Quote:
Originally posted by Catwoman
[b]
I agree completely. Rationality is the antidote to irrationality - therefore punishment should be dictated thus and not by emotion. The dp only makes sense in its emotional context. There is no rational argument for it other than nil recidivism - and this can be achieved through a 'life means life' sentencing policy.
This is a prime example of why you should avoid basing opinions on emotion only. It just doesn't make sense.
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I believe the death penalty IS rational. By this, I mean that in order for society to not only survive, but flourish, we must rid it of the elements that would prey on society and thus lower the quality of life of citizens, as well as deplete funds that could be used to better that society.
We don't execute EVERYONE. Just those that our courts--which are here for just this purpose--decide are too much a risk to society.
Yes, the DP is an emotional subject for me. BUT, I didn't just wake up one day and say, "Hey! I think the DP is a great idea! Let's start killing everyone! Mwah hah HAAAAAA!" This is something I've thought about and read about a lot.
From a strictly logical point of view, I feel that if we are not allowed to make these people useful in some way, such as in a lab (life in prison is not being useful--all it does is take money I could be using to improve my life and giving it to the upkeep of someone who would think nothing of destroying that life for whatever reason), that if they're going to prey on society over and over until they're caught, spreading fear and misery, then they should be eliminated.
Read Robert Ressler. He's a serial killer profiler with the FBI.
http://www.robertkressler.com/
He was one of the first to develop profiling by going into prisons and talking with serial killers. He found that most of them tried to justify their actions in one way or another, tried to give excuses, outright lied, and talked to him mainly because it was a way to relive the crimes.
Some people just deserve to pay the ultimate price for what they've done. They serve absolutely no purpose except to drain society of resources.
Sidhe