Souls distant, close biology
Minds consider, worth apology?
Hearts' pride, simple astrology.
*****
Now that I managed all the words, I would like to deviate into another topic, one that became so controversial at my site last week. If you have the time follow me here and leave your opinions. I was amazed at the response to my post on capital punishment. I would like to thank everyone who participated and gave me your passionate input. Consider this a sequel to last week’s post, no, this is no apology. :) I still stick with my stance that ‘in some cases true justice can only be handed out through capital punishment, nothing else would do.” Note that the key words are ‘some cases’, not all!
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Steve, who collected opinions from distant lands and posted three wonderful posts which are both thought provoking and to the point. Please take the time to visit him here, here and then here. These points make my stance clearer, ‘capital punishment DOES have a right to be part of every judicial system, and it SHOULD NOT be banned’
I have only one question for people who are set on banning ‘death penalty’ altogether. Consider yourself the victim, or consider your brother, sister, wife, husband, grandma, friends, grandpa, father or mother to be the victim of a rape or child molestation or random killing. Now would you sit back and judge that the culprit live a cushy life in prison? He/she should be thrown into a dark dungeon with no chance of escape, correct? Since the latter doesn't happen these days, capital punishment should be an option. Why would you pick the former punishment if the culprit is a fully sane person who commits these crimes on purpose? I would rather he/she burn in hell. In my mind, ‘fear of death’ is the worst punishment one can hand out. And a death penalty would bring on fear like no other. One this very criminal created in his/her victims while committing those hideous acts.
I realize there are some who require psychological help and there are others who might be innocently charged. Sure, death penalty is not for them. But for the umpteen others who take law into their hands and think they can get away with it like in my friend’s case (follow the link for details), nothing else would do. I reiterate, ‘death penalty in the current judicial systems should be an option’!
Once again thanks to Keith, whose original post got me thinking, and to Steve who decided to run with it. And to all of you who gave me an honest opinion. Thanks much.
Minds consider, worth apology?
Hearts' pride, simple astrology.
*****
Now that I managed all the words, I would like to deviate into another topic, one that became so controversial at my site last week. If you have the time follow me here and leave your opinions. I was amazed at the response to my post on capital punishment. I would like to thank everyone who participated and gave me your passionate input. Consider this a sequel to last week’s post, no, this is no apology. :) I still stick with my stance that ‘in some cases true justice can only be handed out through capital punishment, nothing else would do.” Note that the key words are ‘some cases’, not all!
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Steve, who collected opinions from distant lands and posted three wonderful posts which are both thought provoking and to the point. Please take the time to visit him here, here and then here. These points make my stance clearer, ‘capital punishment DOES have a right to be part of every judicial system, and it SHOULD NOT be banned’
I have only one question for people who are set on banning ‘death penalty’ altogether. Consider yourself the victim, or consider your brother, sister, wife, husband, grandma, friends, grandpa, father or mother to be the victim of a rape or child molestation or random killing. Now would you sit back and judge that the culprit live a cushy life in prison? He/she should be thrown into a dark dungeon with no chance of escape, correct? Since the latter doesn't happen these days, capital punishment should be an option. Why would you pick the former punishment if the culprit is a fully sane person who commits these crimes on purpose? I would rather he/she burn in hell. In my mind, ‘fear of death’ is the worst punishment one can hand out. And a death penalty would bring on fear like no other. One this very criminal created in his/her victims while committing those hideous acts.
I realize there are some who require psychological help and there are others who might be innocently charged. Sure, death penalty is not for them. But for the umpteen others who take law into their hands and think they can get away with it like in my friend’s case (follow the link for details), nothing else would do. I reiterate, ‘death penalty in the current judicial systems should be an option’!
Once again thanks to Keith, whose original post got me thinking, and to Steve who decided to run with it. And to all of you who gave me an honest opinion. Thanks much.
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In response to the prompt from 3WW, fit my post to the 'T'
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16 comments:
You're right not to apologise for your views, even though I disagree with you. And I applaud you for raising the debate.
What I'd add to this post is that law made with emotion is inevitably bad law. Law is cold, rational, straight forward. Once emotions are allowed into it - such as taking into account the feelings of a victim - then law is so easily corrupted.
