Death Penalty

[Malchik]

Words mean little, Akrid. Saying you forgive someone doesn't mean you actually do. It is my belief that to forgive is one of the hardest things to do. No, we can't all be saints (is any of us?) but we can aspire to try as hard as possible to overcome our human weaknesses. We might not succeed often but we will sometimes. Hatred, regret, despair, anger etc. are all negative emotions that prevent you achieving the karma you talk of. They also prevent you from leading a fulfilling life because you are constsntly tied to the past. Of course these emotions are part of human nature and have been there since human beings first evolved. That does not mean we have simply to give in to them. (And I espouse no creed, not even that of floating out into the ether in an Ashram in Nepal).

 

Live in the present and plan for the future. The past is for reminiscence with old friends and a laugh at the old photographs.

[Stanhead]

I'd have to agree with 2 of the poll options. Execution should be used in the most extreme cases, where there is a very large amount of evidence against somebody, and there is absolutely no change that they are falsely convicted.

 

You see, occasionally, innocent people are executed all across the world. Countries like America need to set an example for other countries [that use the death penalty] to follow. US states where the death penalty is still carried out need to change their laws to either abolish the death penalty, or atleast make it so that it is much harder for people to be falsely convicted.

 

And Malchik, I disagree with you there. Negative emotions are not bad all the time. For example, fear tells us when to give up and run away. On the other hand, I can't think of an argument for why hatred may be a good thing, so I'll just shut up. :P

[Malchik]

Maybe my wording is a bit loose, not all negative emotions are unpleasant but I still consider them harmful if indulged (nostalgia for instance). Fear can be a positive emotion (although unpleasant). It becomes negative if fear of something that happened in the past permeates the present without good reason. This classification is rather personal though.

[Akrid]

Well a argument over what emotions are good and bad is only part of the debate, and I belive that revenge is more complex than a simple chemical emotion, its a instinct developed to help ensure the survival of ones race/clan/group whatever. How can you say what instincts we should keep or ignore? How can you predict if these instincts will ever be needed? And to deny what is natural may seem to reward us with some kind of higher order of balance, I find that to be a theory. Our world uses such insticts all the time, no not all are "good" but we should be carful what we accept as sain instincts. In a world where its crazy to want a murderor dead we may one day start to think of people as machines and your loss nomatter how horrible or wrong will never insight an appropriate response.

 

As for hate it was mentioned that there is no good hate. Then what is the purpose of that emotion? Is it a primitive obsolete emotion? Hatred is a emotion of very high potential, it is a natural weapon beared by the human race, its hard to control and it can consume everything is chaos, such as wars to simple domestic skirmishs, in fact it works best when not controlled. Its hard to deny the factor of hate in the familys of victims that want thier loved ones murderors executed. Its true though there is no good hate. Being hateful is far from being good but not therefore with out purpose. If we existed with out that emotion we would problay not be on the top of the food chain first of all, even our superior intelligence we would have lacked the will to fight for survival. It is simply a utopeon idea to think we could have a world without it at this point, just like nuclear weapons they have them so we have them.

 

As long as hate exist we must understand the way the world operates and pick our battles wisely. We must find those who are scum and seperate them from the innocent. I know about the "eye for a eye makes the whole world go blind" idea and ghandi. I afraid that many of his teachings do not apply to America and other nations. India was a very religious minded nation, still are.

 

I belive that if you want to kill sombody you should do it knowing its a death penalty offence.