The idea that fear can leak information to a human is not a new idea. Torture has been widely used throughout the world by many groups of people. After World War II, the Geneva Convention prohibited any nation from participating in torture. The emergence of terrorist activities on American soil has raised the question of whether torture should be supported or prohibited from a moral perspective. The United States has changed the definition of torture in order to forcefully obtain potentially important information from prisoners. Although the new clause suggested that many of the methods used by the United States were now legal, other countries still had problems in terms of respecting the Geneva Convention and basic human rights. Torture advocates promise that countless innocent lives can be saved by information obtained from a single torture victim. Supporters' opponents suggest that torture often results in misleading information. Morally, torture is not justified as it degrades human beings and often leaves victims scarred for life and possibly dead. To evaluate the morality of torture, it is necessary to define it. According to the 1975 Tokyo Declaration, torture is “the deliberate, systematic or wanton infliction of physical or mental suffering by one or more persons acting alone or on the orders of any authority, to compel another person to provide information, to make a confession, or for any other reason." The generality of this definition severely limits harmless interrogations by the police. The United Nations modified the definition to include severe physical suffering, deliberate intent, and also added that the action cannot be part of a legal sanction. The United States subsequently revised the definition “to include only the most extreme pain” in 200… half of the document… less outside of intimidation Torture may be a useful tool in society, but some solved the issue many years ago. Those who commit crimes are often willing to sacrifice their lives to keep it secret. Torture simply lowers us to their standards and, in the long term, facilitates increased terrorist activity. Why put salt on the wound when you have a band-aid? Torture cannot be morally justified. Works Cited 5 Myths About Torture and the Truth by Darius Rejali Definitions of Torture (from the BBC) Torture and the Law (from the BBC) The Government Should Not Allow the Use of Torture to Fight Terrorism by Harvey Silvergate America's Use of Torture in Interrogations of Terrorist Suspects Violate Human Rights by Lisa HajjarSome Torture a Necessary Lifesaving Tool by Mirko BagaricTaxi to the Dark Side