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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group

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To: Ilaine who wrote (134328)5/30/2004 6:14:42 PM
From: Bilow  Read Replies (1) of 281500
 
Hi CobaltBlue; Re: "Wrong is wrong. Don't try to excuse it away by "context"."

I recently read the fascinating book "The Custom of the Sea", which goes into great detail on how Britain finally managed (in the late 19th century) to make it murder to kill humans for food when hungry. Rather than let the case be tried before a jury of their peers, who would assuredly have failed to convict, the authorities arranged for a trial by judges interpreting the law, who convicted.

The penalty for murder in England at the time was death by hanging, but the authorities weren't looking for revenge or punishment, so much as just getting it onto the books that killing humans for food was murder, so after declaring a penalty of death by hanging, the Crown commuted the sentence to 6 months in prison, without hard labour. This was more or less a slap on the wrists at the time.

Here's a link to the book:
amazon.com

I doubt that a jury made of modern citizens would have much trouble convicting a man of murder who cut the throat of another and drank his blood, no matter the "context".

-- Carl
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