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Originally Posted by Ustwo
Yes it is funny you think that.
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I never pegged you as an essentialist....
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Originally Posted by Ustwo
Anyways, my stance on the death penalty is that once you have taken an innocent life you have forfeited yours. Its not about a deterrent, we don't execute frequently enough for that. Its not about rehabilitation, I don't care if they are now sorry and can convince some social worker they are fit for society. Its about punishment and vengeance and justice for those who knew the victim.
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....nor one whose values run parallel to the Old Testament and the Qur'an--though, I will point out that the latter takes a slightly more compassionate stance than you do.
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Originally Posted by Ustwo
Lets take a brief look at those who witnessed the execution of Timothy McVey...
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How about another?
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These men and women were displaying many of the reactions usually associated with acute stress. They had difficulty managing the emotions that the execution aroused. More than half of our sample said they felt distant from their own emotions, a third reported that they felt "confused and disoriented," 60 percent were "estranged or detached from other people," and more than half said they tried to "avoid thoughts or feelings about the execution." One-third reported feeling "despair or hopelessness," and 20 percent felt "uncontrollable and excessive grief." I happened to speak to the wife of one of them some six months later. When I asked how her husband was doing, she replied: "He is a basket case. If he ever covers another execution, we're getting a divorce."
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One family member of a victim of the Oklahoma City bombing put it best when she snapped at a reporter: "The only 'closure' I'm ever going to have is when they close the lid on my coffin."
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After reading the article, I'm even more convinced that not much good can come out of witnessing an execution. And remember that there are two sides to the show. This can't be healthy for anyone.
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Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing?
—Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön
Humankind cannot bear very much reality.
—From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot
Last edited by Baraka_Guru; 11-28-2007 at 09:07 PM..
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