Here are the list of the comments I've made on others blogs:
Leigh - Abortion
Max - Religion does more harm for us than good
Mala - Manga as a form of literacy
Courtney - Desensitization
Zahra - Imposing gay marriage on religion institution
"Capital Punishment is so called death penalty - Execution of an offender sentenced to death after conviction by a court of law of a criminal offense." - Encyclopedia Britannica
Saturday, 11 May 2013
Friday, 10 May 2013
Christina Fan's Blog: Capital Punishment - Need or Not?
Capital punishment seems to be an eternal debate between human rights and legal cosmos. Personally, I support death penalty in terms of national security, for example terrorists and serial killings. The other cases, in which I think death penalty is necessary, are child sexual abuse, including rapist. And I believe capital punishment has deterrent effect on the society.
When I talk about those criminals, who need to be punished by capital punishment, I’m not talking about the cases, in which people steal a loaf of bread for living. What I’m talking about is a massacre of innocent people; a cold blood murdering for “fun” or “revenge” and repeatedly sexual abuses on children.
Some people might think capital punishment as a punishment for death. And they said “If you hang someone, they suffer no more.” This is not what I meant. We are not living in the old ancient time talking about “an eye to an eye, and a tooth for a tooth”, things just don’t work out this way these days. In my own opinion, capital punishment is a symbol of justice. I do believe that life is valuable. However, I can hardly find a good reason to persuade myself why those terrorist who committed hundreds of innocents deserve to live.
The most famous one happened on 11 Sep 2001 in US. The crashing of hijacked planes into World Trade Centre caused over 3000 death and 8900 injured, including more than 400 police officers and firefighter.
In 2004, 10 bombs packed with nails and dynamite exploded on 4 trains heading into central Madrid in the morning. This attack made 191 people killed and nearly 1800 injured, which was the worst Islamist terrorist in European history.
What kind of punishment is a proper one who is responsible for the death of hundred people? Some people may argue that these Islam believers are doing this for their faith of religion. From the terrorists' perspectives maybe they do have a reason to believe they were doing these things for good. Then how about are the motives behind cold blooded murders or serial killers.
On January 9, 2008, 22-year-old university student, Sophie Elliott, was killed by her ex-boyfriend who’s her teacher as well, Clayton Robert Weatherston, in her Dunedin home. She was stabbed to death over 216 times with a knife and scissors. And he mutilated her body in “a calm and collected manner” at the end. On July 22, 2009, Clayton Robert Weatherson was found guilty in the Christchurch High Court and he was sentenced on a minimum of 18 years prison.
I was so surprised when I knew his trail was an 18-year imprisons not even life-time. After such a brutal attack to a vulnerable woman, he conducted the mutilation of her body. And when he was asked about his action in the Court, he kept answering “I don’t remember”. I can understand defensive killing or violent impulses leading to murder. But the way Mr. Weatherston did was completely heartless, cruel and made the victim suffering on purpose. This is definitely intolerant for me.
One of the debatable reasons to abolish the death penalty is people believe it against human rights. I believe life is equally precious for everyone. Therefore, who can defence the rights of the victims who was brutally killed, like Sophie and other people in serial murder cases. In 2005, Dennis Rader confessed guilty to 10 murders, including entire Otero family and six women. I can hardly find humanity in these murders. When a people without humanity inside, are we still consider him deserve the human rights to live after he committed the killing or remained the threatening to the society.
In most European countries, the maximum penalty in legal system is life time imprison. For instance, in the United Kingdom, capital punishment was abolished in the 20th century. However, when I looked at the List of Serial Killers by Country, I found an ironic fact that United Kingdom is clearly the champion among all the countries around the world. It is unquestionable that human society needs a legal system to provide a systematic, orderly, and predictable mechanism for resolving disagreements. In another words, the purpose to set up laws is to secure the society’s security. The reason I support capital punishment for repeated child sexual abuses is there are completely unforgettable excuses in these cases and I believe death penalty has its deterrent effect on it.
Some people argued sexual offences doesn’t deserve to death penalty. Here I want to point out that the trauma effects after the abuses are incomparable. These effects can be as devastating in a life time. As one of the most vulnerable group in human society, I believe capital punishment has an efficient protection function. Does death penalty have deterrent effect on society? Yes, it does. H. Naci Mocan, an economist at Louisiana State University, performed some studies in the past decade. The results showed that the murder rates fall in U.S. when executions rise. When corporal punishment is no longer an effective deterrent, DP seems the only efficient way to ensure the society safe. As one of the lowest criminal rate countries in the world, Singapore is famous for its canning punishment. However, execution is carried out. Joseph Tan’s, a Singapore lawyer, who was a volunteer with the Roman Catholic Prison Ministry for more than five year, made a statement in the Strait Times, a local newspaper, the reasons Singapore society needs the death penalty. During his interactions with a variety of prisoners, he witnessed the process that canning gradually lost its deterrent function. Although caning is very painful, many tough offenders are prepared to be caned again if their prison terms can be shortened in return, which means the only punishment that those criminals are truly frightened of is the death penalty.
Humans are sinful by nature. Abolishing the death penalty in these cases will show mercy but bring injustice to human society. And in terms of life imprisonment, the cost of public resources will last in the long term as well.
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References
When I talk about those criminals, who need to be punished by capital punishment, I’m not talking about the cases, in which people steal a loaf of bread for living. What I’m talking about is a massacre of innocent people; a cold blood murdering for “fun” or “revenge” and repeatedly sexual abuses on children.
