As someone who teaches and has practiced law, I have come to object to the use of the death penalty because it is inherently arbitrary and capricious in use. For one, it tends to be applied to poor defendants who cannot afford good legal representation--including things such as DNA evidence. Secondly, there is always a great deal of uncertainty in the identification of defendants by witnesses. There are now many studies that show that witnesses pick out the wrong people, partly because of prejudice, partly because they did not see clearly what was happening, and partly because of imperfect memory. The Innocence Project has found substantial numbers of criminal defendants, some on death row, who, when their cases were carefully reexamined, turned out to be innocent. More evidence on the inherent unfairness of the death penalty comes simply in the facts that most executions in the U.S. occur in a few states such as Texas and Louisiana, and a disproportionate number of those executed belong to minority groups. The death penalty cannot be administered fairly and with sufficient certainty, and therefore most civilized countries--including Russia-- have abolished it.
On Feb 20, 7:56 pm, Lee <[email protected]> wrote: > I can only suppose that when you say 'criminals who are no longer > members of the human race', that you do not mean this litraly, and so > I'll look on it as a strange turn of phrase. > > I can't justify the unjustifiable, who can? > I have no qualms about abortion, okay well I do but I'm certianly pro > choice. > > On 19 Feb, 14:59, rigsy03 <[email protected]> wrote: > > > I am referring to criminals who are no longer members of the human > > race due to their actions- they should be eliminated. How do you > > justify the killing in war of other humans- military and civilians? Or > > the abortion of a fetus because a new life would be inconvenient to > > the mother? I do make exceptions for rape, incest or truly messed up > > physical conditions of the mother or child. Anyhoo...unlike Britain we > > have run out of continents to dump our criminals upon= Australia. > > > On Feb 18, 4:41 am, Lee <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > Hey Rigs, > > > > Yes I mean all of that. As the dominant species on this little planet > > > it falls to us to take care of the Earth. > > > > A freind of mine said to me a few weeks ago, 'you have strong moral > > > prinicples don't you Lee, I never realised you where like that' Now > > > after 20 years of knowing me, I would have thought he might have > > > gleaned that much of me, ahh but then I am quite the private man. > > > > Anyhoo this was in evidance agian just a few days back when my yougest > > > son was endulging in a spot of cat botthering, by which I mean he had > > > picked up one of the cats and was forcedly strocking her whilst > > > pinning her down on the sofa. Her yowls alerted me to her discomfort > > > and I had to tell the boy to let the cat go. When the inevitable > > > 'back talk' started I explianed that 'the noises the cat was making > > > meant that she did not like what you where doing to her', and his > > > reply come back a mummbled 'but it's only a cat dad', I had to explian > > > that cat or not she is still a living breathing sentiant being and she > > > made it clear that she did not like what you where doing to her. I > > > think he got the point, I hope he got the point. > > > > The point? The point is as I have shown in the greatest evil thread, > > > the greatest evil is the denial of choice, is this also valid for the > > > other sentiant speices we share this planet with? How can it not be? > > > > It is also as a direct result of this point that I simply cannot agree > > > with the dealth penalty under any circumstances. > > > > In my youth I used to think mental health less important than > > > physical health, now of course I 'know' better. A Physicaly disabled > > > human can still live a full an exciting life, yet a human with mental > > > health issues can always be that little step away from suicide. > > > > Do emotions play a part in good mental health then? Yes of course > > > they do, this includes incredibly, hurt feelings. > > > > So in my real life example above, the hurt felines (pun intended) of > > > my poor pussy where indeed uppermost in my mind. > > > > On 18 Feb, 10:10, rigsy03 <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > You mean the animal kingdom that we have systematically slaughtered? > > > > Or the human kingdom that plays war and violence on such a regular > > > > basis? Or the vegetable kingdom that we have mutated and deprived of > > > > healthy soil and water? //I am for the death penalty for serious human > > > > crimes based on serious evidence. Prison is turning into a Holiday Inn > > > > with three meals a day, fresh laundry, etc. plus it is big business > > > > like nursing homes. Why can't prisoners shovel snow and weed gardens > > > > chain gang style in striped p.j.'s for the non-criminal citizens > > > > instead of enjoying their hiatus? > > > > > On Feb 18, 3:19 am, Lee <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > This is a worry Fids. Not only the great apes, but all of the animal > > > > > kingdom. Our bio diversity is much needed, until such a time as we > > > > > get to grips with genetic manipulation. > > > > > > On 18 Feb, 04:25, fiddler <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > sorry slip, I'm not a theist. I don't give up because a bronze age > > > > > > goatherder said so or take some schizophrenics word for complete > > > > > > knowledge of "truth." I did hear that a oneness said something or > > > > > > other to a guy named firm-palm-touch... of course that particular > > > > > > theist won't publish the idea in a peer-reviewed journal... > > > > > > > On Feb 17, 7:52 pm, Slip Disc <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > It doesn't really matter fidd, we're only heading toward a nuclear > > > > > > > holocaust anyway and the threat of such is currently escalating. > > > > > > > Haven't you heard? It's already documented in the space-time > > > > > > > continuum; we just haven't received the bulletin yet. > > > > > > > > On Feb 17, 9:38 pm, fiddler <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > Possibly the only true death penalty/unforgivable crime > > > > > > > > category: the > > > > > > > > poaching of fellow primates and destruction of habitat for our > > > > > > > > cousins. How long until we are the only african ape? Too damn > > > > > > > > long for > > > > > > > > poachers and witch-doctors. > > > > > > > > >http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/science/02/17/endangered.species/index.h... > > > > > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > > > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > > > - Show quoted text - -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups ""Minds Eye"" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/minds-eye?hl=en.
