Another journal I read every so often is Joe Kelly’s For the Sake of Argument. Mostly it’s a discussion blog about controversial issues, some of which make it on the air of his radio show.
A recent post was about a child-rapist who was recently killed in prison. Personally when that happens it leaves a bad taste in my mouth but not because another life was snuffed out. In this case, it wasn’t much of a life but rather the fact that the State should have pulled the lever and sent that fucker to hell on the express bus.
In the comments section, the topic ranged over to the death penalty and it just so happens that is a topic that I have a pretty rigid view on.
Here’s what I posted in his comments section: I’ve heard a variety of different positions on the Death Penalty. Since I live in San Francisco, you can probably imagine that most of them have argued that the Death Penalty is a cruel and unusual punishment that no civilized society implements to curb crime.
I complete disagree with them. I’m not revenge minded but rather practical in so much as I believe that you are either a contributing member of society or you are a blight on it. If, by deed or inaction, you prove beyond reasonable doubt that you are incapable of living by the simplest rules of a given society (for instance, not killing people for gain or pleasure), then you forfeit your right to life.
Prison doesn’t work and it is obviously not a deterent to crime. Our prison system is little more than a criminal college in which people of like mind compare notes and formulate plans for the future so that they won’t be caught next time.
Hang ’em and hang ’em where the rest of society can see how crime pays…