One could argue that a mentally handicapped individual is happy and fulfilled. To be honest, I don't even know what that means. Does fulfillment imply that one has reached some significant milestone in life?
Whatever the meaning, personal fulfillment only characterizes the value of one's own life. Not the lives of others. It is a subjective value judgment made by the individual and not by society. On Thu, May 12, 2011 at 7:06 AM, [email protected] < [email protected]> wrote: > Haha a brilliant answer Chuck, yes for some I guess it does all depend > on how much we vaule life. > > Myself, I'm sorta with you, we are here for an insicnificant amount of > time, life can seem futile, that though is if we appraoch the question > in a nihlistic way. Others would argue that life is what you make it, > and what you make of your short time here is more important than simpy > beeing alive. I mean of course a life spent in agony and unhappiness > is not a life at all, but one spent happy and fullfiled would be, well > happy and fullfiled. > > What do you think though Chuck? > > On May 12, 12:29 pm, Chuck Bowling <[email protected]> > wrote: > > Humans are on this earth for a tiny sliver of time. The impact we have on > > the universe as individuals is minute. To believe that we are somehow > more > > than that is pure hubris on our parts. > > > > The inevitability of death makes life an exercise in futility. We have > but > > one purpose which is to spawn. Once that is finished we sit around and > > twiddle our thumbs until death. > > > > That said, I guess being for or against the death penalty depends on how > you > > value life. IMO, we are all just meat. If politicians can send teenagers > off > > to fight for oil and hundreds of children die of starvation in third > world > > countries while the obesity epidemic in America grows without bounds then > > life must not be very valuable. > > > > On Thu, May 12, 2011 at 5:59 AM, [email protected] < > > > > > > > > [email protected]> wrote: > > > Hey Chuck, > > > > > It's an interesting thought experiment to consider why we are for or > > > agianst the death penalty. I'll go right ahead and proclaim that I am > > > against it in all case. > > > > > Perhaps not for the reasons you might think, and I'll get to them > > > eventualy but I would first like to hear others thoughts. Of course I > > > belive OM (and maybe Amanda?) probably knows my reasoning, he and I, > > > as he keeps telling me, have bashed about a lot of our ideas over the > > > years. > > > > > On May 12, 11:43 am, Chuck Bowling <[email protected]> > > > wrote: > > > > Not really. I do 3d illustration/animation and video edits. It takes > more > > > > than just a little cut & paste to produce a convincing fake. I'm not > > > saying > > > > that it can't be done. I'm sure that there are government agencies > with > > > lots > > > > of money to throw around who could do it but I'd be pretty skeptical > if > > > > someone's defense rested on conspiracies by men in black. > > > > > > As to the justice system, I never said that it was perfect. In fact, > I > > > think > > > > it is very flawed. Often cases are prosecuted based not on guilt or > > > > innocence but on political agendas. > > > > > > But then as I said before, IMO defendants should never be put on > death > > > row > > > > unless the evidence is incontrovertible. > > > > > > On Thu, May 12, 2011 at 3:52 AM, ornamentalmind > > > > <[email protected]>wrote: > > > > > > > Oh, and as what is perhaps a shallow argument, video can all too > > > > > easily be edited. > > > > > > > And, it is well documented that the US justice system has executed > and > > > > > continues to execute many who were/are innocent of the crime > involved. > > > > > > > On May 11, 11:23 pm, Chuck Bowling < > [email protected]> > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > I agree that the death penalty should never be used in cases > where > > > the > > > > > > evidence is circumstantial. However, in cases where there is no > > > dispute > > > > > (say > > > > > > a video of a guy committing a horrendous crime), I think it > should be > > > > > used. > > > > > > This person is a threat to society and his impact on the > resources of > > > > > that > > > > > > society should be minimalized. In other words he should be put to > > > death > > > > > as > > > > > > soon and as economically as possible. > > > > > > > > That said, I'm absolutely against inhumane treatment. While that > > > person > > > > > may > > > > > > be a monster there is no real justification in tormenting him in > his > > > > > final > > > > > > hours or minutes. > > > > > > > > On Wed, May 11, 2011 at 11:15 PM, ornamentalmind < > > > > > [email protected] > > > > > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > I agree that the death penalty isn’t a punishment…although, it > is > > > > > > > often torture and ‘cruel and unusual’. It also is not > reversible. > > > It > > > > > > > also is misapplied and used all too often against those who are > > > > > > > innocent of the crime involved. > > > > > > > > > All of the practical issues aside, to me, if killing is “wrong” > > > > > > > somehow, so is killing a killer. Period. > > > > > > > > > On May 11, 10:12 am, Chuck Bowling < > > > [email protected]> > > > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > I think the word 'deserving' used in this context is kinda > silly. > > > > > > > > > > Let's start with a simple example. A guy kills somebody in a > > > brutal > > > > > way. > > > > > > > If > > > > > > > > he is already suicidal and wants to die does he 'deserve' to > die? > > > > > This > > > > > > > case > > > > > > > > implies that he deserves to be rewarded for a brutal murder. > > > > > > > > > > I can't claim to know Bin Laden's mindset at the time of his > > > death > > > > > but > > > > > > > for > > > > > > > > the sake of argument let's say that his one true goal is to > be a > > > > > martyr > > > > > > > for > > > > > > > > Allah. Does he deserve martyerdom? > > > > > > > > > > The whole idea of death as a punishment is silly. When > someone is > > > > > dead > > > > > > > they > > > > > > > > no longer feel punished. IMO, they feel absolutely nothing. > > > > > > > > > > Note that doesn't mean that I'm against putting people to > death > > > for > > > > > > > crimes > > > > > > > > against society. I just look at the reasoning differently. > The > > > death > > > > > > > penalty > > > > > > > > isn't a punishment. It's simply removing a tumor that is > > > detrimental > > > > > to > > > > > > > the > > > > > > > > whole. > > > > > > > > > > On Wed, May 11, 2011 at 10:35 AM, pol.science kid < > > > > > [email protected] > > > > > > > >wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > I was reading about natural law..and a though came to my > mind > > > ...in > > > > > > > > > connection to revenge...and the concept of 'deserving' what > > > someone > > > > > > > > > gets..recent example osama deserved to die for what he > > > did...what i > > > > > > > > > mean is...is it natural...or universally presumed ...like > in > > > the > > > > > > > > > language to 'forgive' ...not give ...give back....give back > > > what is > > > > > > > > > due...the same injury...i cant go into detail at the moment > but > > > > > this > > > > > > > > > what the jist is...is it a crude neutralising of > equation...is > > > that > > > > > > > > > what it all comes down to in simple terms- Hide quoted text > - > > > > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > > > - Show quoted text -
