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The so called "death penalty" is a misnomer. It should be called what it is - Execution! Why tart it up to make it look all PC and acceptable?
There are many pros and cons bandied about by those for or against the death penalty and, of course, it is an emotional subject. I fail to see how those who have no real connection to it though are the ones that also feel so emotive about it. I mean that if it is not your realtive who has been murdered or even if it is not your relative who is the murderer then why get so worked up about it?
I have heard some say that they would be the executioner if needed, because they feel so strongly that the death penalty is a 'righteous' punihsment, yet I wonder if, when it came to it, they really could do it. Unless the accused is a really hard, arrogant psychotic type who shows only hatred and no remorse right to the very end, then it would be a difficult thing to do.
Even if you agree with the death peanlty and are 'hard enough' to execute someone, you need to considere how you would feel when faced with another human being who is crying, begging for life and showing their terror at what is about to happen. Of course, not all would be like that but there are some who are like that. If that wouldn't sway you at all or cause you to examine your own conscience then I believe that the person who feels nothing should be looking at themselves, at what they have become, through their hatred for the accused.
There is also the question of what it does or would do to the executioner themselves. Many of those who have been charged with the responsibility of throwing the switch or giving the lethal injection over the years, have sought counselling and some state they can 'see' the face of every sinle person they had the misfortune to execute over all that time. Do we not care about the executioner in our mad need to see another human die?
No matter how Evil a person may be, the cost of execution is very high, and not opnly in financial terms alone!
When they still had executions in the UK, the executioner was formally charged with murder and immediately pardoned by the judge, as an acknowledgement that the death peanlty was wrong, a clear sign of mans inhumanity to man. He was also given counselling and assisted to do his job and was paid the "Queens shilling" for carrying out his grisly task (although his salary was hiher than that of course).
It is a poignant sign of our lack of humanity, I feel, that we have devised ways to kill others through the use of the gas chamber, the electric chair, the lethal injection, etc. And not only devised ways to do it, but made sure that we could have an audience to witness the event. It may be that murderers have given up their humanity when they commit the act but when others become like the murderwer himself then we can only lament the passing of humanity from society!
The truth is that the death penalty is neither a deterrent nor a punishment. It is a vengeful act which we justify by saying that it's the law, even although all it does is to massage the Ego. Those who support it say that it means there will be at least one less killer out there - does that mean then we just keep executing until there is none left? And then what?
What do we do about the rare occurrence of an innocent being executed? Do we execute the executioner and all those who called for the murder of that innocent? What about cases where the police fabricate evidence in order to secure a conviction? Do we kill the police who we thought were supposed to be upholding law and order? Where does it stop?
There are far too many questions being glossed over, with no answers but it is such an important issue that it is those very answers we should be seeking before any individual is put to death by the state. To do otherwsie is to admit that we know of at least one great wrong in our society, even although we will do nothing about it!
The 'death penalty' is nothing more than an excuse, and a poor excuse at that, to remove, hide and otherwise cover up the fact that our society does have some suppurating sores, which we all know about, and which we all choose to look the other way over!
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Posted by scotslad60 on 2008-05-30 11:18:02 | Rating: | Views: 98
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its a double edged sword scotslad, I'm against it myself but only because I dont trust the judicial system to prove absolute guilt. man good topic
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Posted by tonyrayhutchison
on 2008-05-30 12:44:33
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well i have a friend who was put in jail for some reason people believed it was really him who did it (it was a very controversial issue as he is a son of a former senator). i'm just relieved that during the time he was on trial til got his life sentence, tho we had a death penalty law, he wasn't covered by it. he doesn't deserve it as he really is innocent.
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Posted by DreamingOfBruxelles
on 2008-06-04 09:20:48
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powerful words my friend.
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Posted by lampoil
on 2008-06-06 00:14:19
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I'm against it too (obviously) Tony and, like you, I don't trust the judicial system to get it right. Even if they could guarantee there would never be a mistake, I would still not be 'for it'.
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Posted by scotslad60
on 2008-06-06 09:05:27
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If he's innocent, Dreaming, then this proves my point.
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Posted by scotslad60
on 2008-06-06 09:06:09
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Thanks lampoil. Just calling it as I see it.
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Posted by scotslad60
on 2008-06-06 09:06:33
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