From: Joe E. Dees (jdees0@students.uwf.edu)
Date: Thu Dec 03 1998 - 00:17:29 MST
Date sent: Wed, 02 Dec 1998 22:44:31 -0800
From: Paul Hughes <planetp@aci.net>
Organization: Planet P
To: extropians@extropy.com
Subject: Re: Escaping Planet of the Apes: was [MEDIA] Chicago Suntime's death
penalty poll
Send reply to: extropians@extropy.com
> "Joe E. Dees" wrote:
>
> > I reiterate that deterrence is a rational reason to support the death
> > penalty, and restate that deterrence does work in the case of the
> > murderer who, once executed, will never kill again. You may not like
> > the fact that it is both rational and true, but your emotional reaction
> > has nothing to do with the logical consistency of this position.
>
> Ok, I iterate that deterrence is a rational reason to support limb removal of children. If we chop the
> arms off of all children who grab things they are not supposed too, they will never grab those things
> again. You may not like the fact that it is both rational and true, but your emotional reaction has
> nothing to do with the logical consistency of this position.
>
> Hopefully this will put an end to your laughably absurd line of reasoning.
>
> I have never argued, emotional or otherwise, that the Death Penalty does not kill the murderer, a fact so
> obvious that I'm surprised you mentioned it!
>
> All of my arguments have centered on those who insist on supporting the death penalty on grounds of
> 'justice', a denied sense of vengeance, paying debts to victims, creating a for-profit business in organ
> harvesting, or that it is extropian.
>
> Regarding deterrence, we can create the most tyrannical and totalitarian of regimes to enforce any number
> of laws and dictates, but this makes those regimes and deterrences neither extropian or civilized.
>
>
> Paul Hughes
>
Your counterexample is logically flawed in the following manner:
As well as being a deterrent to further slayings, it is a punishment
proportional the crime to execute murderers, for one is simply doing
to them what they have done to others. The children you mention
were grabbing at things, not amputating the limbs of their siblings;
perhaps one should sneak up on them and grab them by the
shoulders or waist, and when they jump, say "See there, how do
YOU like being grabbed?"
Doesn't seem so laughably absurd now, does it? Joe
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