Posted by MutantMandias Hell no. Privileged exploitation is for the rich.

isn't that just another name for justice?

Posted by Samurai with this all stated, would you accept this as truth: laws are for the poor justice is for the rich

The way it stands now, yes. The way it's supposed to be, no.

If someone is trying to kill me (or my offspring if I had any) and would not stop until I was dead, I imagine I probably would not hesitate to make sure their life was ended instead of mine or my children. That is basically the only way I can justify someone murdering someone else.

Posted by Oryx If someone is trying to kill me (or my offspring if I had any) and would not stop until I was dead, I imagine I probably would not hesitate to make sure their life was ended instead of mine or my children. That is basically the only way I can justify someone murdering someone else.

I think most people (except Quakers) would agree with you, though in my case the perpetrator's death isn't really important; whether he stopped what he was doing and was unable to continue doing it is. I'd prefer he remained alive to realize the error of his ways.

Assuming it's a male.

I am pro-life, as such I am opposed to the death penalty. Though at the same I realize that we are running up the cost of maintaining and supporting these criminals and its costing us millions, maybe even billions a year. I think what should be done is put them in with the general population and let evolution sort it out.

I also believe that 99.9% of the people who have committed multiple murders will never feel bad or see the error in their ways. To assume such a thing would happen is a bit naive.

We could pit them against each other and show it on Pay-Per-View.

Posted by MutantMandias We could pit them against each other and show it on Pay-Per-View.

what was that prison island movie with Ray Liotta, No Escape? Lets do that! or we could institute Death Race.

Or better yet, re-institute slavery. Convicted of a crime? Become a slave. Think of how awesome that would be!

in a utopian world, you could simply wipe the mind of a criminal and reprogram them. if only it were that simple...

Posted by Samurai in a utopian world, you could simply wipe the mind of a criminal and reprogram them. if only it were that simple...

Introduce them to religion.

I'm being completely serious. There are plenty of crooks out there whose lives have been completely turned around by religion.

_{Technically, this should go in the religion forum, so try not to get too off-topic with it.}

Considering over half of eye-witness testimonies are wrong, and most prisoners on death row are largely convicted on strong eye-witness testimonies... no, I don't think it's right.

Until the justice system pulls itself together, too many innocent people will die.

Posted by HarvestmanMan Introduce them to religion. I'm being completely serious. There are plenty of crooks out there whose lives have been completely turned around by religion. Technically, this should go in the religion forum, so try not to get too off-topic with it.

Yeah, it always works out great to provide a system of illogical and morally ambiguous beliefs to someone who has an inability to make good sociological decisions, and let them know that their new set of beliefs can be used to justify essentially anything.

Religion evolved as a sociological and cultural coping mechanism, but, like an appendix, it has long since outlived its usefulness, like the simpler myths that came before. Some people can integrate it into a healthy life, but the damage that can be caused by "ruptured" religious interpretations is not worth the benefits, which can all be achieved without it.

Posted by Lexi Considering over half of eye-witness testimonies are wrong, and most prisoners on death row are largely convicted on strong eye-witness testimonies... no, I don't think it's right. Until the justice system pulls itself together, too many innocent people will die.

A friend of my dad's was a prosecutor in Cleveland for a long time, but then quit because his conscience couldn't let him go on. He said all they cared about was getting a conviction for the person accused, no whether that person was actually guilty.

This discussion needs a bit of pro death penalty input. The victim in most cases didn't not get an option on if they could live another day, moment, minute, second.....they were simply taken. Killed. Children robbed of parents. Parents robbed of children. Brothers of sisters. As such, you can "think" or "feel" that the death penalty serves no purpose but if even ONE relative of the victim feels just a tad bit better it is worth putting the asshole to death. I agree with Sam, it should be televised. It should be VERY public. It's too far removed. The entire civilized world is too far removed from death. It's how come we don't deal with death well. It's taken behind closed doors, washed, and buried. We need to put to death the ones who deserve it well within view of the public at large. Let people know that the death penalty is a very real thing. With blood. Shit. Piss. All other manners of awful shit that comes with death. Maybe it will open a few eyes.

But yes, I support the death penalty 100%.

Posted by jeepdave ...they were simply taken. Killed. Children robbed of parents. Parents robbed of children. Brothers of sisters.

Emotional appeals don't apply to everyone, you know.

Posted by HarvestmanMan Emotional appeals don't apply to everyone, you know.

Doesn't matter, lets look at it with less emotion then. You kill someone. You do so with malice or with the intention of profit. The proper punishment would be to take from you what you took from the victim. Which is your life. Perfectly logical.

Posted by jeepdave Doesn't matter, lets look at it with less emotion then. You kill someone. You do so with malice or with the intention of profit. The proper punishment would be to take from you what you took from the victim. Which is your life. Perfectly logical.

Perfectly logical if the goal is to continue to devalue life, and to base your actions and values on the acts that you are condemn.

But of course, it is the Christian thing to do.

Posted by MutantMandias Perfectly logical if the goal is to continue to devalue life, and to base your actions and values on the acts that you are condemn. But of course, it is the Christian thing to do.

I'm sorry, I thought you wanted to keep the church and state separate? If you have already shown you have no value for human life, killed for fun or profit, then your life has little to no value. Not everyone is special. Not everyone has a value. Some people are worth less than others. And it has NOTHING to do with their race, sexual preference, or religion and EVERYTHING to do with their actions.

Posted by jeepdave I'm sorry, I thought you wanted to keep the church and state separate? If you have already shown you have no value for human life, killed for fun or profit, then your life has little to no value. Not everyone is special. Not everyone has a value. Some people are worth less than others. And it has NOTHING to do with their race, sexual preference, or religion and EVERYTHING to do with their actions.

I'm saying that the traditional religious practice is to kill and torture. I tend to think that humans can rise above barbarism as a species, even if some individuals can't. You obviously can't, but that doesn't mean that we should kill you because of it.

Posted by MutantMandias I'm saying that the traditional religious practice is to kill and torture. I tend to think that humans can rise above barbarism as a species, even if some individuals can't. You obviously can't, but that doesn't mean that we should kill you because of it.

So you would rather lock them up in a cage for life. And I'm the sadistic one....