From: Brian D Williams (talon57@well.com)
Date: Thu Oct 12 2000 - 08:20:45 MDT
From: Samantha Atkins <samantha@objectent.com>
>>What about a murderer who is not a caring sentient person, but
>>a monster, annoyed with being incarcerated for what he see's as
>>something the victim deserved for rejecting him, and never
>>showing the slightest remorse. (yes, this is from personnal
>>experience)
>
>> You fail to address the issue of proper punishment.
>
>A person of the type described is suffering from a possibly
>curable mental condition, almost certainly curable a bit down the
>line.
The person in the above case is a diagnosed sociopath, without any
regard for his fellow man. It is too late for a cure, even if one
existed, which it does not.
If he was executed, with his individual molecules scattered to the
most distant portions of the universe so that if in the event of a
"Big Crunch" they were the last to be assembled, it would be too
kind a fate.
Clear enough?
>"Proper punishment" presumes that punishment actually accomplishes
>something worthwhile. Yet it has been demonstrated that execution
>is not a real deterrent and a punishment that kills the offender
>certainly cannot be said to rehabilitate them.
I am not interested in "proper punishment", but "just punishment".
As I have already stated, the death penalty as currently practiced
will not have a deterrent effect. I am not interested in
rehabilitating a murderer since the just punishment is for them to
face a punishment equal to the crime.
>In the case of a non-psychotic person a "proper punishment" or
>rather "making what restitution is possible" might involve picking
>up most/all of the slain person's debts and obligations or being
>indentured to the family for a period of time. Or not. The
>question I was attempting to address was as in the topic line.
>Not what the proper response to murder outside of execution vs.
>suspension is.
Agreed, as as I stated I am against cryo-suspension for death row
inmates, because their sentence is to be "final" death.
>>>How can a sentient, caring person condemn another human being to
>>>irreversible and irretrievable death?
>
>>When that human being has committed an irreversible crime.
>
>All irreverisble crimes? Like damaging property irreverisbly for
>instance? Again, how does creating another irreversible loss in
>any way balance out the original one?
I have already stated the death penalty is only for the crime of
murder.
The loss of a murderer is no loss at all.
Brian
Member:
Extropy Institute, www.extropy.org
Adler Planetarium www.adlerplanetarium.org
Life Extension Foundation, www.lef.org
National Rifle Association, www.nra.org, 1.800.672.3888
Mars Society, www.marssociety.org
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