...peacefully, sleeps on the land he loves. He is Louie Zamperini, a bombardier who served in U.S Air Force during World War II, also a runner who joined 1936 Summer Olympics. Instead of being known by the public as an Olympics runner, his most impressive accomplishment is surviving in POW camps after being caught by the Japanese army. In the camp, life was not easy. There is a warden that he will never forget – Mutsuhiro Watanabe. Mutsuhiro Watanabe (渡辺むつひろ), who was called “The Bird” by POWs, was an Imperial Japanese Army sergeant in World War II who served at POW camps in Ōfuna, Naoetsu (present day Jōetsu, Niigata), and Mitsushima (present day Hiraoka). Watanabe was classified as a war criminal following the war for his abuse of...
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...Resilience The stories of ex-former prisoners of war inhumane experiences they faced during their captures are unimaginable. Prisoners of war, from all nations, were subject to daily beatings, slow starvation, dehydration, murder, forced labor, isolation and even medical experimentation. The ones who did survive were returned to their homes; only these veterans were left with a lifelong scar. The devastating effects of POW’s affects family, work, social and all other aspects of their lives. One illustration is of a Holocaust survivor who spoke about the bitterness that remains in himself about Nazi’s treated him and other POW’s, “If you could lick my heart, it would poison you” (Thomas). To some, crimes like the Holocaust may seem unforgivable, from a religious aspect, it is a Christian obligation. But many could argue that one cannot commit such cruelty and evil and simply be forgiven, so crimes like the holocaust may seem unforgiveable but it is evident by many researchers and scholars that in fact they have found that forgiveness plays a crucial role in the ex- Prisoners of war emotional healing to be able to lead a resilient life after such traumatic events. Generally, forgiveness is a decision to let go of resentment and thoughts of revenge. The act that hurt or offended you might always remain a part of your life. But forgiving allows you to help you focus on other, positive parts of your life. Understanding that everyone may or may not deserve forgiveness no matter...
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...the same rights and privileges as Prisoners of War. Is Torture Justified? So the question is, Is Torture Justified? My claim is that as long as torture saves lives then torture should be allowed by all means. Torture has always been a part of civilization. It goes back as far as the Greeks and Romans and as recently as when detainees were being held in Guantánamo Bay Cuba in 2004. In 1949 the Geneva Conventions was sanctioned during the wake of World War II. Even though the Geneva Conventions of 1949 was established torture has been and is still used inappropriately. Cornell University Law School found, “The Geneva Conventions are a series of treaties on the treatment of civilians, prisoners of war (POWs) and soldiers who are otherwise rendered hors de combat, or incapable of fighting.” The Geneva Conventions explains how terrorists are defined under the Geneva Conventions as not being held up to the same standards as Prisoner Of War are. So if terrorists are not to be considered protected by the Geneva Conventions then in that case torture should be justified for a least terrorists. Just think how many lives could have been saved if United States had the means or the opportunity to have tortured someone prior to September 11, 2001? But what about after 2006, between 2006 and 2012; 111,041 people worldwide have lost their lives due to terrorist attacks. See Appendix (A) Like ever things in this world, torture should have just cause. I believe as long as torture saves...
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...The Right of Habeas Corpus POL201: American National Government Instructor: Farrell Binder October 27, 2013 The meaning of Habeas Corpus originates from a Latin word meaning “you have the body” (National Archives). It refers to the right of a person to question their imprisonment before a judge. The abuse of the right of habeas corpus has not been the most severe of civil liberties granted not to Americans only, but many other countries. The right of Habeas Corpus defends a prisoner. It gives a prisoner an opportunity to prove that their guaranteed rights to fair treatment in a trial was not given to them. The concept initially became a law in the 17th century in England when Catholics were considerate disloyal to the throne of King Charles II. It precedes the Magna Carta in 1215. It isn’t an original American concept. It became a law in the west when England parliament decreed the Habeas Corpus Act of 1679 (http://www.constitution.org). In 1861 right after the start of the American Civil War President Lincoln ordered a suspension of Habeas Corpus. It only applied to Maryland and parts of the Midwestern states. John Merryman, a Maryland secessionist, was capture by Union Troops. The Chief Justice and Supreme Court overlooked Lincoln’s order of suspension and demanded that the military bring Merryman before the court. Lincoln and the military then ignored their ruling. Chief Justice Taney governed Lincoln’s suspension unconstitutional. The first real act of Habeas Corpus...
