Capital punishment (was Book offer)

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RALPH
Thanks, Michael. Unfortunately, Americans are so brainwashed with the
very idea of capital punishment that most of them accept it as
perfectly normal.
Most churches accept it, many even push it. In the U.K. the most avid
proponents of it were Church of England clergy. Thank goodness, the
Catholic Church now opposes it. That won't change the minds of Catholics
like Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas, and William F. Buckley, though.

I was once talking with my mailman about it. He is a very decent guy,
but he bristled when I suggested that capital punishment should be
abolished.  He was sold on the idea that it is a deterrent, probably
because he had
never heard otherwise. I asked him to consider which states have the
highest number of murders per capita. I suggested Texas, Georgia and
Florida. He agreed. I then asked which states have the greatest number
of executions. Texas, Georgia and Florida! And which states have the
highest percentage of Xian fundamentalists? Texas, Georgia and Florida,
probably.  He walked away thinking.

BRIDEAN
I am not necessarily against capital punishment.  I don't think it is
a deterant but it is a way of preventing the person from harming
society ever again.  I would
rather see that then to put him in prison for a long time, let him
back out so he can kill someone again, put him in prison again, let
him out again  
'll have more to say about capital punishment and the Bible later.

TILL
So that Xians on the list won't think that skeptics and atheists band
together on issues, I will point out that I am a believer in capital
punishment.  To my way of thinking, whether capital punishment deters
crime
is besides the point.  I consider it an appropriate punishment for
certain crimes.  For example, I would consider it inappropriate not to
demand of Timothy McVeigh that he pay for his crime with his own life.
 Executing him may not deter other radicals from planting bombs, but
it will communicate to them the value that society put on the lives
that were taken in the
Oklahoma City bombing.

LARSON
My father (even my wife) are staunch supporters of capital punishment.
 I am however very much opposed to this practice.  Perhaps I think
more like God
than I care to admit.  In my opinion, when someone is convicted of
taking another human life, I think that person should spend the rest
of his/her days thinking, anguishing, and regretting their heinous
crime against
their victim(s).  While no perfect penal system exists, I would
certainly recommend prison reform in the living conditions of
convicted murders.
Convicted murderers should only be provided with:

1.  One meal per day
2.  6' x 8' cage (cell)
3.  1 pillow & 1 blanket
4.  The clothes on their backs
5.  a toilet
6.  No parole

Never being allowed to leave their cell, along with being denied
daylight and human contact, these prisoners should be allowed to
choose the lengths
of their own lives.  Either choose a life leading to natural death, or
utilize their blankets as a means of setting themselves free, as the
bars that house their doorway to freedom will indeed set them free. 
Death is
much too easy and offers no real punishment as it is only a quick
solution in ridding ourselves of society's vermin.  These prison
living conditions I suggested are used throughout the world.  Only in
the US could we develop prisons that resemble "health clubs."  How
unfortunate!

IAN
Hi Dougie,
You do sound a lot like God. I'll bet you'd make a damn good one. 
Unfortunately, I have to side more with Till. Keep them alive and some
bleeding heart like you or almost like you, will always come around
wanting
to write a magazine article to make the poor bastrds plight known to
the public. Why waste time?

SJW
I now must add my 2 cents worth.  I agree with Doug but I wonder if
having something like the "Stockade"--you know, shackle them to a
wooden yoke and humiliate them in public--would be a more appropriate
punishment. .  Of course, someone like McVeigh would probably not be
affected by public humiliation.  I don't see how putting him to death
shows that this country values the lives of it's citizens.  If this
country valued lives, there would be no homeless, we would have
national health care, etc.  Okay, back to lurking mode.

SJane Weisiger
weisiger@yahoo.com




==


~o~o~o~o~"If you think nobody cares if you're alive, try missing a couple of car payments."~o~o~o~o~
-Earl Wilson



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