

Or how people say we must make peace, to protect our own securities. It is still self-fish in context, but at the same time I would rather choose peace over war.  From my own personal experience, war is only a short-term solution. It makes no one happy or better off in the long run. However, sometimes I think it is necessary when the need of communication is prevented, yet a threat is still imposed. But perhaps that is a debate for different day.

Cat-calling and the fear to speak up.

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Hello Fromgirltogirl readers,
This post is from a journal by the founder of Fromgirltogirl, Briana Booker. We will be posting several articles from her diary on various thoughts and experiences from her life. Please comment and share your stories as well. Enjoy.

By Briana Booker

After our class discussion on cat-calling, I ponder how the documentary author was bold enough to ask the question, of why do you think women are flatter when cat-called? I have never thought to ask a man that question.

Often when I walk the street, I have trained myself never to look a man strange to me in the eye. I always fear of drawing unwanted attention to myself. However, even when I do not look directly at men they still go out of their way to get my attention. A recent incident was when I was headed to Georgetown to meet up with a guy I am dating. I went from the Rosslyn metro station and across the Key Bridge to get to the Georgetown Neighborhood. On my way there, a random guy around my age looks at me and goes “Hi, sorry to bother you but do you have a moment?” My first emotion was of panic. It is night time on a Saturday night in a neighborhood full of drunken college students. I am looking for a location and all I want to do is to get there. I pause, and say “No thank you. I am meeting up with some friends.” The guy says he does not want to scare me, and puts his hands up as a sign of no harm doing. The fact he did that, scared me more. Why was a random guy trying to get my attention in the middle of the night for no reason? I kept walking and said “Sorry.” I was not sure why I said sorry. Maybe, I felt bad for not being interested. Or not being interested, although his gesture was polite. I am not sure if I would have reacted differently during the day time or not. I just knew that the situation made me feel uncomfortable. Immediately I texted the guy I was going to see “Do people randomly start conversation with you in this neighborhood? Is that normal?” He told me it was, thinking I was joking, but I never told him a guy randomly stopped me. I did not want him to worry. Even though the event was not that serious, I started observing if I looked a certain way that would make a guy just feel he could approach me. I had a blazer, a baby doll halter on, jeans and boots. I did not think I looked scandalous. But I did not feel disrespected by this encounter. I think what made me worried was that I was in an unfamiliar environment with an unfamiliar person.      

I had worse said to me than a guy just asking to talk to me. I have been walking at night, by myself in high heels when two guys try to get my attention. When I gave no reaction, one man goes “It is okay. I am too big for you anyways,” in reference to his penis. I was disgusted that he even thought he could say that to me. At the same time, I was afraid that these two men would try to put me in their car. They were definitely strong enough to do so and it was once again a late at night stroll for me. My parents often worry of me being out by myself at night. They feel a woman should not be alone at night ever. I was raised very traditionally. But since going to college I have had more freedom than I have ever had before in my life. I like the idea that I can go anywhere I want, whenever I want.

Now, I am starting to understand what my parents have been worried about. No way would I want my daughter to be a victim of violence of verbal or physical abuse. No matter how one looks at cat-calling, I feel it is a means for a man to show power over women, no matter if polite or impolite in gesture. No way would I, as a woman, walk up to a strange man and start hitting on him. I have even been cat-call while hanging out with a group of friend. One night recently, two of my girl-friends and a guy I am friends with had dinner at his new place. He enjoys cooking and has just recently come back from studying aboard in China. After dinner we wanted to play the Wii video game system at American University. Unfortunately, we were not able to because we did not have access to go into a resident’s hall. The four of us decided to walk back to his place. As we are walking a white car, full of guys drives pass us. A guy in the back seat rolls down his window and says…”Can I stick you?” Note, I did not know these guys and so I keep in conversation with the guy that is my friend on a book he read while in China. The guys decided, because I ignored them, to turn around to drive back just to make another cat-call. I felt annoyed and disrespected. If a guy was interested in me, he should be respectful and not be foolish with his friends to get my attention. Once again, I wondered was I dressed appropriate because I was the only one cat-called at and my friend that was a guy tries to make a joke saying “Aren’t you popular?” Instead of me thinking it was funny, it made me self-critique myself. It made me wonder why I was picked. Did I not look modest enough? And the action made me more aware that I was a female. I was a target. I was vulnerable. I could hear my father voice echoing in my head why should a young lady be out at night wandering? But he does not understand that the rules for courtship have changed. He does not understand what it is to be a woman. Often now, when I am alone I wear my mother’s engagement ring to keep strange men from talking to me. I feel as if I am more respected when a man thinks I am taken, that I am in a relationship. Cat-calling does not make me feel flatter. It makes me feel vulnerable. But I do not think men will change their tactics until women stand up for themselves when men cross our boundaries. But it is easier said than done. And I know, for me to be respected, it will start with me speaking up for myself.

Must see video clips: "Move B*tch," Cop punches teen girl.

By Briana Booker

 I know this might not seem funny to people,but a Seattle cop punches a 17 year old teen girl! Why?

 Well, she happen to be jay walking with a friend. She shoved him when being questioned about jay walking and he rounded up for a POW in your face sucka move!

I mean, I have jay walked before so it seems a bit extreme in my views for a cop to punch me in the face. 

Looking at the video it appears to me the girl shoved the cop to get him off her friend. He probably should have reacted differently, especially because this punch in the face seems, on the surface,a white man punching a black woman. This plays on that theme of racial tensions in America. If it were a white woman being stopped for the same matter, would it have gotten to this point of aggravation?

No one is sure whether the two parties would have acted differently if they were of the same racial background.

Maybe something is in the water in Seattle because on April 17th two Seattle Officers kicked a Hispanic suspect.

What makes this video classic is that everyone has a video phone or camera out, as this action occurs.

My reaction is that the world has gone nuts! Point. Blank. Period. POW. Was this punch for public safety or just for some cash flow for the police department?

Click here for the video . Let me know your thoughts and reactions.