Torture, which is the utterly fascinating world of bodily harm, old as time itself, is little discussed and largely disliked. The subject of humanity is the basis of interaction and its multiple facets and rules. Respect in dialogue, the dialogue itself, cooperation, sportsmanship, polite disdain, and many other interesting squibs ensure that we don’t rip each other’s throats if our opinions do not align.
One thing, however, is that the boundary of it all is overlooked. When does a “human being’s” opinions, actions, and reactions become so crass and disturbing that they can no longer define as human? What line will one cross before a person feeds so basely on their animal instinct that they lose their humanity? Is there any true resolution to the atrocities a person can commit that allows them to be worthy of reintegration into society?
Is torture of a person, no matter how vulgar, corrupt, and uninhibited such a person, justified in society’s eyes? No, but from history, we all know that counts for shit because society has never been a fair critic. A fact that hasn’t been more apparent than now. From one view, some say that the instilment of fear in an offender’s mind prevents them from committing said offense again. The punishment pathway in the brain’s limbic system physiologically proves this. The question now lies in the extent one goes to inflict such punishments. From petty theft to child molestation, genocide, and rape, various disciplines have varying effects on the tendency of recurrent criminality. For instance, they may instruct the thief to return the items stolen and pay restitution. In the less tolerant society, they may have their hand cut off.
Quite harsh penalties for the latter but effective, the rapist might get jail time or lose their genitals. Justification achieved? The former lags, as evidenced by the that most jailbirds tend to return to prison for the same offense(s). The latter punishment has its merits and demerits and effectively cuts off the natural means to offend again. What lessons they learn from the punishment determines what the said offender does with the other appendage.
In a world with a constant moral and preferential shift, it is difficult to truly state what stands for right or wrong. That is, if the hands of society determine all judgments. Why? At times, the verdict delivered is affected by many factors and may land on anything from the ridiculously simple to the outright harsh, from an apology to lynching. Regardless of circumstances, at least in this writer’s opinion, some of the most effective means of restoring a devolved human specimen’s inhibited state is by exhibiting the heinous nature of their actions on such an offender.
Also, most of the time, bullies run from bigger bullies, and not many offenders love to have their offenses visited on them. In the Bible, one prime example is the life of King David. He was a man who couldn’t bear to lose all he had after killing a man for his only wife. When men feed on their basal instincts excessively- perhaps even obsessively, they become rabid dogs. What happens to rabid dogs? They get treated or put down.
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