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I understand the impulse, some crimes are so horrific it gets your blood up, but for me it's not about them, it's about us. I don't want to live in a vengeful,
by simonh 6y ago
I understand the impulse, some crimes are so horrific it gets your blood up, but for me it's not about them, it's about us. I don't want to live in a vengeful, vindictive or cruel society and I don't want anyone doing those things on my behalf. I'm a pragmatist, some killings are essentially unavoidable, as in war. Violence needs to be an option, but I don't think it should be used unnecessarily or to satisfy base urges. Not in my name anyway. These people should serve the sentence they were given according to due process, and this does not seem to be consistent with the intended penalty.
On a personal note an acquaintance of mine served several years for a sentence for which he was later fully exonerated. It was a thoroughly awful travesty of justice. He also underwent appalling abuses as the alleged crime for which he was convicted was sexual in nature. No system is perfect and there will probably always be mistakes made, so lets at least make sure the consequences of such mistakes don't burden our consciences any more than they need to.
- jariel 6y ago"I don't want to live in a vengeful, vindictive or cruel society and I don't want anyone doing those things on my behalf. " It's not Vengeance if it's Justice. What we could try to do is focus much harder on making sure that actual justice is carried out, not arbitrary things or mistakes.
- simonh 6y agoI think enhanced and cruel punishments imposed as a result of institutional failures, that have nothing to do with the crime or proscribed punishment, isn't justice either. Enormous resources are expended attempting to ensure fair trials and the system still fails regularly and often. Fixing one part of the system shouldn't dependent on fixing an unrelated part, we should I think try to do both.
- skinnymuch 6y agoI asked the other person. If it’s cheaper or same price to keep someone mostly isolated with decent accommodations including proper bed, clothing, fresh air, computer/tablet, radio, computer, [limited] tv and internet usage. Would you be fine with that? They still have to be alone. Justice is still being served. No sane person would want that life.