CAPITAL PUNISHMENT! (Just for Kahl)

[kahljorn]

"We show, on the contrary, most emphatically our regard for it by the adoption of a rule that he who violates that right in another forfeits it for himself." - John Stuart Mill on the value of life.

I don't think rights really work this way -- you can't just take them away. If they did, we could torture torturers, rape rapists, take away the right of free speech from those who would censor others, steal from thieves, cruelly and unusually punish those who cruelly and unusually punish, and refuse various protective and basic freedoms offered to all persons who deal with us so long as they have done the same to others. etc.

I don't necessarily think Justice is just about retribution, but about makings things equal. And if you think along these terms, you'll find that most persons convicted of horrible crimes have had horrible lives and have been treated like shit by society. It's not very equal or fair, in my opinion, to kill someone because of what we have made them.

[Dimnos]

Originally Posted by kahljorn

I don't think rights really work this way -- you can't just take them away. If they did, we could torture torturers, rape rapists, take away the right of free speech from those who would censor others, steal from thieves, cruelly and unusually punish those who cruelly and unusually punish, and refuse various protective and basic freedoms offered to all persons who deal with us so long as they have done the same to others. etc.

I think everyone has a right to live and that is a very valuable right. Once you violate someone elses right to live you have committed a VERY heinous crime that deserves a VERY heinous punishment. Basically forfeiting your right. Yes it is kind of an eye for an eye way thinking but in this case I think its very fitting. The rest of that stuff is just a slippery slope argument that is basically crap. If you torture someone (it really depends how you torture them and what the outcome was) you will more than likely get thrown in jail. Is that not torture? Rapists regularly get raped in prison and its probably fitting. Thieves, if they get caught, have to pay back damages. So yeah your basically stealing from them but its not really stealing its more reparations. The rest is kind of in a gray area and it really depends more on the circumstances and details of each case I guess?

Originally Posted by kahljorn

I don't necessarily think Justice is just about retribution, but about makings things equal. And if you think along these terms, you'll find that most persons convicted of horrible crimes have had horrible lives and have been treated like shit by society. It's not very equal or fair, in my opinion, to kill someone because of what we have made them.

You are responsible for your own actions. Thats it. No more goes on that sentence. You are responsible for what you do. To cry about how life dealt you an unfair hand is crap. Guess what. Life is unfair. No matter how bad you have it someone somewhere has it worse and isnt killing people over it. Society may have shat on you. Society may not be your friend. That doesnt make it ok to kill someone.