lol, most of the people wanting painful murders for the criminals could probably become murderers themselves under the right circumstances. No, the 'humane' in society are better than those murderers. Which means also not even killing by needle but whatever.
This topic has been beaten to death a million times.
Sure if you want to do it.
Very few people are capable of carrying out cold blooded murder. Some people are wired differently or grow up in circumstances which aide in this type of behavior.
Look Batman really isn't an accurate source by any means, but how many people could easily push a button to blow up a boat full of other people? Lots of people could boast that they would, but in reality very few people would. Very few people want blood on their hands and for good reason, it changes you.
I find it funny that the OP asks for people to remain calm and civil, especially when the topic is about human torture. Your definition of justice is more in line with retribution, or revenge.
I saw one that aired on TV. The guy on the show discovered that some kind of gas--nitrogen or argon or something--could humanely kill people, with no pain. Then at the end of the episode the guy interviews a pro-lethal injection guy who argued that the point of the death penalty was to cause suffering, and that he couldn't rest knowing that a murderer would not feel some kind of retributive pain for his crimes.
Some people, I think, just want their hatred/revenge allayed by knowing the murderer suffered. I don't think they care whether that's a moral stance or not.
Personally I don't believe in an eye for an eye.
I believe in TWO eyes for an eye.
First let me get this out of the way. I'm religious, you're not. We will never agree on this subject so don't reply to this post. Just read it and continue on with the night.
The world is black and white. Sorry to have to tell you, but it is. Those who think it isn't has their eyes blocked from the truth(this sentence has nothing to do with religion btw). No, taking a life does not make you inherently evil. I didn't say that. Murdering someone does. There's a difference in how someone is killed on whether it's murder or not.
A husband killing his wife cause she cheated on him is murder.
A soldier killing an enemy because he intends to kill others is not.
Just because you take someones life doesn't mean you're a murderer. Taking someones life unjustly, makes you a murderer. Mental issues, vengeance, envy, heat of the moment stuff. Are not reasons to justly take someones life.
I left love out of that list, because it is a line between justified, and unjustified. The example I gave above about the husband would be unjustified. But killing someone because they intend to kill someone you love is justified.
If you have it in you to kill someone beyond self defense, then yes you are not a 100% good person. No matter how angry I get with someone, I will not take someones life unless it is to protect someone else, or to save my own life.
A state killing a murderer, is not murder.
I wouldn't do it. Hypothetical situation aside, I would not push the button, knowing that in doing so someone would die.
Under the right circumstance, how about listing those circumstance instead of blindly saying that.
I would only take the life of someone else under 2 circumstances.
1. They intend to kill me
2. They intend to kill someone I care about
Neither of those circumstances is murder. As long as I have proof it was self defense. lol
Murder is Murder
Nobody cares who did this crime.
When a thug killed someone, its murder.
When this man then is getting killed in Jail by an lethal injection, its murder.
Step it up America, its 2012.
I honestly think the best way to execute someone would be a bullet to the back of the head, but not because its violent, because it would be fast and painless. Give them their last meal, put a .45 on the back of their skull while they are eating and pull the trigger, the only issue would be open casket burials. Sounds like the most humane way to me, no anticipation or pain.
there is no point in making someone suffer, we aren't trying to get information from them, no one would benefit. executions are for one of two reasons: 1. you do not feel confident you can prevent them from harming more people or 2. you do not have the resources to spare to keep them alive.
1 would apply to folks like bin laden, his continued survival would have just caused harm in my opinion, even if he was in custody.
Proud member of the zero infraction club (lets see how long this can last =)
What you are talking about is not Justice, It is revenge bathed in pure hatred. When you act just as bad as the person you are trying to "punish" what is the difference between you and them? Should you then be murdered based on the pain you inflicted?
No one likes Murderers but we should not become them just because our instincts tell us to get angry. Just be happy they have to face up to their crimes and are not aloud to stay out on the streets. Only a few hundred years back people where killed much more often and the killers got away with it more times than most want to even think about.
