U.S. Supreme Court Gives the OK for the Worst Crime Ever

I got up this morning, and the first thing I saw really piffed me off.
http://news.google.com/news?tab=wn&hl=en&ned=us&q=supreme+court+child

So I came up with this -
http://www.vaughns-1-pagers.com/politics/us-supreme-court-summary.htm

Do you agree? If so, please digg it. I don't have an account.

If you disagree, tell us why.

 

I hate posts like this. They have no facts and are really just spam.

I assume you are asking about the decision outlawing death for child rapists.

As for the Supreme Court not allowing the death penalty for child rapists, that is hardly giving it the "OK" as you suggest. The Supreme Court has merely said that aside from treason, espionage, and murder they do not think capital punishment is appropriate.

Personally, I think child rape should be a capital crime, but I can live with the ruling. It was not unexpected since the court has already ruled that execution is not a legal punishment for rape of a women when it does not result in a death.

 

I totally agree with you browntwn.

While I also do agree that child rape should be a capital crime, above many others actually, the likely hood for false convictions and abuse of the system is simply to open.

If it were made a bit more strict, way beyond a reasonable doubt, such as actual witnesses, video, dna, added together so there was no doubt, no chance of wrongful conviction I'd be for it. As well as none of this 18 year old sleeping with a 15 year old crap being able to count.

 

You have keyed on one of my main concerns with the death penalty. I acknowledge that mistakes have been made and are likely to be made in the future. I would allow the death penalty in cases where identity was not an issue. Cases where the crime is on video for example would fit. On the other hand, I would not allow the death penalty in cases which are based solely on someone's word and the defendant argued it wasn't him. Any case where the defendant was not making an argument that they have the wrong guy would be potentially subject to the death penalty. I realize it may only bring in a few additional cases that meet these strict requirements, but I would be satisfied enough to allow the death penalty in those cases and exclude it from others.

 

It is NOTHING BUT FACTS!

The "OK" was simply literary license, in order to generate interest in the thread.

You both seem to agree, so what is the problem?
Obviously, this would apply only to those cases that establish concrete guilt.

If capital punishment is going to be used for any crime, it should be THIS ONE!

 

I don't know. What is your problem? You were the one who said you were really piffed off. Why are you so upset?

 

If pedophilia is a mental disease, then is capital punishment appropriate?

I mean, I don't think capital punishment is appropriate under any circumstance except murder.

If pedophilia can be a mental condition or disease, and alcoholism is a disease, and drug addiction is a disease, then why would we just kill all these people?

Maybe child rapists can or can't be rehabilitated, but killing people for any kind of compulsive mental disorders opens up all sorts of excuses to put people to death for behavior that may be beyond their control. Scary stuff.

 

You realize that it was 5 to 4, right?

JUST ONE VOTE, and the outcome would have been different.
You side with 5 this time, I side with 4. Just how far out in left field am I, when I am just ONE VOTE away from being "right"?

Notice that the vote was ENTIRELY along political lines.

So any time someone has a "mental disease", they get off the hook?
One could argue that ANYONE that commits a crime, has a "mental defect"! Let's let 'em all go!

You know, I have a "compulsion" too; a compulsion NOT to commit any crimes!

In the words of dissenting Justice Scalia, "It means the death penalty would be barred "no matter how young the child, no matter how many times the child is raped, no matter how many children the perpetrator rapes, no matter how sadistic the crime, no matter how much physical or psychological trauma is inflicted, and no matter how heinous the perpetrator's prior criminal record may be."

THAT'S why I am so upset!

In a dissent, Justice Samuel Alito said the majority justices were usurping the work of state lawmakers. "The harm that is caused to the victims and to society at large by the worst child rapists is grave. It is the judgment of the Louisiana lawmakers and those in an increasing number of other states that these harms justify the death penalty," he wrote.

In his dissent, Alito questioned whether there aren't crimes even worse than murder. "Is it really true that every person who is convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death is more morally depraved than every child rapist?" he asked.
.

 

That is true for every sadistic crime that does not end in death.

There are many crimes I think should be capital crimes but are not. But you need to realize, there are not saying these people can't be punished. They can and should be sentenced to life in prison for these crimes. We are talking about the difference between life in prison or the death penalty. And, like the members of the Supreme Court, many people have different opinions.

 

Did anyone say they should be let go? Who said that?

Are you saying that all people with mental disorders should be killed?

I'm not arguing that it is a mental disorder, according to Wikipedia, it is considered one by people who make those determinations.

 

"Oh, he is mentally "defective"? Oh, OK. In that case, he gets to skate."
Merely slapping an official name on something does not excuse it.

All my life, I felt I was a liberal. Today, I found out that I am not. No way. Maybe it is my age (64) that has pushed me over the top. Some things ain't never gonna fly with me, and this is one of them. The crushed lives, the murdered spirits, the crippled minds. There are more kinds of murder, than just the body.

This will be my first and last sojourn into the political forum. Our beliefs are based upon our age, and life experiences. Nothing much is going to change our minds. So I won't be spending any more time here. I like other stuff more than trying to piff up a rope.

 

They aren't "skating", they just aren't getting killed.

You realize that there's a percentage of criminals in jail who are innocent right?

If 1/100 people that got the death pentalty from this, would it still be worth that one mans innocent life?



Instead of killing them they should just cut their peckers off...Problem solved.

 

isn't the death penalty a bit too, uhmm, middle age-ish? I mean yeah, some do absolutely horrific things but are we any better if we do the same with him?

 

Some people are just defective units that need to be returned to their maker.

My feeling is pretty simple. If you rape a child you forfeit your right to live in civilized society. That being said, I am not going to get up in arms because the Supreme Court says we can only jail them for life and not put them to death.

 

I think a good point is the safety of the would be victim as if it is a capital crime and we know that capital punishment is not a deterrent, why not just kill the victim if the outcome is the same? No witnesses or evidence.

 

The government shouldn't really be in the position of deciding to kill or not. Lock'em up instead.

 

death penalty typically occurs in two kinds of countries: totalitarian governments and religious fundamentalists

 

either it's wrong to kill people or it isn't.

 

Child rapists get plenty of punishment in prison.

IMO the death penalty for them would be a gift compared to going to prison.

 

Really? It doesn't depend on circumstances?