It is sometimes argued that the United States of America has used torture in the past, so it is no different from other nations throughout history and world wide.  I beg to differ. 

  

Oh, I don’t deny that torture has occurred under the almost two and one-half centuries that our republic has existed under our Constitution.  It certainly took place, on both sides, as the “west was won” under the philosophy of “Manifest Destiny”.  And it is easy enough to find accounts of brutality by American forces in the Philippines during and after the Spanish American war.  And of course accounts surface every now and then of “harsh treatment” by police, although the majority of law enforcement officers to their credit do not condone it.  

  

I differ with the opinion that we are no different than those other countries that use torture as an accepted way of doing business, where it is either actively employed or winked at.  In most of these cases, it is government policy.  In the United States of America, it is not! 

  

Where it comes to light under our Constitution, it is punished.  It is not government policy, it is not condoned, and it is not winked at.  That is not to say it never happens were the individuals that are responsible get away with it, or are only lightly punished.  The point is that it is ILLEGAL under our Constitution and Bill-of-Rights.  The constant effort to eliminate torture is of utmost importance to the preservation of the treasure that is our Constitution and Bill-of-Rights, a beacon of hope to humanity.   

  

To argue that we are no different, or that we should do it because everyone else does it, is to argue that we should slide back into the dark ages.   

  

Of course for some, that is their natural habitat.  These unfortunate creatures are left behind as humanity advances.  They are enraged by this and yearn to return to the days of the dungeon under King George and his Dick.