Capital punishment is, in principle, not a punishment. It is a method of removing all possibility of escape, all possibility of liberation and all possibility of vindication.
If prosecutors, defense attorneys, judges and juries were perfect all would be fine.
Two types of errors exist in justice systems. The guilty can go free. The innocent can get convicted.
Bad is thought to be good. Good is thought to be bad.
What to do? In a perfect system the death penalty would perhaps be appropriate for larceny on a grand scale such as corporate fraud that ruins thousands of families while enriching the perpetrators and their cohorts.
QM Quality does not occur by chance. It is the result of intelligent activities.
Posts: 8033 | Location: Cigar land | Registered: March 10, 2003
Hey, I have an idea; we can take all the criminals and put them on an island, and let them try to figure out how to survive. Oh, wait, that's already been done, it's called Australia now.
Alan
"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects." -Robert Heinlein
Posts: 770 | Location: Greater Boston Area | Registered: August 16, 2004
Quebecmike you said: What to do? In a perfect system the death penalty would perhaps be appropriate for larceny on a grand scale such as corporate fraud that ruins thousands of families while enriching the perpetrators and their cohorts.
That just shows off your anti-Corp & the evil wealthy people bias. Your a socialist I would expect nothing less.
What we should do with with the crooks above is put them on hard labor or have them fill in pot holes for their sentence.
IMO there is a difference between theft & murder.
"It's the U.S. soldier, not the protester who gives you the freedom of speech"
Posts: 508 | Location: Dallas, TX, US | Registered: July 13, 2004
Hey Mike, could you please either use the full "nickname" or just Alan...I'd hate to think you were calling me "a##hole" *grin*
Alan
"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects." -Robert Heinlein
Posts: 770 | Location: Greater Boston Area | Registered: August 16, 2004
J-ROD in rape cases it is hard to disagree with you, I was just shooting down Quebecmike's BS. Maybe we could have them be raped after each meal with hard labor in between. Then after a couple months of that, they could choose to be put to death.
"It's the U.S. soldier, not the protester who gives you the freedom of speech"
Posts: 508 | Location: Dallas, TX, US | Registered: July 13, 2004
J-ROD in rape cases it is hard to disagree with you, I was just shooting down Quebecmike's BS. Maybe we could have them be raped after each meal with hard labor in between. Then after a couple months of that, they could choose to be put to death.
Not what wekikther4wer
""GO BUCKEYES!"
[This message was edited by J-ROD on October 15, 2004 at 09:54 AM.]
Posts: 601 | Location: My House | Registered: August 29, 2002
I work for the government and in my 23 years in the Army I have done my share of killing. What do the Commandments say about soldiers killing to protect and defend their country and for National Security? I believe that when we kill someone who has commited agrivated murder this is nothing more than protecting citizens from a threat and not much different than killing terrist.
"No man can wear one face to himself and another to the multitude without finally getting bewildered as to which may be true." {Nathanial Hawthorne}
Very valid point. However, could you explain the the crusades to me? Or maybe the Inquision?
Just thought I'd ask.
Have a nice day.
Alan
"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects." -Robert Heinlein
Posts: 770 | Location: Greater Boston Area | Registered: August 16, 2004
quote:Originally posted by tpso320: I'm for the death penalty, BUT heres the problem. I would have a problem sending someone to the chair or needle if I had doubt that they were guilty. sometimes the wrong person is accused.it doesn't happen often, but it does happen. well if the "wrong person" is executed in accordance with law, does that constitute a murder? makes you think doesn't it. and don't forget that a persons life can be in the hands of 12 people who aren't even smart enough to figure out how to get out of jury duty, much less sort through the finding in a complicated case and make a rational decision. I could literally go on for days about this subject, but lets just say that if the right person is convicted, I'll throw the switch myself.
I am for the death penalty. Criminals who commit egregious crimes without remorse and/or repeat offenders deserve severe punishments.
I find it ridiculous that we pay for these criminals' "room and board." The problem with the length of jailtime stems from the slow pace of the justice system. There's jury selection, prosecuting, defending and even after the verdict, there will be appeals (by the defense). A guilty man or woman will wait a long, long time before the death penalty comes their way. This also ends up being a lot of money.
Yes, lets go back to hanging.
Posts: 164 | Location: New York City, USA | Registered: March 25, 2004
I am very much against the death penalty, although I realize that would probably change if a loved one were the victim. That's why lawmakers need to be objective and focus on society as a whole rather than on themselves.
Here are some reasons:
* Two wrongs don't make a right; killing people doesn't solve anything;
* By the time they get killed, the cost of the appeal process they go through is far more than the cost of housing them for the rest of their lives.
* The United States is one of the few nations of the world that still has this barbaric penalty. The "leader of the world" should set a better example.
* But hard labor isn't a good enough punishment for these people. Their lives should be a living hell