I think we should skip the execution entirely. If this someone kills a person, you put him in the fucking deepest dungeon you can find, lock him up and leave. He brought it upon himself. We dont need to be humane. Just put the murderer somewhere, then leave, doesnt cost anything and people wouldnt dare to kill anyone after a while
There is nothing just in murder full-stop.
And mental issues really? Search for Sabina and Ursula Eriksson for starters. Both of them jumped in front of fast moving traffic on the motorway, twice and one of them went on to kill someone. These women were both mentally unstable, they were delusional and deranged, it would take an extremely cold hearted individual to have them put to death for something out of their control. It was the system that failed these women.
To my mind Justice is balance.
You kill, you deserve to be killed.
So far the arguments against have all been platitudes or misguided quotes. They work great in an ideal world but this is real life. There are people out there that will not stand to your morals no matter how you teach them, guide them, help them. These people need ending to send a message to others who would consider being the same.. and that message needs to be loud and clear, You Kill and we (society) will hunt you down and kill you right back.
I never said that prison was the answer either , here's a thought maybe nobody should kill anyone. Why should anyone ever need to die by anothers hand?
I literally cannot think of a reason.
Some guy further up put:
I would only take the life of someone else under 2 circumstances.
1. They intend to kill me
2. They intend to kill someone I care about
Why is said person, trying to kill you or someone you care about? I can think of literally only 2 reasons:
1) Mental Illness
2) You provoked them
Neither justifies murder, but for 1), Killing them is kinda not the answer. They should have been treated for the illness, or psychological assistance to help reduce severity of symptoms and for 2) What have you done to provoke them? Sure calling someone names doesn't justify murder, but the act of provocation in the first place is wrong.
Prison is a storage room for criminals and a deterrent, it's a rubbish system. Work on prevention not a cure.
Bin Laden will be forever touted as a martyr by al-Qaeda and while his death and extremely dangerous people like him are the only reason I would say any form of homicide is anywhere close to being acceptable, I cannot help but wonder if it would have been much more beneficial to the fight against religious extremism for him to have been captured and imprisoned. If he was in custody instead of at the bottom of the sea maybe he could have been talked to.
What you are seeking is Vengeance not Justice. Someone must have hurt you rather bad to make you feel this way and i am sorry. But to lose ones principles of right and wrong only means that more has been taken from you. Justice must not be used as a method of revenge, it is meant to punish the offender. In some places the death penalty exists yes. That is the decision of the people who live in those areas and is not the focus of the discussion. But in cases where the death penalty is given the reason for it is normally that the crime and the level of the crime committed is beyond the offenders ability to make up for. He won't be able to be rehabilitated back into society after what he has done. In such cases the judge gets to make the choice of sending him/her to prison indefinitely or giving the death penalty. The death penalty is of course favored over the other option as it is less of a drain on resources. The point of all this though is me trying to explain that the death penalty is not meant to be revenge of any kind. The offender loses his rights his free will and his life, but from what i have read you wish his last moments to be filled with pain of some kind. Revenge is an endless cycle, by suggesting such a thing are you not bringing yourself down to the same level as the offender? And what is it we mean when we say "humane"? Are speaking of the treatment towards something/someone? The answer is both yes and no. The concern over doing things humanely is of course concern for the effects of our actions. But our actions don't just effect others, they also effect ourselves. Imagine what would happen to those who administer the injections if they knew that that person would suffer unimaginable pain before they died. The very people charged with bringing closure and peace to the families of victims would all of a sudden be plagued with moral struggles and perhaps guilt. Overtime would this not simply cause even more emotional damage? Have we not as a race seen the effects of such uncivilized laws throughout history? Your pain may be great and i know from personal experience that losing a loved one leaves a gap in you forever. But to act in rage will only cause more pain to yourself and those around you.
Last edited by Tayace; 2012-11-08 at 12:51 AM.