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Politics : GOPwinger Lies/Distortions/Omissions/Perversions of Truth -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Lazarus_Long who wrote (60196)	12/12/2005 10:12:22 PM
From: miraje	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 173976

This animal killed FOUR people, guy. Hi Laz, T'ain't many issues that I'll side with the left on but this is one of them. One could argue against the death penalty based upon its arbitrary application. Sure, Tookie killed four people, but that BTK (bind, torture, kill) psycho killer got life in prison for more than double that number of victims. And that Green River killer didn't get the death penalty even though he killed 30 or 40 women. But I don't oppose it for that reason. One could convincingly argue that it's applied more frequently against minorities and those who cannot afford the best legal defense. But I don't oppose it for that reason. One could argue that innocent people could be mistakenly executed (and I'm sure that some have been, just this week a man was released from prison in Nevada who was wrongly charged with murder). But I don't oppose it for that reason. One could argue that the length of time between conviction and execution is a cruel and unusual punishment. The fact that Tookie will be killed tonight more than 25 years after committing the crimes in question is an abomination in itself. But I don't oppose it for that reason. I'm no bleeding heart and have no compassion for those who commit heinous violent crimes. Breaking rocks in the hot sun on some shithole Devils Island for the rest of their lives would suit me as a just penalty. If they won't work, let them starve to death. And if they kill each other off like rats in a cage, then c'est la vie. I oppose the death penalty as a libertarian. Granting the state the power to execute prisoners is dangerous and wrong, IMO, no matter how much a particular individual may deserve it. Killing in self defense and killing in war can be justified, I would feel no compunction against doing so myself, but killing someone who is securely in custody is not. Much as I dislike agreeing with the Euros, in this case I think they're right. Capital punishment, in my view, is barbaric and uncivilized, no matter how monstrous the crime that's committed. I can understand the feelings of those who disagree, but for me, I just find it wrong...