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...Angel Island, also nicknamed “Ellis Island of the West,” processed approximately 180 thousand immigrants and over 87 thousand American soldiers. Angel Island is a 640 acre island located in the center of the San Francisco bay, California. Because of the location, it served as a US military base and immigration center. The island was in US use from 1863 to 1946, processing soldiers and immigrants. Although seen as a place of hopelessness and frustration by the thousands of immigrants, Angel Island’s military roles and events positively contributed to American history. Angel Island managed the Chinese population of the West Coast poorly. The immigration center deported thousands of skilled Chinese for the fear that they would take all the jobs, however many of the Chinese were also willing to worked as laborers or other low skill jobs. Sam McMannis reports, “ How they [the Chinese] first arrived after the Goldrush, later were put to work building the railroads… were seen as taking jobs away from the native born citizens.”(www.scbee.com) The increasing amount of Chinese took some skilled jobs from citizens, which angered the citizens....
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...Justify the Use of Torture Torture is used by governments throughout the world to include the United States as way to extract information from a person or persons. By inflicting severe pain the torturer forces the captive to do or say something that could lead to information of a supposed terrorist attack or pertinent details of upcoming events. The act of torture has been used against prisoners of war, possible insurgents, religious sympathizers and political prisoners since Christ was crucified at the cross. In the early 1970’s, certain governments begin to see a form of violence start to evolve called “terrorism” and with that came prisoners who were called “terrorists.” Although many countries employ torture techniques against those that are dubbed “political prisoners” not all countries label them as terrorists or even face potential threats of terrorism to the extent other countries do. Over the next several pages I will discuss events that have taken place since the 1970’s leading up to the current terrorist acts we face today and how the use of torture has played a role in these events. I will also discuss how the use of torture brings up a great ethical debate of what is right and wrong and how governments attempt to justify the use of torture. I will state how one of the classical theories might resolve this ethical dilemma as well as how relativism could contrast this theory. Finally, I will close the paper with my view point on the use of torture and which train...
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...America and Germany: Institution America and Germany: Military Institutions War and Culture are intertwined with Politics as well as Religion. The reasons are because the Human Psyche governs these four things and such it is within the whims of those who have the powers or are have the power within the society or community to control it. It can be said that culture is equivalent of “any group of humans living or working together over time develops “habitual practices, default programs, hidden assumptions and unreflected cognitive frames” that inform their choices, or indeed they will have created “a repertoire or ‘tool kit’ of habits, skills, and styles from which people construct ‘strategies of action’.” (Lee 2011, pp.3) As such, war can result in a cultures ideology, socioeconomic background and religious beliefs. Most Wars have a main/central or focal point or theme as to why they are being fought, and it is the underlying cultures belief that governs the reason for said wars. (The Holy Wars due to Religion, the Civil War due to political beliefs of freedom and liberty, World War II due to religious and political propaganda). Americas Perception in regards to “Death’s Significance for the Civil war generation arose as well from its violation of prevailing assumptions about life’s proper end-about who should die, when and where, and under what circumstances.” (Faust 2008, pp. xxii) Before the war, dying was due to natural and normal circumstances. Rules of conduct for the...
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...others, did not flaunt his role, and he refused to let others die to save his life. Roddie Edmonds was born to Thomas Edmonds and Mary Sexton in 1919 in South Knoxville, Tennessee (“The Story of an Unjustly Overlooked American World War II Hero”). He had 4 older brothers, one of whom died after a year. He graduated from Knoxville...
