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Death Penalty...right or wrong?
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hiamps Send message Joined: 23 May 99 Posts: 4292 Credit: 72,971,319 RAC: 0 |
I know I will be disagreed... Looks like a plan to me. Official Abuser of Boinc Buttons... And no good credit hound! |
KWSN - MajorKong Send message Joined: 5 Jan 00 Posts: 2892 Credit: 1,499,890 RAC: 0 |
The death penalty is barbaric But what is the alternative? Just letting them go free? Why even bother to have the Law then? It all boils down to a fundamental facet in the way a 'civilized society' works. In exchange for certain limitations on our freedom to do as we please, we are promised certain protections by the State. For instance, in exchange for giving up our freedom to go around taking that which isn't ours, the State promises us that our stuff won't be taken. In other words, there are laws against theft of property. When one violates the Law, one places oneself outside the protection of the Law. Now, to help protect against punishing the innocent, the 'accused' lawbreaker finds themselves 'on trial', where the State must convince a group of the "accused's" peers that the 'accused' did, in fact, violate the law. Once that is done, 'punishment' begins. In the theory of punishment, the punishment is supposed to be of equal severity to the magnitude of the 'crime'. Since exact 'eye-for-an-eye' justice is likely to run into the realm of 'cruel and unusual punishment' forbidden by the US Constitution, especially in cases where people are injured, loss of personal freedom of movement is usually substituted. In other words, confinement in Jail for a suitable period of time is held to be 'equivalent'. For some, for instance, petty thieves, confinement for a few months is deemed 'equivalent'. This can range up to life in prison for certain crimes (including most murders). However, some people are just totally sick in the head. They commit the most TERRIBLE of crimes. These are well beyond simple, premeditated murder. The thought is that these people can be justly punished for their crimes ONLY by being forced to give up their own lives. Again, the death penalty does not apply to most murders. Only those crimes that are judged to be significantly worse than 1st-degree murder are even subject to the possibility of the death penalty. Its not about 'deterrence'... Its not about 'rehabilitation'... Its about the criminal 'paying their debt to society' for breaking the law. Some laws are so minor that a small fine is considered paying one's debt. Others require confinement for a certain period. In a small number of the worst crimes imaginable, the only way for the criminal to 'pay their debt' is a visit to the Death Chamber. Remember, the convicted criminal decided to remove themselves from the Protection of the Law and Civilized Society when they decided to go commit the crime. Giving one of these pieces of filth 'The Needle' is not murder. Murder is killing someone *without justification*. The State does have justification in snuffing these evilest of criminals for their misdeeds. |
MAC Send message Joined: 12 Feb 01 Posts: 203 Credit: 58,346 RAC: 0 |
My heart tells me to kill them. But my mind warns me that death penalty can't be turned back in case someday it's proven that he/she is not guilty. Plus death penalty might be a too easy way out - rather have them rot. |
Sister Edith Fleisch Send message Joined: 11 May 07 Posts: 63 Credit: 11,262 RAC: 0 |
My heart tells me to kill them. But my mind warns me that death penalty can't be turned back in case someday it's proven that he/she is not guilty. Plus death penalty might be a too easy way out - rather have them rot. That's not exactly the way I would state it, nor for the same reasons, but I have to agree on the essence. |
Pappa Send message Joined: 9 Jan 00 Posts: 2562 Credit: 12,301,681 RAC: 0 |
I have been very quiet, but now I post the original information that lead to this discussion The original web link that started this discussion... Dated July 20th 2007 The 4th of July 2007 in Pierce County Washington. a 12 year old girl disappeared. A description of the vehicle seen in the neighborhood and the wide coverage in the local news yielded the vehicle. A week later the 12 year old girl was found dead. The story goes as the owner of the vehicle gave a DNA sample. He was charged yesterday for two unsolved child rapes. He did help to locate the body of the 12 year old girl. So the prosecutor has placed 6 detectives on the cases to potentially yield charges for a third murder rape of another (local) 12 year old girl and continue the original case. He is a registered sex offender, he failed to register his new address as he had moved. Seattle Times He has since been charged with the murder... There have been inquires from out of state (previous locations of the accused) about other potential rape/murder/child disappearances... You are welcome to read, research and then reevaluate your opinions... Please consider a Donation to the Seti Project. |
thorin belvrog Send message Joined: 29 Sep 06 Posts: 6418 Credit: 8,893 RAC: 0 |
Like I said: such people are monsters, the society have to be saved from them. No-one lets a man-eating animal alive. But people who destroy souls and lives are kept alive, even get free after a couple years! If one is proved 100% to be a rapist and/or killer: rather execute them then feed them for the next 50 years or so. Account frozen... |
Gavin Shaw Send message Joined: 8 Aug 00 Posts: 1116 Credit: 1,304,337 RAC: 0 |
Here's a question. Which would you rather? A justice system that may convict an innocent person by mistake or a justice system that my set free a guilty person by mistake. Think carefully. Especially when the death penalty is involved. Once a life is taken it can not be given back, no matter how much it is desired. Of course the above does not apply in the RPG or MMORPG worlds where people can bring you back or in most other games, where you can just hit reload/load... Never surrender and never give up. In the darkest hour there is always hope. |
MrGray Send message Joined: 17 Aug 05 Posts: 3170 Credit: 60,411 RAC: 0 |
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KMnAm7fiUo "Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." - Dr. Seuss |
Scary Capitalist Send message Joined: 21 May 01 Posts: 7404 Credit: 97,085 RAC: 0 |
Here's a question. Which would you rather? A justice system that may convict an innocent person by mistake or a justice system that my set free a guilty person by mistake. After round tables i believe that the limit of judgement should be forced upon the people charged with such dispositions. All of that should be assumed that those served the best of individuals and society as a whole. We can't take any more as the rest. Serve the proper.... Founder of BOINC team Objectivists. Oh the humanity! Rational people crunching data! I did NOT authorize this belly writing! |
John McLeod VII Send message Joined: 15 Jul 99 Posts: 24806 Credit: 790,712 RAC: 0 |
Here's a question. Which would you rather? A justice system that may convict an innocent person by mistake or a justice system that my set free a guilty person by mistake. I would rather have a guilty person free than an innocent one in jail. This is why we have strict laws about the proceedings to convict. There are some crimes where the perpetrator should never be free again. Of course if you convict the wrong person, it would be good to be able to free the wrongly convicted and appologize. I would like to note the innocence project that is using DNA evidence to prove that some people were wrongly convicted and put on death row. BOINC WIKI |
thorin belvrog Send message Joined: 29 Sep 06 Posts: 6418 Credit: 8,893 RAC: 0 |
Here's a question. Which would you rather? A justice system that may convict an innocent person by mistake or a justice system that my set free a guilty person by mistake. That's why I mentioned in one of my posts (don't remember if it was here or on another board in a thread about the same subject): If someone is guilty of murder or rape beyond any doubt (means guilty proven to 100,0%, by DNA evidence & whatever tests possible), then --> execute the monster! I think this statement implies to not execute that person as long as there is any doubt or any missing evidence. Account frozen... |
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