Michael Atherton wrote: "There's a simple solution to this problem: make the penalty for first offense pedophilia a mandatory life sentence or the death penality, then everything is legal and there's no violation of civil rights. Then all you have to do is decide the age at which it becomes a capital offense. Should someone be executed for having sex with a 16 year old, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, ... How old should the offender be before they are executed: 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, ..."
Comments like this make me feel gratitude--in quite a visceral way--for our lack of the death penalty in this state. Michael's easy arithmetic about who deserves to die disturbed me deeply. In my opinion, his assertion that using his sentencing method would ensure that there would be "no violation of civil rights" fundamentally misunderstands the concept of civil rights. We need to keep in mind that whatever an individual may have done, he or she continues to be a human being, continues to hold basic human rights (first and foremost the right not to be killed) and continues to deserve our empathy. This is the method by which we prove our own humanity. Robin Garwood Seward _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
