Personally, after the paragraph describing Nathan Bedford Forrest's picture in the DA's office, I had to get up and take a break from reading. Even as someone who lives in New Orleans, the wat/paragraph ratio was > 1 for this article.
The Death Penalty in Louisiana
41–50 of 102 posts
Re: The Death Penalty in Louisiana
#42No matter how many times I read about the death penalty in America, I just can't wrap my head around the fact that it still exists, that the powers that be kill their own citizens in such a way. It's so incredibly horrifying to me that it almost becomes an abstract concept, but then you read an article like this and - guilty or innocent - the true human cost and all that associated suffering comes right back to you.
When the Boston Bomber was sentenced to death you heard...crickets.
You sure about that?
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2015/05/14/boston-maratho...
Reaction to the sentencing was swift with praise for the difficult work of the jury in making a decision that many said was just.
"My mother and I think that NOW he will go away and we will be able to move on. Justice. In his own words, 'Eye for an eye.' "
Carmen Ortiz, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts, said after the decision that Tsarnaev's crime was not motivated by religion; it was motivated by politics. She said the gravity of the crime, the murder of a child, a police officer and two young women merited the death penalty.
"Check them off," she told jurors in her closing statement. She explained there should be no doubt his crimes met the aggravating criteria because they were premeditated, cruel, depraved and especially heinous.
Re: The Death Penalty in Louisiana
#43Earlier quoted context omitted.
What do you suggest in regards for money being spent on containing people who have zero chance on rehabilitation? Sweden can't afford cancer medication for certain people, but has no issues containing violent sadists. http://www.svd.se/effektiv-cancermedicin-anvands-inte http://www.sydsvenskan.se/skane/hon-fick-ny-cancermedicin-ut... Some people in the middle east tortured children, women and committed other atrociti…
The death penalty is more expensive than life in prison. If the US didn't imprison so many people they'd easily be able to afford to house the actually violent criminals.
Does it have to be that expensive?
Have there been efforts to cut costs?
I don't disagree with the second statement, frivolous prison sentences cause all sorts of problems, but I disagree that life sentence costs are insignificant.
Re: The Death Penalty in Louisiana
#44Earlier quoted context omitted.
No, it's not a slope. Gay marriage and the death penalty are two very different things and I can't believe I'm typing this out. There also numerous reasons to be against the death penalty but not abortions, but something tells me I'd rather not have this discussion here and now [1]. [1] for what it's worth, an example not related but relevant: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9770221
>I'd rather not have this discussion here and now Yes, because you want politics on HN, but only the politics you agree with. All political articles should be flagged.
Yes, because you want politics on HN
On what do you base this assertion? It's not like the parent poster submitted this article.
Re: The Death Penalty in Louisiana
#45Earlier quoted context omitted.
Yet in the US there is this "crisis" of not being abel to source the injections needed. Many medical doctors (persons with legal authority to prescribe drugs) and pharmacists (persons with legal authority to dispense drugs) object to capital punishment, and thus will not supply prisons with drugs that have the sole purpose of killing someone.
The other problem with sourcing is the manufacturers refusing to sell medications for use in execution. http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/19/death-penalty-b...
It'd be nice if a bunch of other companies would be able to find their spines re: objectionable things the government does. Like spying on everyone all the time. You know, like teclos and the like.
It's pretty crazy that drug companies are more ethical than telecoms. Especially considering all the problems with reproducability that we're seeing on the cancer treatment front and plummeting drug effectiveness.
Re: The Death Penalty in Louisiana
#46"Cox does not believe that the death penalty works as a deterrent, but he says that it is justified as revenge." That is so, so fucked up. An attorney, someone whose job it is to impartially argue the law, equally to everyone, saying "Yeah you know, we kill people FOR REVENGE ." Not even, you know, hey if we have the death penalty it'll maybe make people think twice about committing a serious crime, but straight up s…
Cox is an assistant DA not a judge. Which, in my book, does not excuse his attitude at all.
