Thread: Death penalty for Metro bombers in Belarus

I guess I'm one of the very few barbarians here who support the idea of capital punishment. According to statistics at least half of people in Ukraine think the same - with numbers of supporters sometimes as high as 85%, depending on the poll.

It's worth mentioning that some people vote against it because they think that the criminal should suffer longer, and some even weirder people vote for it because they think that it's a kinder and easier way out. It muddles the matter further.

The only reasonable argument against capital punishment, in my opinion, is a danger of executing an innocent person. But there are various safety measures which can help to avoid that, one of them is a mandatory period of time (years and years, if need be) between the court decision and an actual execution, which can be used to check and recheck everything to be absolutely sure.

Originally Posted by gRomoZeka

The only reasonable argument against capital punishment, in my opinion, is a danger of executing an innocent person. But there are various safety measures which can help to avoid that, one of them is a mandatory period of time (years and years, if need be) between the court decision and an actual execution, which can be used to check and recheck everything to be absolutely sure.

Watch The Green Mile

remorse

Originally Posted by Doomer

Watch The Green Mile

I've seen it. So?
It just means that more efforts should be put into building better investigation and court systems to eliminate mistakes like this. Death sentences should not be given lightly, it's a serious matter. But I do not mind if there's a possibility of capital punishment in some rare cases (which does not mean that I'm for killing people left and right).

Originally Posted by gRomoZeka

Watch The Green Mile

I've seen it. So?

Off-topic, but for those who've seen The Green Mile, do you think that John Coffey is meant to be understood as the Son of God visiting Earth again, this time in the body of a semi-retarded black guy (instead of a Jewish cabinet-maker)? Or is he merely some sort of mysterious saint/healer, but not Jesus Christ himself?

Originally Posted by Throbert McGee

Off-topic, but for those who've seen The Green Mile, do you think that John Coffey is meant to be understood as the Son of God visiting Earth again, this time in the body of a semi-retarded black guy (instead of a Jewish cabinet-maker)? Or is he merely some sort of mysterious saint/healer, but not Jesus Christ himself?

Hmmm interesting. I had not even heard of that film. Well nobody who's read the bible would think that this guy was Jesus. Because that's not how it's supposed to play out according to the book of revelations. If Jesus turned up as a black guy etc it would be a serious deviation from "the plan"! Oh well, I always spoil perfectly good fiction for myself by getting hung up on details like this .

Originally Posted by Throbert McGee

Off-topic, but for those who've seen The Green Mile, do you think that John Coffey is meant to be understood as the Son of God visiting Earth again, this time in the body of a semi-retarded black guy (instead of a Jewish cabinet-maker)? Or is he merely some sort of mysterious saint/healer, but not Jesus Christ himself?

I think it's a very apt analogy. And Hanna, I have read the bible many times. I was raised in a strict religion. Happily free of it now!

Originally Posted by gRomoZeka

remorse
I've seen it. So?
It just means that more efforts should be put into building better investigation and court systems to eliminate mistakes like this. Death sentences should not be given lightly, it's a serious matter. But I do not mind if there's a possibility of capital punishment in some rare cases (which does not mean that I'm for killing people left and right).

So, you do believe that is is possible to create a perfect investigation and court system which makes no mistakes
But apparently you don't believe in creation of perfect society where death penalty is archaic and makes no sense?

I've sensed double standards here

Originally Posted by Doomer

So, you do believe that is is possible to create a perfect investigation and court system which makes no mistakes
But apparently you don't believe in creation of perfect society where death penalty is archaic and makes no sense?

I've sensed double standards here

I've never uttered the word "perfect". Both goals are impossible, but the second one is even impossibl-er, since it's much more global and complex.

Anyway, mistakes've been made and will be made in the future. Will you propose not to incarcerate people at all, because innocents can be sent to prison by mistake? I guess not (if we are talking about real, and not an utopian society). Double standards, eh?

Offtopic:

Originally Posted by gRomoZeka

impossibl-er

I loved that word. I really loved it.

Will you propose not to incarcerate people at all, because innocents can be sent to prison by mistake?

If someone who is incarcerated is later found innocent - you can release him and pay him a compensation.
If someone who is executed is later found innocent - you cannot do anything anymore.

And another thing - government and justice system are not perfect in any country.

But I think that anyone who intentionally killed someone should never be let out of prison.

Originally Posted by gRomoZeka

I guess I'm one of the very few barbarians here who support the idea of capital punishment.

I certainly would not call you a barbarian and I am sure you know that!!
Your opinions seem to be well founded and well balanced..
I think people's view on these sort of issues are influenced by the kind of environment they grew up in, to some degree. You and I probably come at this issue from quite a different angle. If I had your experience I might hold the same view as you, and vice versa.

I watched a terrible film once (back in school) that followed a black man in the USA who was sentenced for a murder which he said from the start that he did not commit. He was guilty of some other crimes though, like robberies etc. He was sentenced to death, appealed etc. Became a born-again Christian etc, but the sentence stood. Eventually he was executed in the electric chair and they practically showed the whole execution on the film. Really gruesome. Some of the victims relatives were actually allowed to be there while the man was being executed. Later, it turned out that the man probably did not commit the crime.

The religious view on this would be "let him who is free of sin throw the first stone", and "thou shalt not kill".
If the person is imprisoned for life, he can work and do some good, paying off his debt to society. And if it should turn out that a mistake was committed, the person can be released and compensated.