Tom Harris writes: When it’s okay to hate. Tom is referring to the tragic Baby P case and the sentences handed down to those who did him unimaginable cruelty.
We stopped hanging women in this country back in the fifties, and men in the sixties. The main reason not being that there could be mistakes made (less likely now) but that it was seen as uncivilised. Now there's a problem with using that argument against hanging today - you see, I believe that in many ways we were a hell of a lot more civilised forty odd years ago.
Maybe I'm uncivilised, but if someone tortures and kills a child then they should be hung until they are dead dead dead. And I would very much like to watch.
I think that sometimes, it can be extremely uncivilised to show mercy.
6 comments:
The quality of mercy is not strain'd,
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath: it is twice bless'd,
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes:
'Tis mightiest in the mightiest; it becomes
The throned monarch better than his crown:
His sceptre shows the force of temporal power,
The attribute to awe and majesty,
Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings;
But mercy is above this sceptred sway,
It is enthroned in the hearts of kings;
It is an attribute to God himself;
And earthly power doth then show likest God's,
When mercy seasons justice. Therefore, Jew,
Though justice be thy plea, consider this,
That in the course of justice none of us
Should see salvation: we do pray for mercy;
And that same prayer doth teach us all to render
The deeds of mercy.
I regularly visit a lifer in prison. His crime? He kicked to death the man who raped his sister.I guess he'd know a thing or two about the death penalty.
His opinion? Bring it back.
It's my opinion too.
Bring back the death penalty. You'd solve the prison overcrowding at a stroke, or a drop of the hatch in the scaffold if you'd prefer.
Executed criminals don't re-offend.
In case you're wondering- I am an endangered species. White, male and Christian.
Hi Dave, Thanks for the comment. I believe that last year a group of German lifers petitioned their government asking for the death penalty to be brought back.
Indeed a life in jail is quite a creul sentence. You always get the case of the miscarriage of justice dusted off. Well, if the police had put forward all the evidence they had several miscarriages of justice would not have happened. If the accused has a mental age of 12 then this should be pointed out to the judge and jury at the beginning and that would have prevented a few more.
The noose should ensure, these days, that more attention to detail is paid. Unlike in the crippen case where the remains were of a man and not crippen's wife. Do not always slavishly beieve the expert witness.
That said if it is ever reintroduced it should be a short drop, turning off, Tyburn jig sort of hanging not the long drop method.
I disagree Steve. There have been so many deliberate perversions (not just simple miscarriages) of justice in the recent past that the reintroduction of capital punishment is insupportable, however much it may be desirable.
Mr Gruff,
You may be right - it's a difficult one. However I still can't help feeling that some people should hang. This case being one of them.
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