Man can not live by bread alone

Current Event September 8th 2006

Amy Owen

“Man can not live by bread alone”


What is the definition of torture, cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment? (all human rights for all) Obviously there is some confusion in the actual definition because the US’s actions are not aligning with my definition. As Americans we have been taught how important nutrition is in order to survive. Everyone has had that famous argument with a mother or grandmother over eating their greens. So why does our government think bread and water is adequate nutrition for detainees? A CNN news article paints an ugly picture of America when it explains how US forces allowed some detainees to go over two weeks with only bread and water. They deprived them of sleep and even stripped one detainee because he urinated on himself repeatedly, and the cells were found to be below our lowest standards (U.S. military finds claims prisoners were tortured ‘not credible’). That part is sad enough, but the astonishing thing is that the pentagon did not think it was illegal, just wrong (U.S. military finds claims prisoners were tortured ‘not credible’). They felt that because it was not a form of punishment, but (supposed) lack of resources it was not illegal (U.S. military finds claims prisoners were tortured ‘not credible’). That to me sounds like someone dancing around an issue and not taking responsibilities. We would tell a mother it was not illegal to starve her baby if she just didn’t have the resources. We would expect her to go to food backs, apply for food stamps, and even place her child in foster care. So why don’t we expect our government to take action. Okay maybe it was a lack of resources, but I haven’t heard anyone say what they were going to do to get the necessary resources.

How can we say we are fighting for human rights and break them at the same time? We as American’s are not God and we can be wrong. It is important that we walk the talk that we preach at other countries. We as American’s should do everything possible to insure that human rights are being upheld. We are in Iraq preaching freedom and human rights, but our own Pentagon thinks it is not illegal to take away the human rights of detainees if the resources are not there. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights does not say it applies to everyone, but detainees or everyone if the resources are available. Maybe the confusion isn’t over the definition of torture, cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment, but the definition of human. Do we just not think Detainees have these rights?


Sources


“Universal Declaration of Human Rights." all human rights for all. 8 Sep 2006 .



“U.S. military finds claims prisoners were tortured ‘not credible’.” MSN. June 16, 2006. 8 Sept 2006 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13371226/.