Death Sentence

[Wheeze]

Hmmmm....a real container of lumbricus lumbricoides, but here goes. I honestly don't know. If I had incontrovertible proof that a particular individual had killed someone close to me, would their death make me feel any better? How can you kmow until you are there? So, on balance, I could'nt accept it. And yet what are we to do to turn around the unacceptable situation? The Bacup story is just one of so many.
I can only hope that our research into how the brain works will allow us to develop a way of 're-programming' an aberrant personality because we don't seem to have any answers in our current societal set-up. It only seems to encourage unacceptable behaviour.

[stevefoster]

The way it works is that the punishment puts people off doing it.

I wanted to say that to Tea, Chris, but i was hoping Tea was intelligent enough to figure it out, Cheers

[IanDarkpeak]

Well I'm against the death penalty.

I'm not saying that certain people don't deserve it but just look at the system in the US - convicted murderers are killed sometime 20 years after the crime after all sorts of legal tooing and froing. And then they use various systems of killing the convicts, all of which are cold blooded themselves and borderline barbaric. On the flip side there have been so many false convictions that could lead to the state murdering innocent victims.

And those kids in Bacup, although utter bastards, wouldn't be executed anyway because of their ages.

If a death penalty is handed out it should be carried our within a reasonable time.

The kids from bacup didn't accidently kill some one they thought about and then did it. If they are old enough to think about taking a life they should take the full weight of the law.

[Stolly]

If a death penalty is handed out it should be carried our within a reasonable time.

Yeah but that increases the chances of missing evidence and getting it wrong.

The kids from bacup didn't accidently kill some one they thought about and then did it. If they are old enough to think about taking a life they should take the full weight of the law.

Ian they were 15. If 15 is old enough, at what age would you draw the line? 12? 10?

[stevefoster]

Give us a kiss, i love ya

You see, Tea, i am now a peace loving, caring individual, who wants to bring happiness to the world, now where's my kiss

[IanDarkpeak]

I did say 'reasonable time' allowing for an appeal etc, Keeping some one on 'Death row' for 20 years is not fair on any one.

Yeah but that increases the chances of missing evidence and getting it wrong.



Ian they were 15. If 15 is old enough, at what age would you draw the line? 12? 10?

Please see below.

The kids from bacup didn't accidently kill some one they thought about and then did it. If they are old enough to think about taking a life they should take the full weight of the law.

[Chris]

Regarding Tea's post questioning the deterrent aspect of the death penalty, I will tell you my opinion (and with all due respect to Tea who is obviously an intelligent person). My opinion is that were it for the existence of the death penalty Sophie Lancaster would not be dead. In other words I think it would have deterred the these children from doing what they did.

Having said that, I am not in favour of the death penalty. The real problem is that there is no penalty, nor any consequences for almost anything. That is why they have minds like babies.

I have much to say on the Sophie Lancaster murder, and tonight on the fell running forum isn't really where to say it so I'll leave it for now.

[dominion]

I have no idea of the answer to this Chris. Does the threat of the death penalty reduce the crime rate in states where the death penalty is in place?

*edit*

In the USA.

[Chris]

All I said in that respect is that I thought Sophie Lancaster wouldn't be dead now if there was a death penalty.

I went on to suggest that she wouldn't be dead if there were any kind of proper penalties in place for these types of misbehaving children.

[Fortinbras]

I don't agree with the death penalty. I used to, once upon a time in callow youth, but I now believe that life is a sacred and mysterious spark that should not be extinguished until its purpose is fully understood. We should not take it until we learn to 'undo' our actions. (This is my view on euthanasia as well, but that is another thread.)

I think that corporal punishment is the way to go. If we were to remove most of the modern conveniences in the prisons of today and suspend the prisoners' civil liberties for the duration of their internment it would make a far better deterrent. Set them to work for 16 hours a day, isolated in a small cell, walking round and round a giant hamster wheel to generate power for the national grid. If they do not comply, light torture could be applied (e.g. electrical shock?). People today are too afraid of administering pain by proxy, never mind experiencing it themselves!