Some people might think capital punishment as a punishment for death. And they said “If you hang someone, they suffer no more.” This is not what I meant. We are not living in the old ancient time talking about “an eye to an eye, and a tooth for a tooth”, things just don’t work out this way these days. In my own opinion, capital punishment is a symbol of justice. I do believe that life is valuable. However, I can hardly find a good reason to persuade myself why those terrorist who committed hundreds of innocents deserve to live.
The most famous one happened on 11 Sep 2001 in US. The crashing of hijacked planes into World Trade Centre caused over 3000 death and 8900 injured, including more than 400 police officers and firefighter.
In 2004, 10 bombs packed with nails and dynamite exploded on 4 trains heading into central Madrid in the morning. This attack made 191 people killed and nearly 1800 injured, which was the worst Islamist terrorist in European history.
What kind of punishment is a proper one who is responsible for the death of hundred people? Some people may argue that these Islam believers are doing this for their faith of religion. From the terrorists' perspectives maybe they do have a reason to believe they were doing these things for good. Then how about are the motives behind cold blooded murders or serial killers.
On January 9, 2008, 22-year-old university student, Sophie Elliott, was killed by her ex-boyfriend who’s her teacher as well, Clayton Robert Weatherston, in her Dunedin home. She was stabbed to death over 216 times with a knife and scissors. And he mutilated her body in “a calm and collected manner” at the end. On July 22, 2009, Clayton Robert Weatherson was found guilty in the Christchurch High Court and he was sentenced on a minimum of 18 years prison.I was so surprised when I knew his trail was an 18-year imprisons not even life-time. After such a brutal attack to a vulnerable woman, he conducted the mutilation of her body. And when he was asked about his action in the Court, he kept answering “I don’t remember”. I can understand defensive killing or violent impulses leading to murder. But the way Mr. Weatherston did was completely heartless, cruel and made the victim suffering on purpose. This is definitely intolerant for me.
One of the debatable reasons to abolish the death penalty is people believe it against human rights. I believe life is equally precious for everyone. Therefore, who can defence the rights of the victims who was brutally killed, like Sophie and other people in serial murder cases. In 2005, Dennis Rader confessed guilty to 10 murders, including entire Otero family and six women. I can hardly find humanity in these murders. When a people without humanity inside, are we still consider him deserve the human rights to live after he committed the killing or remained the threatening to the society.
In most European countries, the maximum penalty in legal system is life time imprison. For instance, in the United Kingdom, capital punishment was abolished in the 20th century. However, when I looked at the List of Serial Killers by Country, I found an ironic fact that United Kingdom is clearly the champion among all the countries around the world. It is unquestionable that human society needs a legal system to provide a systematic, orderly, and predictable mechanism for resolving disagreements. In another words, the purpose to set up laws is to secure the society’s security. The reason I support capital punishment for repeated child sexual abuses is there are completely unforgettable excuses in these cases and I believe death penalty has its deterrent effect on it.
Some people argued sexual offences doesn’t deserve to death penalty. Here I want to point out that the trauma effects after the abuses are incomparable. These effects can be as devastating in a life time. As one of the most vulnerable group in human society, I believe capital punishment has an efficient protection function. Does death penalty have deterrent effect on society? Yes, it does. H. Naci Mocan, an economist at Louisiana State University, performed some studies in the past decade. The results showed that the murder rates fall in U.S. when executions rise. When corporal punishment is no longer an effective deterrent, DP seems the only efficient way to ensure the society safe. As one of the lowest criminal rate countries in the world, Singapore is famous for its canning punishment. However, execution is carried out. Joseph Tan’s, a Singapore lawyer, who was a volunteer with the Roman Catholic Prison Ministry for more than five year, made a statement in the Strait Times, a local newspaper, the reasons Singapore society needs the death penalty. During his interactions with a variety of prisoners, he witnessed the process that canning gradually lost its deterrent function. Although caning is very painful, many tough offenders are prepared to be caned again if their prison terms can be shortened in return, which means the only punishment that those criminals are truly frightened of is the death penalty.
Humans are sinful by nature. Abolishing the death penalty in these cases will show mercy but bring injustice to human society. And in terms of life imprisonment, the cost of public resources will last in the long term as well.
------------------------------------------------------------------
References
9/11 Attacks.
(2013). The History Channel website.
Retrieved from http://www.history.com/topics/9-11-attacks.
Bihary, A. The Dennis Rader - BTK Serial killer
Confessions. Retrieved from http://aboutserialkillers.blogspot.co.nz/2012/12/the-dennis-rader-btk-serial-killer.html.
Chin, J. T. P.
(2013). Why death penalty is needed. Retrieved from http://www.straitstimes.com/premium/forum-letters/story/why-death-penalty-needed-20130108.
Clayton Weatherston guilty of murder. (2009). Retrieved from http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/clayton-weatherston-guilty-murder-2860987.
Hamilos, P.
(2007). The worst Islamist attack in
European history. Retrieved from http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/oct/31/spain.
Liptak, A.
(2007). Does Death Penalty Save Lives? A
New Debate. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/18/us/18deter.html?pagewanted=all&_r=3&.
Milner, G.
(2013). Capital Punishment, If You Hang
Someone, They Suffer No More. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/gareth-milner/philpotts-capital-punishment_b_3014210.html.
Sophie Elliott killing: Weatherston
'calm, collected'. (2009).
Retrieved from http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/2530634/Sophie-Elliott-killing-Weatherston-calm-collected.
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