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> And to be honest, I think human sacrifice is literally what we believe in. When something goes wrong, we require someone to feel pain. The more permanent that

> And to be honest, I think human sacrifice is literally what we believe in. When something goes wrong, we require someone to feel pain. The more permanent that pain, the better. This goes beyond crime. I don't think it's about human sacrifice. Rather, I think it's about imposing enough of a punishment to deter other people from committing the crime. Presumably people committed the crime knowingly, being aware of the fact that the punishment may go in such a direction.

warent 9y ago
Many people who feel wronged end up growing a bloodlust and indulge in schadenfreude. This is probably due to some corruption of our animal nature. These feelings are of course hard to come to terms with, so it's hidden under the guise of "deterring other people" which is much more palatable
smnrchrds 9y ago
There was this well-publicized case in Canada. A man was beheaded and partially cannibalized in a Greyhound bus [1]. The killer was determined to be not criminally responsible. It was proven that he was suffering from severe mental health issues and did not understand what he was doing. He was sent to a high security mental health facility. There was no death penalty in Canada, so everyone was content for as long as he was behind bars in the facility. But when he was deemed treated in 2015 and scheduled for discharge, people on the internet lost it. They didn't care that he did not knowingly do anything wrong. They said he brutally killed someone and for that he should be punished. Some said they wouldn't mind if "an accident happened to him." Others wanted him behind bars for the rest of his life. Everyone blamed the government and the justice system for bring too soft and naive. It was sad to read the discussions. After seeing that, I have to agree with the commenter you are replying to rather than you. People want an eye for an eye. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_Tim_McLean https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_Tim_McLean
- aaron-lebo 9y ago
  That's hugely unfair to those people. He cut off someone's head. To get out after seven years for beheading someone is a real luxury, you can hardly be shocked that people would find that problematic, regardless of his mental situation.
- Mz 9y ago
  Well, I would interpret that as "With something so horrible, people want to make sure it never, ever happens again and they don't really believe that someone who would do something like that can ever be trusted." Compassion is one thing. Giving people a second shot at doing something heinous is another. We don't really know how to cure more prosaic mental health issues, like depression or social anxiety. If they are wrong about him having been successfully treated, we will likely find that out the hard way: When we discover he has done it again. Only, possibly, multiple times and covered it up successfully for some time, what with being older and savvier.
- throwaway613834 9y ago
  > People want an eye for an eye. I'm confused where the contradiction is. The question is why people want an eye for an eye. I was saying it's because they believe it will deter future crime. That can still be the case even if the court does not believe the person is guilty.
jopsen 9y ago
> I think it's about imposing enough of a punishment to deter It's well established that harsh prison sentences have no deterrent effect. "deterrence" is merely an excuse for your bloodlust.
eecc 9y ago
Or enough incentive to be as ruthless as possible when committing a crime...

warent 9y ago

Many people who feel wronged end up growing a bloodlust and indulge in schadenfreude. This is probably due to some corruption of our animal nature. These feelings are of course hard to come to terms with, so it's hidden under the guise of "deterring other people" which is much more palatable

smnrchrds 9y ago

There was this well-publicized case in Canada. A man was beheaded and partially cannibalized in a Greyhound bus [1]. The killer was determined to be not criminally responsible. It was proven that he was suffering from severe mental health issues and did not understand what he was doing. He was sent to a high security mental health facility. There was no death penalty in Canada, so everyone was content for as long as he was behind bars in the facility. But when he was deemed treated in 2015 and scheduled for discharge, people on the internet lost it. They didn't care that he did not knowingly do anything wrong. They said he brutally killed someone and for that he should be punished. Some said they wouldn't mind if "an accident happened to him." Others wanted him behind bars for the rest of his life. Everyone blamed the government and the justice system for bring too soft and naive. It was sad to read the discussions. After seeing that, I have to agree with the commenter you are replying to rather than you. People want an eye for an eye. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_Tim_McLean https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_Tim_McLean

aaron-lebo 9y ago
That's hugely unfair to those people. He cut off someone's head. To get out after seven years for beheading someone is a real luxury, you can hardly be shocked that people would find that problematic, regardless of his mental situation.
Mz 9y ago
Well, I would interpret that as "With something so horrible, people want to make sure it never, ever happens again and they don't really believe that someone who would do something like that can ever be trusted." Compassion is one thing. Giving people a second shot at doing something heinous is another. We don't really know how to cure more prosaic mental health issues, like depression or social anxiety. If they are wrong about him having been successfully treated, we will likely find that out the hard way: When we discover he has done it again. Only, possibly, multiple times and covered it up successfully for some time, what with being older and savvier.
throwaway613834 9y ago
> People want an eye for an eye. I'm confused where the contradiction is. The question is why people want an eye for an eye. I was saying it's because they believe it will deter future crime. That can still be the case even if the court does not believe the person is guilty.

jopsen 9y ago

> I think it's about imposing enough of a punishment to deter It's well established that harsh prison sentences have no deterrent effect. "deterrence" is merely an excuse for your bloodlust.

eecc 9y ago

Or enough incentive to be as ruthless as possible when committing a crime...