[SOC] Death penalty

Sat, 08 Feb 2003 13:26:41 -0800

Sorry, I forgot to include this with the last post.

Another reason I don't respond the way you would like
is because the whole arguement from possible error is a
falicy. I rests on the obviously false premise that: 
"if justice is not done everywhere, it cannot be done anywhere"
or, put another way. "If a sanction cannot be imposed perfectly,
then it cannot be imposed at all." 

The argument from error, which ignores "the deservedness of capital punishment," misses the point entirely. If capital punishment is morally justifiable, then what can be done to try and ensure that only the guilty are punished should be
done, and any reasonable reforms that could help accomplish that should be
implimented. However, to abandon the death penalty simply because innocent people might wrongly be executed: this is equivalent to banning all open heart
surgery, because some innocent people will not survive it.

cheers, Paul - VA7NT

On Sat, 8 Feb 2003 18:29:07 -0000 [email protected] wrote:
> Perhaps we'd better keep any further correspondence off list.
> 
> (I kept my response to your previous post off list at your request
> but you have continued to make your replies public.)
> 
> Sadly, you're wrong. I've lost count of the number of people that
> state(s) have killed in error.
> 
> I simply fail to understand why you dismiss without comment my
> observation that there seems to have been further evidence worthy
> of consideration by a court that a defendant might not have been
> guilty of the offence that has resulted in him being condemned to
> death. And killed.
> 
> Paul.
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <[email protected]>
> To: <[email protected]>
> Sent: Thursday, February 06, 2003 9:37 AM
> Subject: Re: [SOC] Death penalty
> 
> 
> > Given what I know of the legal system, your portrayal is
> > a caricature, and misleading. Sadly typical.
> >
> > cheers, Paul
> >
> >
> > On Wed, 5 Feb 2003 19:57:25 -0000 [email protected] wrote:
> > > Hi Paul,
> > >
> > > Well, we're just going to have to agree to differ on this one. I doubt
> > > either of us will persuade eachother to their viewpoint.
> > >
> > > The thrust of the first part of my post, however stands whatever the
> > > penalty might be.
> > >
> > > The defence was denied that opportunity to even explore the possibility
> > > that DNA testing (a technique not available at the original trial)
> might > > throw a new light on matters and tend to confirm the man's story.
> > >
> > > This strikes me as manifestly unjust and unfair.
> > >
> > > Paul
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: <[email protected]>
> > > To: <[email protected]>
> > > Sent: Wednesday, February 05, 2003 5:45 AM
> > > Subject: Re: [SOC] Death penalty
> > >
> > >
> > > > I waited a number of hours before replying to this.
> > > >
> > > > While respect the fact that you mean well, I have to take
> > > > serious exception to your comments.
> > > >
> > > > I have worked in Canadian Gaols for the last 26 years, and
> > > > one of the obscenities of our "legal" system (and I mean that
> > > > in distinction from a "Justice" system) is the absence of
> > > > capitol punishment. Anyone who believes that a person is not
> > > > capable of doing something, for which the just, compassionate,
> > > > even loving response, is an execution suffers from a distorted,
> > > > low view of man. The absence of capitol punishment is inhuman
> > > > because it dehumanizes the murderer, by denying his significance
> > > > and the significance of his victims.
> > > >
> > > > While your raising the issue of possible error reminds us that
> > > > care should be taken before an execution is imposed, that is what
> > > > the appeal process is for.
> > > >
> > > > And, before you quote that oft used, cliche "better one hundred
> > > > guilty men go free..." The result of that misused, and distorted
> > > > principle has been that we knowingly victimize thousands, in order
> > > > keep from unintentionally victimizing one. There is an old notion,
> > > > sadly forgotten, of justice that says that those who acquit the
> guilty > > > are just as dispicable as those who knowingly convict the
> innocent. > > >
> > > > As one who has to live with those you don't want to execute, I would
> > > > ask, are you willing to live with them for the rest of their lives?
> > > > If not why not... I hope you are not like many who argue as you do
> > > > whose core motivation is cowardice because they don't really want to
> > > > be responsible for seeing justice done, but want to have some dumb
> > > > schmuck like me do their dirty work for them, and makes me live with
> > > > the consequences of their ivory tower moralizing. Yes, I chose my
> > > profession
> > > > and I take pride in doing what I can to make society somewhat safer,
> > > > to the extent that I can, but I really resent those who squeamishness
> > > > causes them to support public policy that makes my work/life more
> > > > dangerous. As a result of thinking such as yours, Canada is now one
> > > > of the best places in the world to flee, if you are guilty of a
> > > > capitol offense, and having to deal with some of the principals in
> > > > recent cases, such as USA vs Rafae, I DESPISE, the consequences of
> > > > such thinking. And that is a polite way for me to express my feelings
> > > > on the subject.
> > > >
> > > > As to the development of "modern" society, you would do well to read
> > > > Jacques Barzun's "From Dawn to Decadence" a study of the development
> > > > of western thought over that last 500 years.
> > > >
> > > > Also, before you quote some of the popular studies in support of your
> > > > position, please make sure you have done your homework first, all the
> > > > ones I know of that support your position have been shown to be the
> > > > result of really shoddy, if not deliberate misleading scholarship.
> > > > They are wonderful examples of how to lie with statistics.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > cheers, Paul - VA7NT ex VE7CQK - email: [email protected]
> > > > "Those who hear not the music. . . think the dancers mad."
> > > > _______________________________________________
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> > > >
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
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> >
> >
> > cheers, Paul - VA7NT ex VE7CQK - email: [email protected]
> > "Those who hear not the music. . . think the dancers mad."
> > _______________________________________________
> > SOC mailing list
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> > http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/soc
> >
> 
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cheers, Paul - VA7NT ex VE7CQK - email: [email protected]
"Those who hear not the music. . . think the dancers mad."