Re: Reinstate Capital Punishment:
Posted: Jul 30th, 2017, 8:42 pm
Lynching is too good for the guilty and maybe we could learn a thing or two from Sharia while we are at it. I believe some still chop off hands for theft. I'd love to chop off the hand of the scum who stole my luggage. I'm sure he'd mend his ways and never do anything like that again, since it's hard to pick up luggage without hands.
Maybe we could bring back stoning people too, or even the Roman circus! Wouldn't it be glorious to watch criminals being torn limb from limb by bears (this is Canada after all)? The spectacle of tens of thousands baying for blood from the stands, watching with glee as the guilty are torn apart for our amusement, sorry, for their sins, can't you just see it. The royalties from screening it (it would have to be pay-per-view) could fund the courts, the circus and even a small payout for the victims' families. Of course a percentage would be given to the judges to ensure an adequate supply of subjects for the circus.
Sorry, but I find the idea of capital punishment to be sickening. We are supposed to be better than that. Too many people have died wrongfully, too many mistakes have been made, even in cases which often appear to the public as open and shut cases, we get it wrong. Not only do we get it wrong, but the best and brightest legal minds get it wrong. But, even if we could always get it right, why would we want to kill someone rather than lock them up? I guess if you want criminal punishment to be blind retribution, go for it, but don't pretend to be civilised when you do, because for a society to be a civilised one, it must, when it acts as one, behave in a manner which it aspires for all its members. A society which itself kills out of desire for retribution is one which condones killing by its members for similar base motives.
My grandmother was a judge, and we discussed this issue, the purpose of punishment and the problem of recidivism a few times. She was patient to explain things (the law was a passion of hers, for some reason) and I was young and foolish. I'm not going to go into anywhere near the detail she went into, but she explained that gaol was not for retribution, that such a purpose would be folly, that we do not seek to do unto the criminals that which they have done to us. Rather, it is to discourage them from doing so again (deprivation of liberty and attempt at rehabilitation), to discourage others from following in their footsteps (deterrent) and to provide some small degree of closure where possible for the victims. A life in prison is no less a deterrent than becoming a celebrity on death-row. The latter gets to go out in some glory, with media circus and frequent exposure. The former is boring, forgotten in a few weeks and pathetic.
As for those who plead innocent by reason of insanity, it is rarely accepted by the courts without a huge amount of evidence. The fact is that as a claim, it essentially puts the burden of proof on the defendant. It is highly unlikely to succeed in bogus cases.
I would recommend that anyone considering the merits of capital punishment read about Derek Bentley, or just watch the film "Let Him Have It" if you want some lighter entertainment.
Maybe we could bring back stoning people too, or even the Roman circus! Wouldn't it be glorious to watch criminals being torn limb from limb by bears (this is Canada after all)? The spectacle of tens of thousands baying for blood from the stands, watching with glee as the guilty are torn apart for our amusement, sorry, for their sins, can't you just see it. The royalties from screening it (it would have to be pay-per-view) could fund the courts, the circus and even a small payout for the victims' families. Of course a percentage would be given to the judges to ensure an adequate supply of subjects for the circus.
Sorry, but I find the idea of capital punishment to be sickening. We are supposed to be better than that. Too many people have died wrongfully, too many mistakes have been made, even in cases which often appear to the public as open and shut cases, we get it wrong. Not only do we get it wrong, but the best and brightest legal minds get it wrong. But, even if we could always get it right, why would we want to kill someone rather than lock them up? I guess if you want criminal punishment to be blind retribution, go for it, but don't pretend to be civilised when you do, because for a society to be a civilised one, it must, when it acts as one, behave in a manner which it aspires for all its members. A society which itself kills out of desire for retribution is one which condones killing by its members for similar base motives.
My grandmother was a judge, and we discussed this issue, the purpose of punishment and the problem of recidivism a few times. She was patient to explain things (the law was a passion of hers, for some reason) and I was young and foolish. I'm not going to go into anywhere near the detail she went into, but she explained that gaol was not for retribution, that such a purpose would be folly, that we do not seek to do unto the criminals that which they have done to us. Rather, it is to discourage them from doing so again (deprivation of liberty and attempt at rehabilitation), to discourage others from following in their footsteps (deterrent) and to provide some small degree of closure where possible for the victims. A life in prison is no less a deterrent than becoming a celebrity on death-row. The latter gets to go out in some glory, with media circus and frequent exposure. The former is boring, forgotten in a few weeks and pathetic.
As for those who plead innocent by reason of insanity, it is rarely accepted by the courts without a huge amount of evidence. The fact is that as a claim, it essentially puts the burden of proof on the defendant. It is highly unlikely to succeed in bogus cases.
I would recommend that anyone considering the merits of capital punishment read about Derek Bentley, or just watch the film "Let Him Have It" if you want some lighter entertainment.