The Death Penalty

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Hard to be polite when you obviously don't recognize the universality of human rights, while blaming others for not doing so. There's an old saying in Germany of "one donkey calling the other long-ear".

. If you don't subscribe to such values, fine. But then don't be offended by being compared to the Nazis, and don't cry about equal rights for people (like, you know, women, for example) - if you don't care about universal human rights, Nazi Germany was nothing but a very efficiently run country. Unemployment rate near zero, industry booming, street crime close to wiped out... and if you were "Aryan", heterosexual, and loyal to the Party line, noone would ever think of harassing you, so you still had every liberty you need. (If you don't fit that roster - well, tough tortillas for you - but them criminals have it comin', and foreigners can just go home, right?)

Frankly I am speechless at the bigotry and ignorance of your own response here.

Explain to me then, what, in your opinion, is wrong with killing people? Why shouldn't I have the right to shoot peeps in the head for fun? No pro-PD has as yet given any reason why "killing is bad", you're cordially invited to change that if you got one.

I would. I engaged in this discussion to begin with to explain why I view things the way I do, feel free to go back and check my posts, but also to learn why the other side view things the way they do. However condescension and personal attacks are one of the most effective ways of shutting down communication and I feel thoroughly sick of reading your responses that twist words most of which I haven't even written.

No, I don't. I do however get to consider your logic so thoroughly flawed that it's hard to take it serious. (Even though it's seriously dangerous, seeing as you're allowed to vote. :sigh: )

Are you serious rigt now? Seriously... because you disagree with me on one topic you think I'm a 'dangerous' voter...

Believing in authority unfounded by logical, consistent reason, while rooting for Schindler against the SS is dissonant to the point of stupidity. Of course, you do have the right to be stupid... as yet, both yours and mine still are free countries, right?

I didn't say that I rooted for that. I simply said you had no right to dictate to me not to root for that.
 
[MENTION=7924]InsaneMystic[/MENTION]. Some rights-based theorists would say that the right to life is absolute and if someone takes a life they have infringed the absolute right of that person. It is only called a violation if it is unjustified. Therefore, killing in self defence is often considered merely an infringement of one's right to life. However, preemptive killing (like you mentioned) is not generally a justified reason to kill someone and so many rights-based theorists would agree that the death penalty is a violation of rights whilst killing in self-defence is an infringement of rights.

A few rights-based theorists ascribe to the philosophy that when one commits murder they automatically forfeit their right to life. However, I have never come across anyone who could actually explain the reason for this position, not even in the literature of rights theorists.

But then I do not believe in rights-based theory, myself. I am a utilitarian.

You're arguing in terms of rights, but I was wondering if you actually believe in them? Because I don't really, and so arguing with all these people who apparently do is kind of difficult.
 
Taake disagrees: I don't think it's fallacies and inconsistencies, you do, get off your high horse IM. And we have every right to mention ours as you can mention yours
You may mention it, of course, but you can't expect people not to disagree. If you can't handle disagreement, don't voice your opinion, because then speaking up won't do anyone, including yourself, any good at all. It is as simple as that.

Besides, it rarely ever happens that anyone considers their own opinion fallacious. It almost always takes others to point the flaws out. That's what, you know, debates are for, and why freedom of speech is considered a right you should have in the first place.

I would. I engaged in this discussion to begin with to explain why I view things the way I do, feel free to go back and check my posts, but also to learn why the other side view things the way they do.
I need only go back to this post to be appalled by your disregard for human life. And your reason for "murder is bad" is still outstanding, so let me repeat: Says who?

Are you serious rigt now? Seriously... because you disagree with me on one topic you think I'm a 'dangerous' voter...
If that one topic is universal human rights, then hell yes, I will. Would you consider someone a dangerous voter whom you agree with on every point, except one one tiny little topic, namely that "every girl should legally be forced to get clitoral mutilation (a.k.a. euphemistically as "female circumcision") before age 12"?

If your answer is yes, then your disbelief of me being serious about considering you a dangerous voter is blatantly hypocritical.

I didn't say that I rooted for that. I simply said you had no right to dictate to me not to root for that.
I was operating under the assumption you wanted to be logically consistent. If that's not your goal, I take back the "don't you dare" and change it into "you can't say it and expect to be taken seriously". I will, however, consider your views disqualified for reasonable debate then due to them being logically unsound. I will respect your views if they make sense; if not, I pity you for them even if I won't contest your right to hold them. As I said before, you do, absolutely, have the right to believe stupid stuff. You don't, however, have any right to expect people to consider you an overly intelligent person if you believe stupid stuff and don't keep those views to yourself.