Law is cold-hearted for a reason. Because even I would want someone who killed a loved one fried, hanged, whatever - as long as it's slow.
And that's why a victim should never have a say in that particular case.
I frequently go back and forth on my opinion of the death penalty. I have argued for and against it, and I would say my opinion of it probably changes based on ... well, my mood and my opinion of a certain crime. Sad, I know.
Ul
I am staggered by the reaction to my post Eye For An Eye which started this off. Not just by the number of comments, but by the passion that oozed from between the lines of each and every post.
I have still not formed an opinion myself. It does occur to me however that had Steve Wright been put to death, he would have been released from all around him whilst the families of the victims would be left to serve life sentences of their own.
I have linked my name to the original piece should anyone wish to read it.
i was struggling with a familial apology piece that i still might finish and publish later,, so that first line carried me back there....
This is a hot topic today and has been for some years. I'll bet it goes on for another batch of years - it's a subject that is rarely objective... I've enjoyed following this and the
blogs that prompted it!
I agree with Anthony's comments. You have a right to your views.
I once heard a woman speak whose child, a girl, was killed. The murderer was on death row, and the mother was fighting for the sentence to be changed to life in prison. Her hope was that the murderer would live long enough to repent and feel true remorse for what he had done.
I came I read and I was impressed.
No thanks required.
We all have strong feelings on certain subjects.
Take Care.
Definitely a hot topic. It won't be settled today or tomorrow or next year or next decade. People will decide one way then another.
Capital punishment was held unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court from 1972 to 1976. Now it's back. In California, we have a "moratorium" on executions because the law says that a medical professional must give the lethal injection,however medical professionals have refused to participate because they are bound by the hippocratic oath to "do no harm." And so 667 convicted inmates sit on death row in California prisons.
Somehow they will get around this and begin to execute again. For another 15 or 20 years then it will be halted again, for some time.
It is an issue that will forever haunt our souls and as such, our governments.
Great way to use the prompts!
About capital punishment.
I love in a country (The Netherlands) were it doesn't excist.
Lifelong imprisonment in your own mind and body is the worst.
We also live in another court system.
No juries, but judges, who follow the law, and who decide if the proof is beyond doubt.
How people think about death penalty has to do with culture.
Grief can never be compensated with the death of someone else, not even by the death of someone who murdered a beloved.
Not in our culture that is.
In a way the anger and hatred that people feel is a way to escape from the painful feelings of loss and grief.
A doctor was at a party while he was on duty and when he was called to help my child, he didn't come.
It wasn't that my child was stabbed to death, but my child died, because there was no one available to sign for bloodtransfusions and noone to start a lifesaving procedure.
That doctor was drinking beer, chanting ridiculous songs while on duty.
My child died because he didn't care on little bit for her life.
Should I sink as low and ask for his death too?
I trust the time will come that he has to repay in a far better way than I can imagine.
Should I ask for the death of the people who killed members of my family during the war, just because they felt like shooting two people who were walking on the street?
Or should I ask for the death of the people who threw bombs on my city and killed 5 members of my family within seconds?
Don't tell me that it was war.
They knew they would kill innocent people and they knew they would make mistakes and kill even more.
A long time ago someone said to me:
"I think there's a kind of double morale in accepting young people to go into war and kill other people and at the same time ask for the death penalty of someone who fought his own stupid inner war and killed someone who stepped in his way."
It's all about emotions, and I don't want to feel so much hatred that I want to kill someone too.
Never apologize for your stand on anything. I responded to Keith Hillman's Eye for an Eye post as many did. It was great to see that much passion on either side of the issue.
It was interesting to read the thoughts which followed keith's post...well, what can i say? death to the killer just instantly removes him/her from the pic....they should die slowly, knowing the fear which the victim faced...
keith's comment about the families (of the victims)facing a life sentence of their own...says it all...
I rather not get into the debate about capital punishment. but I like your haiku.
I've such mixed opinions on it because I am so emotional. I am glad you all are having the discussions. Any discussion that provokes thought is a good one.
I love your poem.
Good thoughts with death penalty. What's the punishment for killing goldfish? (ah, another matter I suppose).
yes, it is a highly charged topic... and great to see everyone discussing... it is a pity that the law is as corrupt as we humans are... or is it the law is blind and justice is not...
My fave words are 'close biology'. Thanks!
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