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Uni,
So if a death sentence would not be a deterrent, then let me ask you, if the hallucinations and delusions were so intense as to send one on a killing spree, wouldn't death be a more merciful alternative to living the remainder of your life locked in a cage, while the hallucinations still torment the killer?
posted by
WHAMENATOR
on April 23, 2005 at 11:10 AM
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Talion
That's very true. For the suicidal/delusional, it would absolutely never be an effective deterrent. Sadly, I think that makes up quite a portion of those committing these crimes =(.
posted by
Unidentified_Hacker
on April 23, 2005 at 11:06 AM
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donaldoji
Indeed! But then is our capacity for voilence more filled up lately? If that makes sense =P
posted by
Unidentified_Hacker
on April 23, 2005 at 11:05 AM
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Unidentified_Hacker
What's the real reason capital punishment isn't and never will be a good deterent? It has nothing to do with the means, the laws, or anything like that. Capital punishment is not an effective deterent because the individuals who commit death penalty worthy crimes
don't plan on getting caught. If you're going to "get away with it," the exact punishment doesn't matter. Even if the perpetrators decide to take their own lives, like the Columbine guys, they never intend to face justice.
posted by
Talion
on April 23, 2005 at 11:03 AM
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Is the population more vicious?
I don't think that the human being has changed one bit over the centuries. Different civilizations, different weapons, different punishments, but the human being remains the same. I don't say that he is essentially vicious, nothing like that, but that his
capacity for violence, compassion, generosity, selfishness is unchanged. Same folks, different strokes.
posted by
donaldoji
on April 23, 2005 at 10:41 AM
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UH,
What good is civilization other than espresso, hot showers, Blogit, ipods and cable? Well, I guess that's good enough for me. As for the rest, I say let them eat cake.
posted by
Blanche.
on April 23, 2005 at 10:36 AM
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Factor
I love the way you think, woman! Here's to wondering what makes us "civilized" anyhow =).
I guess the question I was really asking is whether or not the population is more vicious since the torturous methods of capital punishment went the way of the dinosaur.
posted by
Unidentified_Hacker
on April 23, 2005 at 10:22 AM
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Temple
I did indeed get your email, but I've been bad and haven't written back yet =(. A thousand lashes with a wet feather for me. I can certainly understand why someone would be against the death penalty. I wasn't really saying whether or not I thought it was a good idea, I was just wondering if there's a correlation between the violence level of capital punishment and the violence level of crimes committed by the population.
As for coffee, YES! When can you get up to San Jose? =P
posted by
Unidentified_Hacker
on April 23, 2005 at 10:20 AM
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Mary
You're absolutely right. There is no one factor that would fix the state of people these days. There are just too many damn variables, and I HATE math. =P
posted by
Unidentified_Hacker
on April 23, 2005 at 10:10 AM
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MrZiggles
Thanks for stopping by and commenting! It's true that it is most likely that the death penalty only would stop premeditated murder if it would stop any at all, but hey, that's stopping some, right? =)
posted by
Unidentified_Hacker
on April 23, 2005 at 10:09 AM
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I don't know -
how do you tryly measure the crime rate? "Crime" was pretty much a way of life long ago... You mean crime since we became "civilized?" What constitutes a crime? Those deaths we cause elsewhere during war don't count as "crimes" according to our "civilized" way of thinking...
posted by
FactorFiction
on April 23, 2005 at 8:31 AM
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dammit man!
I must stop reading you before I go to bed. Between my normal nightmares, your spiders, now this post, it's a miracle I get any sleep! Oh, add my spiders in there. Yay! I'm so very tired and have been working, I'm not sure I absorbed all that, but I'll say this....I don't believe in the death penalty. Why? Because we fuck it up, in part....it's not uniform, we have executed innocent people. And, statistics show that it is not, in fact, a deterrent to violent crime. It's supposed to be for the worst of the worst....like Bundy, McVeigh, so on....but it's over used. Plus, I kinda think spending the rest of your life suffering in prison is worse. And, well, I guess I just have a hard time with it. Although, I don't greive the loss of the men like those mentioned, I don't celebrate the taking of a life either. It's hard for me to explain in type. I know your post was more in depth, but I have no more room in my head.
Just an observation, my schizophrenic pal....remember I told you of Richard? Who entertained and educated me always with his amazing brain and use of numbers? He would have done what you just did in your post script. ;) See, crazy is just another word for genius, me thinks. Well, how do you like that....another breakfast comment/post from Temple. Did you get my last email? Hey, let's get coffee later and talk about really weird things super loud and freak everyone out. Wanna? :)
posted by
Temple
on April 23, 2005 at 5:20 AM
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Hacker,
but, Hacker, we do have a death penalty, and it doesnn't seem to dissuade too many people from comitinng more murders. Other potential factors: a large, anonymouse, mobile culture, loss of personal morality,and accountability, and even the 3-strike-rule: if someone is looking at going to jail for life for commiting another felony, they could be desperate enough to kill a potential witness. I don't think that having guillotines on 24 hour cable would stop the bloodshed. There's still the factor of desentization and absence of parenting.
posted by
Blanche.
on April 22, 2005 at 9:22 PM
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Capital Punishment / Violent Crimes
I think for capital punishment to have its full effect it has to be used on a regular basis. The anti-death penalty crowd complains so much that it is rarely used and when it is used it takes several years for the appeals process to be finished. If it was known that first degree murder carried the penalty of death every time and the appeals process was quickener and more efficient, there would be a better chance at deterrring that crime. I do have to admit though that the murders prevented would be the calculated ones (Mafia, drug dealers, gangs, etc.) not the crimes of passion.
posted by
MrZiggles
on April 22, 2005 at 4:16 PM
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