Currently the DA, when the elected DA died he filled the vacancy and will be running for election in October.
Re: The Death Penalty in Louisiana
#47No matter how many times I read about the death penalty in America, I just can't wrap my head around the fact that it still exists, that the powers that be kill their own citizens in such a way. It's so incredibly horrifying to me that it almost becomes an abstract concept, but then you read an article like this and - guilty or innocent - the true human cost and all that associated suffering comes right back to you.
What do you suggest in regards for money being spent on containing people who have zero chance on rehabilitation? Sweden can't afford cancer medication for certain people, but has no issues containing violent sadists. http://www.svd.se/effektiv-cancermedicin-anvands-inte http://www.sydsvenskan.se/skane/hon-fick-ny-cancermedicin-ut... Some people in the middle east tortured children, women and committed other atrociti…
Mine is that perhaps money should be invested in prevention of crime. Prisons aren't made for rehabilitation, specially since it's really hard for a person to go out and make a living.
'Prison is a recruitment center for the army of crime. That is what it achieves. For 200 years everybody has been saying, "Prisons are failing; all they do is produce new criminals." I would say on the other hand, "They are a success, since that is what has been asked of them." '
https://www.nytimes.com/books/00/12/17/specials/foucault-pri...
Re: The Death Penalty in Louisiana
#48"Cox does not believe that the death penalty works as a deterrent, but he says that it is justified as revenge." That is so, so fucked up. An attorney, someone whose job it is to impartially argue the law, equally to everyone, saying "Yeah you know, we kill people FOR REVENGE ." Not even, you know, hey if we have the death penalty it'll maybe make people think twice about committing a serious crime, but straight up s…
I'm not saying whether I agree or disagree, but this is worth reading:
http://tomkow.typepad.com/tomkowcom/2012/07/a-few-short-step...
Note: I know absolutely nothing about the author of this piece. The writing stands on its own and is a series of interesting thought experiments attempting to justify revenge.
Obviously this is not directly relevant to the posted article, but just on a philosophical level.
Re: The Death Penalty in Louisiana
#49"Cox does not believe that the death penalty works as a deterrent, but he says that it is justified as revenge." That is so, so fucked up. An attorney, someone whose job it is to impartially argue the law, equally to everyone, saying "Yeah you know, we kill people FOR REVENGE ." Not even, you know, hey if we have the death penalty it'll maybe make people think twice about committing a serious crime, but straight up s…
Agreed. I don't get how the bar of Louisiana allows Cox to practice law with such an attitude.
Re: The Death Penalty in Louisiana
#50No matter how many times I read about the death penalty in America, I just can't wrap my head around the fact that it still exists, that the powers that be kill their own citizens in such a way. It's so incredibly horrifying to me that it almost becomes an abstract concept, but then you read an article like this and - guilty or innocent - the true human cost and all that associated suffering comes right back to you.
What do you suggest in regards for money being spent on containing people who have zero chance on rehabilitation? Sweden can't afford cancer medication for certain people, but has no issues containing violent sadists. http://www.svd.se/effektiv-cancermedicin-anvands-inte http://www.sydsvenskan.se/skane/hon-fick-ny-cancermedicin-ut... Some people in the middle east tortured children, women and committed other atrociti…
My take on that is that human life shouldn't have a price tag on it. Killing someone because it would cost money to keep them alive is not a solid basis for morality in my book.
Frankly, I'm so weary of the problems in this country being justified by money. We trash the environment because it would cost money to do better. We underfund schools because we don't want to pay more property tax. And we try to kill convicts because it is cheaper... or we privatize the prisons so it becomes a profit center for somebody.
Even on HN, wealthy founders are hero-worshipped, and investors are treated like kings. There is some talk about meaningful work, but a lot more talk about monetization of .
This is not a healthy, moral society in which we currently live.