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...individual that was deemed to have any association with the al Qaeda terrorist network; specifically, any group or individual across the globe who was suspected of helping to aid in the planning of the attacks on the United States was now subject to the policing of the United States government (Jackson, 2010). This resolution and vow by President Bush and Congress to take on the war against terrorism resulted in massive military, law enforcement, and intelligence missions being launched in the Middle East and around other parts of the globe. These military and policing efforts resulted in thousands of detentions of citizens and non-citizens as potential suspects, however, in many cases, individuals being detained did not have formal charges placed against them, and they were merely being held on "suspicion" (Jackson, 2010). The most prominent example of indefinite detention of individuals is seen at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba (GITMO). This pattern of indefinite detention of individuals who in many cases have never been charged with a crime has led to a multitude of legal challenges as prisoners have attempted to evoke their rights of habeas corpus in an attempt to get U.S. Federal Courts to hear their cases (Jackson, 2010). The general meaning of the right of habeas corpus in the U.S. Constitution and its relationship to the protection of other civil liberties: In today's legal definitions, habeas corpus is the right of an individual who is incarcerated to question...
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...individual that was deemed to have any association with the al Qaeda terrorist network; specifically, any group or individual across the globe who was suspected of helping to aid in the planning of the attacks on the United States was now subject to the policing of the United States government (Jackson, 2010). This resolution and vow by President Bush and Congress to take on the war against terrorism resulted in massive military, law enforcement, and intelligence missions being launched in the Middle East and around other parts of the globe. These military and policing efforts resulted in thousands of detentions of citizens and non-citizens as potential suspects, however, in many cases, individuals being detained did not have formal charges placed against them, and they were merely being held on "suspicion" (Jackson, 2010). The most prominent example of indefinite detention of individuals is seen at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba (GITMO). This pattern of indefinite detention of individuals who in many cases have never been charged with a crime has led to a multitude of legal challenges as prisoners have attempted to evoke their rights of habeas corpus in an attempt to get U.S. Federal Courts to hear their cases (Jackson, 2010). The general meaning of the right of habeas corpus in the U.S. Constitution and its relationship to the protection of other civil liberties: In today's legal definitions, habeas corpus is the right of an individual who is incarcerated to question...
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...American Civil Liberties and the War on Terror Christy Holman POL 201 John Zurovchak May 13, 2013 American Civil Liberties and the War on Terror The September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on our nation were the first time that communist or terrorist factions from abroad were able to penetrate our shores to strike us on our own soil. This horrific day signified the end of the thoughts of many Americans that we as citizens were untouchable. Many different arguments and legal debates have come out of the war on terror that quite frankly, we really do not understand. Should people who have been accused of committing crimes against the United States or its citizens be granted the civil liberties that the Constitution provides for United States Citizens? Should the Writ of Habeas Corpus be extended to people who are deemed illegal or enemy combatants to the United States of America? Habeas Corpus is an inalienable right that should be extended to all who are accused of crimes by the United States Government. The origins of Habeas Corpus precede the year 1215 and show evident in the language of the Magna Carta (Nutting, 1960, pp. 527-543). The exact language of the reference in the Magna Carta is “No free man shall be taken or imprisoned or dissiezed or exiled or in any way destroyed except by the lawful judgment of their peers or by the law of the land.” The practice and right of Habeas Corpus was settled practice and law at the time of Magna Carta and was part of the unwritten...
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...Reflection The 2010 science fiction novel Mockingjay, written by Suzanne Collins, comments on the role that faith has in the world and on human endeavour. This specific book of a three part series focuses on the main character Katniss Everdeen as she recovers from her second Hunger Games, her home District, 12, which was burnt down by the government and from losing close friends who were taken prisoner. The novel starts with reluctantly adapting to a very structured and set life in District 13 and being manipulated into becoming the Mockingjay, poster child, for the rebellion. Convincing her to do this was made easy when Katniss finds out that Peeta is being kept prisoner in the Capitol and is being tortured, she felt she had no other choice but to do anything she could to have him rescued. The reader follows her through her journey of uprising against the Capitol and changing the fate of Panem. The novel, Mockingjay, explores themes including loyalty, death, family and hope as well as tackling issues such as poverty, starvation, oppression and the effects of war. Katniss Everdeen must deal with being betrayed and violence against her and those who she wants desperately to protect. She has to realise that she cannot trust those around her and that she must make decisions that will benefit her. I believe that this novel makes a comment on human endeavour as the effects of war settle into Katniss’ mind. She had to push through horrible nightmares that she experienced regularly...
