tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14231145.post113264724790098771..comments2023-12-30T23:02:57.931-08:00Comments on Deep Thought: Texas executed an innocent man.Eli Blakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00792743206074537073noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14231145.post-1132885435799724362005-11-24T18:23:00.000-08:002005-11-24T18:23:00.000-08:00You see, the fallacy with the argument you cite is...<I>You see, the fallacy with the argument you cite is that they are assuming that the death penalty ..</I> <BR/><BR/>I agree - I don't accept the premise that the death penalty is any more a deterrent than say lifetime incarceration.<BR/><BR/>I do think that just like an individual, the state is called to defend itself when faced with extinction.<BR/><BR/>Problems with the criminal justice system aside, it's conceivable that there are some crimes that threaten the rule of law or threaten a break down in civil order and require the death penalty - killing a cop might be one - an act of terrorism might be another - if the proof is beyond a reasonable doubt.<BR/><BR/>The Civil War is probably the ultimate exercise of the state killing to preserve its existence.<BR/><BR/>The same could be said of the human race. It is concievable that some crimes, such as genocide, so threaten our collective civilizations that they also demand the death penalty. <BR/><BR/>That's about the only argument that I buy in favor of killing as a form of rendering justice. <BR/><BR/>Anything smacking of vengence or "setting things right" is not justice.dorsanohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17360076073314764844noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14231145.post-1132875853201419842005-11-24T15:44:00.000-08:002005-11-24T15:44:00.000-08:00dorsano:Turn that around. Would they also say that...dorsano:<BR/><BR/>Turn that around. Would they also say that it would be better for a murderer to kill someone, than for the same person (who would otherwise be the murderer) to allow people to 'walk all over them?'<BR/><BR/>There is in fact a happy medium. If we have life without parole, then we won't kill an innocent person, but the guilty are <B>certainly</B> 'deterred and punished.'<BR/><BR/>You see, the fallacy with the argument you cite is that they are assuming that the death penalty (which has no statistically supported deterrent effect) is the only form of deterrence and punishment available. But the choice is not between death and letting them walk free, but rather between incarceration which ends with natural death or incarceration which ends with state-sponsored killing.Eli Blakehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00792743206074537073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14231145.post-1132841076032303902005-11-24T06:04:00.000-08:002005-11-24T06:04:00.000-08:00Mario Cuomo referred to life without parole as "de...Mario Cuomo referred to life without parole as "death by incarceration," a kind of the death penaly that can be rescinded if necessary.shrimplatehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08347542266047278227noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14231145.post-1132712089948225082005-11-22T18:14:00.000-08:002005-11-22T18:14:00.000-08:00Those who advocate for the death penalty believe t...Those who advocate for the death penalty believe that the cost of accidently killing an inocent person is less than the cost of leaving the guilty undeterred and unpunished. <BR/><BR/>It's a matter of values and civility it seems.dorsanohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17360076073314764844noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14231145.post-1132689425544910082005-11-22T11:57:00.000-08:002005-11-22T11:57:00.000-08:00I'm glad so many bloggers are picking up on the Ru...I'm glad so many bloggers are picking up on the Ruben Cantu story. This is the strongest evidence we have in the modern era of an innocent person executed.<BR/><BR/>David Elliot<BR/>Abolish the Death Penalty<BR/>http://www.deathpenaltyusa.blogspot.comDavid Elliothttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16204187524722829253noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14231145.post-1132658681770949332005-11-22T03:24:00.000-08:002005-11-22T03:24:00.000-08:00"Meanwhile, Cantu's co-defendant, David Garza, rec...<I>"Meanwhile, Cantu's co-defendant, David Garza, recently signed a sworn affidavit saying he allowed his friend to be accused, even though Cantu wasn't with him the night of the killing."</I><BR/><BR/>Sounds like David Garza committed murder twice then.<BR/><BR/>Your point about the (many times) misrepresentation of the poor is well taken and a significant <I>fact</I>. And it certainly isn't limited to capital crimes.<BR/><BR/>Thanks for this entry Eli. <I>Thanks for all of your entries</I>. I hope a lot of people read this one.Chuckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12386004175127513482noreply@blogger.com