what's the debate?
perhaps i'm being obtuse, but i don't see what the debate is. i was listening to NPR this morning and they were talking about the sentencing phase of the Moussaoui trial. the prosecution has called for the death penalty, of course, and now the jury has to decide whether to execute him or give him life in prison.
now, i'm a staunch opponent of the death penalty. where as, i can certainly see how someone would be all for it-- and would never presume to tell a grieving...anyone...that they're bad people for wanting a person who killed someone they love to die-- but it's just not something i believe in. so much so, that i've had told my dad that i didn't care what condition my body was in, or what they did to me, i never wanted him to seek the death penalty on my behalf. i just don't see the logic of killing someone for killing another person.
now, i readily admit, that there are people who deserve to die, but that would be a little thing i like to call "personal vengeance." as an established penal action, it just doesn't set well with me. there are too many variables in too flawed of a system to leave something as permanent as government sanctioned death as an option.
all of that, actually, has almost nothing to do with my point. my point is that is doesn't matter if you sentence him to death row or life in prison, he'll be dead within a year. even if people don't know who he is, he may still very well die in prison. people, naturally, will know who he is and someone will kill him. you can put him in solitary confinement, he'll still die. put him in a little cell on death row and feed him through a slot in an iron door and let him breathe no fresh air for the remainder of his natural life, he'll still die. if the inmates don't get him, the guards will. anyone who says that a guard wouldn't is lying to themselves. it's not just that guards are notoriously undereducated, frustrated farm boys who's ranches have been bought out to build said prison on, and they needed a job. it's not even that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. it's that you'd be hard pressed to find anyone who would feel bad or guilty for having either committed or aided in the commission of the murder of someone involved in Sept. 11th.
it would be so easy. the right guard, the right inmate, who's going to cry? oh, there'd be an investigation, but either no one knows or no one's talking. there might be a lockdown, just for show. there might even be a fall guy who just so happens to have three life sentences to be served consecutively. it could be that easy.
therefore, i don't see what the big decision is about. hell, i guess if you want to be fiscally responsible, give a life sentence and save money. he'll be dead before the first bill comes in.
now, i'm a staunch opponent of the death penalty. where as, i can certainly see how someone would be all for it-- and would never presume to tell a grieving...anyone...that they're bad people for wanting a person who killed someone they love to die-- but it's just not something i believe in. so much so, that i've had told my dad that i didn't care what condition my body was in, or what they did to me, i never wanted him to seek the death penalty on my behalf. i just don't see the logic of killing someone for killing another person.
now, i readily admit, that there are people who deserve to die, but that would be a little thing i like to call "personal vengeance." as an established penal action, it just doesn't set well with me. there are too many variables in too flawed of a system to leave something as permanent as government sanctioned death as an option.
all of that, actually, has almost nothing to do with my point. my point is that is doesn't matter if you sentence him to death row or life in prison, he'll be dead within a year. even if people don't know who he is, he may still very well die in prison. people, naturally, will know who he is and someone will kill him. you can put him in solitary confinement, he'll still die. put him in a little cell on death row and feed him through a slot in an iron door and let him breathe no fresh air for the remainder of his natural life, he'll still die. if the inmates don't get him, the guards will. anyone who says that a guard wouldn't is lying to themselves. it's not just that guards are notoriously undereducated, frustrated farm boys who's ranches have been bought out to build said prison on, and they needed a job. it's not even that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. it's that you'd be hard pressed to find anyone who would feel bad or guilty for having either committed or aided in the commission of the murder of someone involved in Sept. 11th.
it would be so easy. the right guard, the right inmate, who's going to cry? oh, there'd be an investigation, but either no one knows or no one's talking. there might be a lockdown, just for show. there might even be a fall guy who just so happens to have three life sentences to be served consecutively. it could be that easy.
therefore, i don't see what the big decision is about. hell, i guess if you want to be fiscally responsible, give a life sentence and save money. he'll be dead before the first bill comes in.
posted by badassed at
8:35 PM
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