Capital punishment (was Book offer)
Ian & Pam Dorion dorioni@ipa.net
Sat, 28 Feb 1998 06:59:20 -0600 (00888692360, 199802281301.HAA24296@siren.ipa.net)
> >RALPH
> >Thanks, Michael. Unfortunately, Americans are so brainwashed with the
very
> >idea of capital punishment that most of them accept it as perfectly
normal.
> >Most churches accept it, many even push it. In the U.K. the most avid
> >proponents of it were Church of England clergy. Thank goodness, the
> >Catholic Church now opposes it. That won't change the minds of Catholics
> >like Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas, and William F. Buckley, though.
> >
> >I was once talking with my mailman about it. He is a very decent guy,
but
> >he bristled when I suggested that capital punishment should be
abolished.
> >He was sold on the idea that it is a deterrent, probably because he had
> >never heard otherwise. I asked him to consider which states have the
> >highest number of murders per capita. I suggested Texas, Georgia and
> >Florida. He agreed. I then asked which states have the greatest number
of
> >executions. Texas, Georgia and Florida! And which states have the
highest
> >percentage of Xian fundamentalists? Texas, Georgia and Florida,
probably.
> >He walked away thinking.
> >
> >BRIDEAN
> >I am not necessarily against capital punishment. I don't think it is a
> deterant
> >but it is a way of preventing the person from harming society ever
again.
> I would
> >rather see that then to put him in prison for a long time, let him back
out
> so
> >he can kill someone again, put him in prison again, let him out again
..
> >
> >I'll have more to say about capital punishment and the Bible later.
> >
>
> TILL
> So that Xians on the list won't think that skeptics and atheists band
> together on issues, I will point out that I am a believer in capital
> punishment. To my way of thinking, whether capital punishment deters
crime
> is besides the point. I consider it an appropriate punishment for
certain
> crimes. For example, I would consider it inappropriate not to demand of
> Timothy McVeigh that he pay for his crime with his own life. Executing
him
> may not deter other radicals from planting bombs, but it will communicate
to
> them the value that society put on the lives that were taken in the
Oklahoma
> City bombing.
>
> LARSON
> My father (even my wife) are staunch supporters of capital punishment. I
am
> however very much opposed to this practice. Perhaps I think more like
God
> than I care to admit. In my opinion, when someone is convicted of taking
> another human life, I think that person should spend the rest of his/her
> days thinking, anguishing, and regretting their heinous crime against
their
> victim(s). While no perfect penal system exists, I would certainly
> recommend prison reform in the living conditions of convicted murders.
> Convicted murderers should only be provided with:
>
> 1. One meal per day
> 2. 6' x 8' cage (cell)
> 3. 1 pillow & 1 blanket
> 4. The clothes on their backs
> 5. a toilet
> 6. No parole
>
> Never being allowed to leave their cell, along with being denied daylight
> and human contact, these prisoners should be allowed to choose the
lengths
> of their own lives. Either choose a life leading to natural death, or
> utilize their blankets as a means of setting themselves free, as the bars
> that house their doorway to freedom will indeed set them free. Death is
> much too easy and offers no real punishment as it is only a quick
solution
> in ridding ourselves of society's vermin. These prison living conditions
I
> suggested are used throughout the world. Only in the US could we develop
> prisons that resemble "health clubs." How unfortunate!
>
IAN
Hi Dougie,
You do sound a lot like God. I'll bet you'd make a damn good one.
Unfortunately, I have to side more with Till. Keep them alive and some
bleeding heart like you or almost like you, will always come around wanting
to write a magazine article to make the poor bastrds plight known to the
public. Why waste time?