For posterity: if I am murdered, I request that the person who murdered
me be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law *except* that I
do not want him/her to suffer the death penalty. (there, sort of an
online 'will' request :)
> That's life. It's a natural, built in response.
Oddly, it's not a 'natural' response for me. Or for many many many other
people. Perhaps 'mind' *can* override instinct.
It's no more
> over-exciting, debateable, or less-obvious than going to the toilet, eating
> meat, having sexual intercourse, growing hair, talking too much in a group
> to project your personality or monkeys grooming. There isn't even any hate
> or passion involved. If someon is a .. defective unit .. if someone is so
> 'defective' as to 'kill'Deb' or 'kill brother', ordinary humans naturally
> try to extinguish them.
>
My, we are in hard-determinist mode, aren't we?
> I suppose the whole capital punishment thing is a sort of perverted social,
> um, implementation of this natural quick-moment reaction.
>
Doesn't mean that it's right.
>
> I am curious as to how you feel .. no, what you would do .. if someone
> killed 'me' so to speak, or say your sister, auntie, whatever.
>
What would I do? I'd cry my heart out (we're assuming that it's my
brother we're talking about...the person I pretty much care most about
in the world). But I wouldn't want the person who murdered him to be
executed for it. I tend to see human beings as a shade more complex
than you do in your digital version of the world. People aren't just
'defective' or 'normal'. It doesn't work that way.
I also have, as my highest priority in life, my unquenchable belief that
every person has a right to life. And that is a right which is, for
me, absolutely sacred. Okay, if someone kills my brother, my brother's
right to life has been violated, but that does not, under any circumstances
give *me* or anyone else the right to violate that person's right
to life.
Life is the only thing we've *GOT*. This is it.
Now, when it comes to protecting life -- if someone broke into my
home and threatened to kill myself or my family, yes, I would kill
that person before allowing that to happen. After the fact, however,
when my brother is already gone, is a completely different story.
(I'll respond to the rest of this later...my sweetie just got home ;)
- Deb
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Debra L. Richardson - 002134r@dragon.acadiau.ca - HBA Soci & English
http://dragon.acadiau.ca/~002134r/
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