Pew: Public Remains Divided Over Use of Torture

[cali]

Amid intense debate over the use of torture against suspected terrorists, public opinion about this issue remains fairly stable. Currently, nearly half say the use of torture under such circumstances is often (15%) or sometimes (34%) justified; about the same proportion believes that the torture of suspected terrorists is rarely (22%) or never (25%) justified.

The latest national survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, conducted April 14-21 among 742 adults interviewed in English and Spanish on landlines and cell phones, finds little change in opinions about the use of torture against suspected terrorists.

There are continuing partisan differences over the use of torture under these circumstances. Comparable percentages of Republicans (15%) and Democrats (12%) believe that the torture of suspected terrorists to gain important information is often justified, but twice as many Republicans as Democrats say torture is sometimes justified (49% vs. 24%). Similarly, while nearly identical percentages of Republicans and Democrats say torture under these circumstances is rarely justified, 38% of Democrats believe the torture of suspected terrorists is never justified, compared with 14% of Republicans.

A majority of independents (54%) believe that the use of torture against suspected terrorists is often (19%) or sometimes (35%). That is up somewhat from February, when 44% of independents said terrorism was at least sometimes justified.

<snip>

http://people-press.org/report/510/public-remains-divided-over-use-of-torture

[Turbineguy]

1. OK,

"are you OK with them torturing you?"

[cali]

2. depressing stuff.

really, really depressing.

[w4rma]

6. Yup... (nt)

[JonLP24]

3. A typical puke response is

"I didn't kill 3,000 Americans."

[valerief]

4. Pee-yew survey! nt

[inwiththenew]

5. So basically

71% of those polled think that torture is necessary at some point in time or in some situation.

[alfredo]

7. We need those suppressed videos to be released, you know the ones

with the screams of a kid getting raped in Abu Ghraib

[cali]

8. god, help us, it's pathetic that we need stuff that shocking but

you're right. we do.

[vaberella]

10. It will rock this nation to the core. n/t

[alfredo]

13. That's what we need. America needs a shot of reality.

[vaberella]

9. That tape may not surface but I'm sure one of them will. n/t

[JuniperLea]

11. I can't help but think these people are just carrying the GOP's water...

And they haven't thought about this much, just parroting what they are being told.

I hope that's the case. Anyone who condones torture of any living being is vile and subhuman!

[Spazito]

12. Poll: Most want inquiry into anti-terror tactics

WASHINGTON — Even as Americans struggle with two wars and an economy in tatters, a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll finds majorities in favor of investigating some of the thorniest unfinished business from the Bush administration: Whether its tactics in the "war on terror" broke the law.

Close to two-thirds of those surveyed said there should be investigations into allegations that the Bush team used torture to interrogate terrorism suspects and its program of wiretapping U.S. citizens without getting warrants. Almost four in 10 favor criminal investigations and about a quarter want investigations without criminal charges. One-third said they want nothing to be done.


Even more people want action on alleged attempts by the Bush team to use the Justice Department for political purposes. Four in 10 favored a criminal probe, three in 10 an independent panel, and 25% neither.


The ACLU and other groups are pressing for inquiries into whether the Bush administration violated U.S. and international bans on torture and the constitutional right to privacy. House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers and his Senate counterpart, Patrick Leahy, have proposed commissions to investigate.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2009-02-11-investigation-poll_N.htm

[Supersedeas]

14. the United States of America is DEBATING whether TORTURE is acceptable behavior

think about that -- the land of habeus corpus, speed trials, right to confront witnesses and assistance of counsel, the land that honors that right to be secure in home and person, the land where someone CAN NOT BE COMPELLED TO BE A WITNESS AGAINST himself, the land that honors no cruel or unusual punishment...

IS DEBATING...

the viability of TORTURE.

[Union Yes]

15. If/When these trials are held. Testimony will open the publics eyes.

Rethugs and their ideology will continue to fall on their own sword.

They've drawn a line in the sand by defending torture.

May that stance further shove those evil fuckers into obscurity.