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06-25-2008, 03:33 PM | #1 |
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"The death penalty is not a proportional punishment for the rape of a child"
So says Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy in yet another 5-4 decision.
It's hard for me not to just be thoroughly disgusted with that statement. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080625/..._co/scotus_rdp
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06-25-2008, 03:41 PM | #2 | |
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A snippet from the Alito's dissent:
Quote:
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06-25-2008, 03:43 PM | #3 | |
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One more snippet. Here's National Review's Ed Whelan summarizing the details of the crime that precipitated this decision:
Quote:
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06-25-2008, 03:45 PM | #4 |
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In general, I am uncomfortable with the crime of rape being a captial offence.
Why? Because of the frequency of false claims and wrongful convictions. Of course, I am more of a civil libertarian than about 99% of the people here. |
06-25-2008, 03:50 PM | #5 |
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RHETORICAL QUESTION, SO DON'T GO INTO GRAPHIC DETAIL
Tex, what level of sexual contact is necessary to warrant a death sentence? Even if perchance this specific instance is sufficient, where is the line drawn on from the inappropriate touching of clothed children to the violent assault in this case? I think limiting capital punishment to homicides may be the appropriate stance to take. |
06-25-2008, 03:52 PM | #6 |
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The death penalty is just plain a travesty. I wish I could just call it ridiculous. Were the issue not so grave that would be the most accurate adjective.
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09-10-2008, 04:43 PM | #7 |
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Whoa.......but you favor the death penalty
for an unborn child, who if simply left alone, would live?
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06-25-2008, 03:54 PM | #8 |
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The Court's opinion re-iterates the conditions for aggravated rape, which is what this man was charged with. I'll include the link below. You can decide if the law is just or not. A separate question is whether the Court's reasoning in this case is sound, which I agree with Alito, it's not.
As you may have gathered, it's hard for me to read the facts of this case and not agree with it. http://www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/07pdf/07-343.pdf
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06-26-2008, 05:03 AM | #9 | |
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Quote:
If you view it as a deterrent for crime, then is there any evidence that sex offenders are deterred by the death penalty? I doubt it. In fact, given the almost universal presence of mental addiction of sex offenders to sex (particularly pedophilia), I would bet that is one of the groups of criminals least likely to be influenced by the possibility of the death penalty. So what logical reason is there to make it available for this kind of crime? Nobody disputes the vulgar, heinous, disgusting and evil nature of sex crimes, particularly where a child is involved. I do think we may be succumbing to a dark inner desire to watch bad people suffer and die (which itself is perverse) when we ask for sex offenders to be executed (and that dark inner desire is frequently expressed in the form of "I don't even care how he is killed- make it painful). It seems to me that we can and ought to be better than that. |
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06-26-2008, 05:09 AM | #10 | |
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Quote:
There is a difference between justice and vengeance. Vengeance is what would happen if justice isn't served.
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