[MENTION=7924]InsaneMystic[/MENTION]. Some rights-based theorists would say that the right to life is absolute and if someone takes a life they have infringed the absolute right of that person. It is only called a violation if it is unjustified. Therefore, killing in self defence is often considered merely an infringement of one's right to life.
I feel like it's getting into fine semantics here. I could live with calling out the woman for killing her rapist in self-defense as infringement on his basic human rights. And for this infringement, she absolutely should face trial, even when her acquittal is almost for granted. (Which it should be in any sane jurisdiction.) I can not, will not, and honestly think noone ever should shrug it off as less than that. Period.

You're arguing in terms of rights, but I was wondering if you actually believe in them? Because I don't really, and so arguing with all these people who apparently do is kind of difficult.
I do. I very, very much do. I believe with all my heart that if we soften up the universal rights concept by just one bit, it will mean that anything goes, everything should be legal - including murder, rape etc.. If it's fun for you, go for it and don't let the bleeding-heart party poopers rain on your parade. There's no reason (more precisely, no consistent, non-sheep, and non-egotistical reason; all of those qualifiying as one of those three categories I will immediately discard as beneath me) that I can think of why rape and murder should be considered "bad", except that one huge founding block of ethics called UNIVERSAL human rights.

In fact, if I didn't believe in this concept wholeheartedly, unbudgingly, so much that it hurts, I'd be embarrassed about getting so riled up writing about it. (Emotionality is so gauche... :blush: ) The only reason I'm not is because, with every fiber of my heart, I believe pro-DP people to be wrong as can be, and a danger to any world I'd care for living in.

Saddest thing about liberty/democracy: It has to allow for those who want to abolish it, otherwise it already has abolished itself. :sigh:
 
M
Mithol
Haha your posts are awesome =)
S
sisterofmercy
[No message]
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HalloweenRain
Okay, I see where you're coming from now. I still don't completely agree with you on all of your ideas, and I certainly dont agree with your tone, but I do agree that a line MUST be drawn.
I was operating under the assumption you wanted to be logically consistent. If that's not your goal, I take back the "don't you dare" and change it into "you can't say it and expect to be taken seriously". I will, however, consider your views disqualified for reasonable debate then due to them being logically unsound. I will respect your views if they make sense; if not, I pity you for them even if I won't contest your right to hold them. As I said before, you do, absolutely, have the right to believe stupid stuff. You don't, however, have any right to expect people to consider you an overly intelligent person if you believe stupid stuff and don't keep those views to yourself.

I haven't seen Schindler's list which is why I won't take a stand in the question you brought up, not because I'm logically inconsistent.

I never expected people to consider me an overly intelligent person, where did I ask for that? I did however enter into this debate expecting decorum and respect, I may find your opinions as ludicrious as you find mine but I don't need to resort to personal attacks in order to try and promote mine.
 
Goby
Goby
Holy cow!! You have seen one of the top 5 movies EVER?? You really need to see Schindler's List.
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HalloweenRain
You're classy, but you can't expect everyone to be. Some people just can't be respectful when they feel threatened. Keep on keepin' on.
Taake agrees: to me proof beyond resonable doubt is good enough. If it was an accident it should show through evidence and I'm not sure what these 'special circumstances' would be

It really shouldn't be "good enough." The legal system stinks. Public defenders are paid virtually nothing (I make more for a 2-3 hour hearing in my practice than public defenders in Texas make for an entire 1-2 month trial!!). They don't have the same access to experts, testing, or the vast resources of a state.

Here's just one reason why the Death Penalty should be abolished... false confessions!

In the Central Park jogger case, on April 19, 1989, five teens aged from 14 to 16 were arrested and each confessed on videotape to the crime of attacking and raping a jogger and implicated each other. They later repudiated these confessions and maintained their innocence. The five were: Yusef Salaam, Kevin Richardson, Antron McCray, Raymond Santana and Kharey Wise. In 1989, the police were aware that an unidentified sixth person had left semen on the victim's body. In 2002, Matias Reyes, a convicted murderer and rapist, admitted that he was responsible for the rape and attack of the jogger. The DNA obtained from the crime scene matched Reyes. New York state justice Charles J. Tejada vacated the convictions of five defendants on December 19, 2002. Yusef Salaam served six and a half years in prison. Kharey Wise was imprisoned until summer 2002, which was when his sentence was completed.


