| Subject: Re: The Death Penalty |
Author:
Vivien
|
[
Next Thread |
Previous Thread |
Next Message |
Previous Message
]
Date Posted: 03:58:49 06/10/01 Sun
In reply to:
anon
's message, "Re: The Death Penalty" on 19:24:15 06/09/01 Sat
>No, this is where I think you are wrong. Killing at
>times as you say is unavoidable, during war or perhaps
>when defending oneself, but the systematic execution
>of individuals is VERY AVOIDABLE.
>That is a description that many would use to describe abortion.
>Do you support a woman's right of choice whether or not to terminate a pregnancy?
Yes, and I’ll tell you why. You equate the termination of a pregnancy with the death penalty - the ending of a life - irrespective of what stage that life is at. I don’t think you can reasonably do this. (I know people will disagree with me). Again, I draw a distinction between a pre-viable foetus and an adult human being, the same way as I see a world of difference between killing in self-defence and placing an individual in an electric chair and flicking a switch.
Women don’t normally terminate a pregnancy without a good deal of thought and there is usually a good reason for doing so. In certain circumstances this might be to save the woman’s own life. I do, however, favour abortion in the very earliest stages of pregnancy, and the use of the ‘morning after’ pill. (If I wanted to be really contentious, I might argue that abortion is in itself a form of self-defence because it protects a woman from situations and life changes she does not want to experience).
So exactly what purpose is served by executing Timothy McVeigh or anyone else?
I was tremendously heartened by an interview I heard with Bud Welch, whose daughter died in the Oklahoma bombing. He said, ‘no purpose was served in taking Tim McVeigh out of his cage and killing him’. His death, said Mr Welch, would merely be an act of ‘vengeance’, and ‘vengeance is not part of the healing process’. He also mentioned that the mother of one the child victim’s no longer wanted to be present to watch the execution.
I’ve answered your question, now would you care to answer the ones I posed to you earlier?
[
Next Thread |
Previous Thread |
Next Message |
Previous Message
]
| |
Feedback: 