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OP-ED: Extreme rhetoric clouds shock debate
by Taylor Shiells
Op-Ed | 10/23/07
Posted online at 11:22 PM EST on 10/22/07
/ Last updated at 12:00 AM EST on 10/22/07
The actions of Brandeis Students Against the Judge Rotenberg Center have crossed the line. During their tabling in Lower Usdan, the group advertised, in large, bold lettering across a banner: "Stop the torture of children."
Furthermore, at the table itself, literature presented by the group, as well as the statements of the members themselves, attempted to compare the group to the alleged torture prison Abu Ghraib by using gruesome political cartoons from Mother Jones magazine to augment their comparison.
Aversive therapy is the use of negative stimuli, such as the mild electric shocks used at the Judge Rotenberg Center, to condition the behavior of an individual. Although the merits of the therapy are debatable and its use rightly controversial, aversive shock is not torture by any reasonable use of the term.
Torture is the use of extreme physical or psychological pain as a means of interrogation or for the purpose of cruelty. BSAJRC not only uses this term incorrectly, but, in doing so, insults the entire Brandeis community. Rather than present the community with evidence, research or even the truth, BSAJRC is employing over-the-top and deliberately misleading propaganda to inflame and confuse the community.
In defense of BSARJC's actions, Liza Behrendt '09 stated in an interview, "We're trying to get an extreme reaction out of people because we think this an extreme issue." She went on to say that, once BSAJRC had a student's attention, they would offer evidence of their claims if that student asked for it. It is not enough, however, for a group to offer evidence only after inflaming the passions of its audience.
Regardless of the quality of the evidence or the objectivity of the audience, any viewing of that evidence will be inherently prejudiced by the presentation of the treatment as torture.
It is unfortunate that BSJARC are choosing to lead with scare tactics, because the evidence the group actually has to offer is well-researched and compelling. Brandeis is a high-level university, and if its students are concerned about the JRC, they are intelligent enough to examine the evidence objectively. By refusing to present us with that evidence in an unbiased manner, BSAJRC have shown very little respect for the student body.
Furthermore, at the table itself, literature presented by the group, as well as the statements of the members themselves, attempted to compare the group to the alleged torture prison Abu Ghraib by using gruesome political cartoons from Mother Jones magazine to augment their comparison.
Aversive therapy is the use of negative stimuli, such as the mild electric shocks used at the Judge Rotenberg Center, to condition the behavior of an individual. Although the merits of the therapy are debatable and its use rightly controversial, aversive shock is not torture by any reasonable use of the term.
Torture is the use of extreme physical or psychological pain as a means of interrogation or for the purpose of cruelty. BSAJRC not only uses this term incorrectly, but, in doing so, insults the entire Brandeis community. Rather than present the community with evidence, research or even the truth, BSAJRC is employing over-the-top and deliberately misleading propaganda to inflame and confuse the community.
In defense of BSARJC's actions, Liza Behrendt '09 stated in an interview, "We're trying to get an extreme reaction out of people because we think this an extreme issue." She went on to say that, once BSAJRC had a student's attention, they would offer evidence of their claims if that student asked for it. It is not enough, however, for a group to offer evidence only after inflaming the passions of its audience.
Regardless of the quality of the evidence or the objectivity of the audience, any viewing of that evidence will be inherently prejudiced by the presentation of the treatment as torture.
It is unfortunate that BSJARC are choosing to lead with scare tactics, because the evidence the group actually has to offer is well-researched and compelling. Brandeis is a high-level university, and if its students are concerned about the JRC, they are intelligent enough to examine the evidence objectively. By refusing to present us with that evidence in an unbiased manner, BSAJRC have shown very little respect for the student body.
Viewing Comments 1 - 5 of 5
Kenneth Mollins
posted 10/23/07 @ 12:09 PM EST
The allegations of the Brandeis Group against JRC are not only accurate but in large part they are not strong enough to detail the torture inflicted by Dr. (Continued…)
Matthew Brock
posted 10/23/07 @ 11:27 PM EST
As a member of BSAJRC, I am personally offended by these allegations that we used propaganda and scare tactics to confuse students into signing our petition. (Continued…)
Lev Hirschhorn
posted 10/24/07 @ 3:23 PM EST
Taylor Shiells' Op-Ed from last week's issue of [i]The Justice[/i] regarding Brandeis Students Against the Judge Rotenberg Center's rhetoric is a series of misconceptions about our group. (Continued…)
Eric Cina
posted 10/24/07 @ 6:28 PM EST
Taylor Shiells,
If you want to be a stickler on the meaning of the word torture, that's fine- we'll do that. Let's do it the old fashioned way. The Oxford English Dictionary defines torture as "the infliction of severe pain as a punishment or a forcible means of persuasion" or "great suffering or anxiety", as can be seen at http://www. (Continued…)
Jackie
posted 10/25/07 @ 9:41 AM EST
I take issue with your classification of the shocks as "mild".
The voltages and durations of the JRC shocks are public, so if you are as well educated as you claim, do the math or use Google to find what these shocks will do to a person's skin and nerve tissue. (Continued…)
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