Today, I was reading Franz Kafka for the first time. Specifically, his short story titled "In the Penal Colony." The story is about the punishment of a criminal by a torture device which etches the name of his crime (treason, for example) into his body. This is done with needle-like pricks that go deep into his body, ultimately (and purposefully) killing him. While I don't think that torture is necessary for all criminals, I do think that it is useful to gain crucial information. Coincidentally, this brings up questions about the death penalty, which I abhor. I think that prisons should work to rehabilitate prisoners, not simply give up on any hope for their improvement. Perhaps the idea of the DP can be humorously pressed in this manner: in a case of murder, the criminal may be sentenced to the death penalty. Why? Because the criminal's act of killing a person was deemed unjust. However, the judicial system is committing the same act (by killing the criminal), the very act it deemed unjust! Does anybody else think this is ridiculous? Or am I just stupid?
America is one of the few countries that still condones the death penalty and i think that's kind of ridiculous
ReplyDeleteYeah the DP is completely ridiculous. Not only have there been numerous studies that say that many that have been killed have been innocent, It's also much more likely for a minority to be sentenced to death than it is for a privileged member of society.
ReplyDeleteAlso, thanks for commenting on my blog, I'm gonna check back daily to see if you update.
In my opinion there are people who deserve death. Yeah, I know "who am I to judge"... but what about people like that Austrian guy who held his daughter hostage for 24 years?http://synthesis.net/2008/04/28/austrian-man-holds-daughter-hostage-for-24-years-fathers-seven-children-with-her/
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I personally don't like the death penalty, if the main goal is to keep criminals out of society then prisons are doing just fine without the DP, which brings up the issue of overcrowding. But this is also easily debated with by the fact that the multitude of prisoners re in for more petty crimes which I believe can be punished without prison time.
ReplyDeleteDepends how you think about it, if the DP is to go then many things need to change aswell. Most countries don't use the death penalty anymore, the US is one of the most prominent supporters of it. Nice post.
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