"Torture in America: The Long View" November 11, 2009
Fitzhugh Brundage, William B. Umstead, Professor of History, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, sponsored by the History of Art and Architecture Department and co-sponsored by the Department of Communication, the Department of History, and Cultural Studies Program will speak at Pitt.
In his talk Prof. Brundage plans to trace the history of torture in the United States from the 18th century to the present, with particular emphasis on shifting definitions of torture and the euphemisms that Americans have used to discuss practice of torture. The "enhanced interrogation" techniques and other controversial policies of the George W. Bush administration were, in many respects, unprecedented in American history, but the larger problem of reconciling the recurring practice of torture with professed and codified American principles of democracy and liberty was not. Consequently, Americans have resorted to euphemism and willful silence to preserve the appearance of the sanctity of the law and the individual.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009, 5:00 PM, Room 202 Frick Fine Arts
Reception to follow