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...Jarecki’s Response Eugene Jarecki point of view is the war on drugs has resulted in more than 45 million arrests, $1 trillion dollars in government spending, and America’s role as the world’s largest jailer. “Forty years ago, President Nixon called a press conference to tell the American people that their “public enemy #1.” - Eugene Jarecki Yet for all that, drugs are cheaper, purer, and more available than ever. The House I Live In shows the daily life from the dealer to the grieving mother, the narcotics officer to the senator, the inmate to the federal judge, and offers a penetrating look at the profound human rights implications of America’s longest war. The War on Drugs is a big thing going on around the world. Now it’s being legal and people in jail are suffering inside for what they have done in the past and they can’t be set loose because the laws have changed. The presidency of Ronald Reagan marked the start of a long period of skyrocketing rates of incarceration, largely thanks to his unprecedented expansion of the drug war. The number of people behind bars for nonviolent drug law offenses increased from 50,000 in 1980 to over 400,000 by 1997. -Ethan Nadelmann, JD The film recognizes drug abuse as a matter of public health, and investigates the tragic errors and shortcomings that have resulted from framing it as an issue for law enforcement. It also examines how political and financial corruption has fueled the war on drugs, despite persistent evidence of its moral...
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...The Stanford Prison Experiment was a landmark psychological study of the human response to captivity, in particular, to the real world circumstances of prison life. Subjects were randomly assigned to play the role of "prisoner" or "guard". Those assigned to play the role of guard were given sticks and sunglasses; those assigned to play the prisoner role were arrested by the Palo Alto police department, deloused, forced to wear chains and prison garments, and transported to the basement of the Stanford psychology department, which had been converted into a sort of jail. What was the lesson learned from Zimbardo’s (1971) Stanford Prison experiment about the influence of social roles on an individual’s behavior? Several of the guards became progressively more sadistic — particularly at night when they thought the cameras were off, despite being picked by chance out of the same pool as the prisoners. The experiment very quickly got out of hand. A riot broke out on day two. One prisoner developed a psychosomatic rash all over his body upon finding out that his "parole" had been turned down. After only 6 days (of a planned two weeks), the experiment was shut down, for fear that one of the prisoners would be seriously hurt. Although the intent of the experiment was to examine captivity, its result has been used to demonstrate the impressionability and obedience of people when provided with a legitimizing ideology and social and institutional support. It is also used to illustrate cognitive...
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...What it takes to survive a war “Maus” is graphic novel that tells the story of some survivors of the Holocaust, written by Art Spiegelman. It revolves around the main character Vladek (Art’s father) and his journey starting from years before World War II throughout the war and finally the end of the war and his survival. As a Jewish man, Vladek’s survival through the war and the Nazi concentration camps was genuinely a tough and difficult trip. Not only he survived, but Vladek also managed to carry his family away from the face of death. Quite a few factors contributed to his success, some are physical; such as his various skills and abilities that he used to keep himself alive, while the rest are emotional; like his love to his family, his dedication and his resourcefulness. Vladek was a true handyman, he possessed lots of skills before the war which later turned out to be his boat to the shore of life. He started out in the textile business, where it was more management work than hard labor. Later after Anja fell into a state of depression and he was coming back from the sanitarium, he enlisted into the Polish army, where he learned survival and combat skills that would help him in the long run. He was taken as a prisoner soon enough after the war starts, however, he got released. Vladek got into the black market business, dealing in the black market taught him a lot of skills varying from negotiation and communication skills to life lessons such as not trusting everyone...
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