[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_confession"]False confession - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia@@AMEPARAM@@/wiki/File:Scale_of_justice_2.svg" class="image" title="Scales of justice"><img alt="Scales of justice" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0e/Scale_of_justice_2.svg/100px-Scale_of_justice_2.svg.png"@@AMEPARAM@@commons/thumb/0/0e/Scale_of_justice_2.svg/100px-Scale_of_justice_2.svg.png[/ame]

I'm glad they weren't executed. All 5 of them confessed on videotape!!!!


BTW, "special circumstances" is a legal "term of art." In order for the Death Penalty to be given, there must be a murder with "special circumstances." There are 20-30 of them in California. For example, raping someone before murdering them is a "special circumstance." Killing a firefighter on duty is a "special circumstance." They vary from state to state.
 
I never expected people to consider me an overly intelligent person, where did I ask for that?
Well, if you don't consider yourself intelligent enough for a serious debate, then I respectfully (and this time, I'm not being sarcastic) ask you to voluntarily refrain from posting in threads with deadly serious topics. You do have the right of free speech, but I'd muchly appreciate it if you don't exercise it foolishly. Thanks.

I did however enter into this debate expecting decorum and respect, I may find your opinions as ludicrious as you find mine but I don't need to resort to personal attacks in order to try and promote mine.
With all due respect to you (even though absolutely none to your opinion) - the simple truth is, you scare me. I consider your view to be not merely ludicrous; I consider it to be so horribly misguided that it poses a danger to civilized society, especially when you so tenaciously defend it when still not give any consistent reasons for it. I very freely admit that it will make me sleep that little bit more safely tonight if I get even one person to stop taking your argumentation seriously, thus hopefully lowering the risk a bit of it getting brought up in respectable political debate.

Please remember that humor (and its dark cousins, sarcasm and ridicule) are the only legitimate weapons of the powerless. Making you and the other pro-DPer shut the hell up, much as I'd admit I'd really like to, is right out of the question because it would be inconsistent with my own values of respecting everyones' right, including yours. Seeing as you also refuse to respond to reason, I basically resort to the one defense left to me: ridiculing your opinion as something so bloody stupid that no self-respecting person should ever want to be overheard stating it. I respect your right to have the opinion; I don't respect your opinion itself one bit, and I'm very glad not to... so while you may hold it and even speak about it, I would infinitely prefer it if you don't do either. If I can dissuade you from doing so without violating your rights in the process (rights that don't include "noone may make fun of flaws in my logic"), the world has become a bit nicer place to live in. Call me vain, but I like contributing to that.

BTW, in case anyone thinks I'd be moralizing - bah! perish the thought! To borrow Anya's phrase: Being appalled by your views doesn't make me better than you. It makes me luckier than you. I see you as still stuck in the MoralityMatrix... while I've already got lucky enough to have fate offer me the Red Pill. 😎 So to me, you're certainly not an "evil" person to be hated; you are a sadly misguided person to feel sorry for, and the more enlightened should offer you every chance to see the (logical/intellectual, not moral) error of your ways. You should also be dissuaded from spreading that error to others, in whatever way that is possible without harming your rights in the process.
 
Taake
Taake
you did not ask if I considered myself intelligent, but OVERLY intelligent. There's a difference in my definitions.
Ok, everyone here needs to calm down. If we cannot discuss this in a civil tone without attacking anyone else's beliefs or making judgements about someone's character, this thread will be closed.
 
Originally Posted by Taake
I never expected people to consider me an overly intelligent person, where did I ask for that?

Well, if you don't consider yourself intelligent enough for a serious debate, then I respectfully (and this time, I'm not being sarcastic) ask you to voluntarily refrain from posting in threads with deadly serious topics. You do have the right of free speech, but I'd muchly appreciate it if you don't exercise it foolishly. Thanks.

I'd like to thank Insane Mystic for these last few posts. I was just sat at dinner and my son did this. He rephrased something his sister said and then ridiculed her for something she hadn't said. I might have missed that rudeness if i hadn't been following this thread.
 
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