| Subject: Re: The Death Penalty – the most controversial of subjects |
Author:
PF
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Date Posted: 05:02:47 06/10/01 Sun
In reply to:
Vivien
's message, "The Death Penalty – the most controversial of subjects" on 09:57:34 06/07/01 Thu
>I will quite understand if people do not wish to go
>anywhere near this topic, but it’s one that I’ve been
>thinking about increasingly, and especially today as I
>hear that Timothy McVeigh, in all likelihood, will be
>executed on Monday.
>
>I was in the USA last week, and while listening to the
>news I was chilled to the bone to hear a newscaster
>(female) speak in the same tone about McVeigh’s
>impending execution as she did when giving out the
>weather forecast. I leapt up from my seat and uttered
>the words “this is absolutely barbaric”.
>
>Some people will say that if you take someone’s life
>you must pay the price, and that price is your own
>life. McVeigh’s crime was heinous in the extreme, and
>I would not wish to excuse it, or attempt to find a
>rationale for it. However, is institutionalised
>murder, because that is what it is, acceptable in a
>‘civilised’ society?
>
>Statistics show the death penalty does not act as a
>deterrent, so what purpose does it serve? Vengeance?
>As the mother of one of the child victims of the
>Oklahoma bombing has the pleasure of watching McVeigh
>executed, will this help her recover from the death of
>her child? I suspect not: the gratification of
>vengeance in this regard is but fleeting.
>
>This topic has an association to Star Trek: Voyager
>and other sci-fi shows because it crops up
>occasionally, and although societies have advanced it
>seems that the death penalty has not been consigned to
>history. In my opinion, it really is time this
>barbarism was a thing of the past.
I really didn't want to jump into the fray here, because what I have to say will not be liked by most as it is not politically correct. I'll keep it brief, otherwise I might say something I'll regret and come off as very hostile and bitter. I have strong feelings on this issue, but I won't share them with a group of people who have no idea who and what I am, and where I come from.
Suffice it to say that I vehemently support the death penalty, even though I know there are mistakes made and that it is less than perfect. So is life, our governments, the people we live with, etc.. Nothing and noone is perfect and if you think they should be, then good luck to you cause it never will be. There will always be mistakes made in the justice system, but that doesn't mean that we throw the baby out with the bath water. Heck, lets just let prisoners run loose because maybe a few people in prison shouldn't be there. I love how people who are against the death penalty speak with such passion and sympathy for the criminals. Wish they reserved an ounce of their empathy and compassion for the poor innocent victims instead of trying to defend the so-called humanity and right to life of scum like Mcvey. The definition of human being is relative, and to me, Mcvey is not human, nor are others like him. They gave up their claim to the title human being, not to mention all the rights and privilleges society endows to humans, when they took another life. That's how I see it, and sorry, I'm not a bleeding heart who cares what happens to serial killers nor do I want to preserve and protect their right to draw breath. Again, they gave up all their rights when they took life. Finally, I love what Judge Judy said on this issue. Its not a matter of deterrance, because we all know that capital punishment does not deter, nor is it really a matter of revenge, because that is only a fleeting knee jerk, visceral reaction when one discovers that a loved one has been killed. It boils down to one simple fact, at least to me. If someone I loved was brutally killed, I wouldn't want their killer to draw breath and continue to live on this planet, even if they were behind bars. They'd still watch cable tv, eat, sleep, have birthdays, and do other normal human things that the poor victim will never do again. Knowing that the murderer is alive and kicking somewhere, even if it is in jail, and my loved one is dead in the ground would drive me insane. I mean it, I'd go crazy just thinking about this. So, for this reason alone, I'd want to see the death penalty carried out. As for it being inhuman, well, the lethal injection is very humane. Its like putting a dog down, unless you oppose that as well. They are loaded up with tranquilizers first which means they don't feel any pain or discomfort once they are actually put to death. If only someone like Mcvey killed his victims as painlessly as he is going to be killed.
Finally, many take offence to this argument, but I'll put it out there because I truly believe in it. Its all nice and easy to discuss this topic intellectually and rationally when none of us have had our loved ones brutally murdered. We are only dealing with hypotheticals here, not the reality of having had someone we love murdered. I'm sure if the shoe were on the other foot, and the people who are currently opposed to the death penalty had something aweful happen to their family member, they might reconsider their lofty, high-minded, quixotic stance on this issue. Or maybe not, maybe your beliefs on this topic are stronger than your emotional reactions. If so, then more power to you, as I tend to react more viscerally in such cases than rationally. A fatal flaw, I suppose. This is all I'm going to say on the topic, as I refuse to get any more bogged down than I already have been. Its a really touchy issue which can lead to anger and hurt feelings amongst the debaters. Just like debates on politics and religion can.
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