Let's get serious, bro

I am proud to be the nerdiest bro on the block and come out and say that I'm a member of my school's Debating club. I like debating; it is fun and I have a lot of opinions. Plus the teacher that runs it is an utter Dilf with whom I am in love.
But anyway, as our Debaters are just the funkiest in all the land, we've gotten through to the second round of this competition we're involved in. It's nation-wide mass-debation.
And this time, I'm part of the two woman team representing our lovely school. And the motion is this -

This House believes that the torture of suspected terrorists can be justified.

Proposing.

Shit.

Seriously, how am I supposed to convince a room full of people that torturing people is a good thing?  Can torture of suspected terrorists ever be justified?

Most of us - myself included - are immediately inclined to say no. It's inhumane, cruel and barbaric. We've all seen the Abu Ghraib pictures. We all know about the Nazis tortuing Jewish innocents, the Kurdish massacres, the treatment of Irish Nationals by the British during the Troubles  (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mw7WJLZmVF4  amazing film mwa xo).

We know that terrorism is internationally banned and is just plain wrong in any circumstance - Geneva Conventions, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, United Nations decrees - wrong, wrong, wrong.

But let's take a step out of our comfort zone of idealism and look at this in a different way.

Your home is threatened by a severe risk of a terrorist attack. There's a guy who - based on a stack of evidence and shady past behaviour - potentially has vital information that would save the lives of your family and neighbours. Without this information, everything precious to you will be destroyed, and this guy won't talk - You Can't Do Anything To Me, I Know My Rights type attitude. So then what do we do?

Article 5 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that No person shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

But look at Article 1 of the same Declaration - All human beings... are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood. Terrorists, in their attacks on innocent civilians, do not adhere to this.
 Article 3 -
Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person. Surely this encompasses innocent victims more so than the perpetrators?
Article 29 - Everyone has duties to the community... rights and freedoms may in no case be excersised contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.

And then there's the theories and ethical issues behind it all - Utlitarianism, Just War, proportionality, Consequentialism...

So there it is. Can torture of suspected terrorists be justified?

If anyone has any fantastic ideas to argue yes, in certain cases, I will be forever grateful.



That was depressing.
Have some Fassdawg.