that sucks >_>

http://www.sentencingproject.org/Admin/Documents/publications/dp_drugpolicy_cjsystem.pdf

About the drug war. Good little article about the inequality in prosecution, sentencing and the overrepresentation of minorities.

I was going to say I think there needs to be better public defense in the justice system. Public defenders have a hard time keeping up in metropolitan areas.

I believe that the death penalty can be appropriate for some crimes.

Life is hope. While a person lives, they have opportunities for happiness, joy and redemption. And some crimes are so heinous, that I think the person who has committed them should be denied further opportunities for happiness, joy and redemption; they should have no more hope.

I am sympathetic to arguments that innocents should not be killed. Neither should they be put in prison for life, nor should they be fined or serve community service. And I hope that we can improve our administration of justice to the point where only the guilty are punished, in any way, shape or form.

But I do not think we can withhold punishment until the day of perfect justice. What we can do, however, is do our best to make certain that--the stiffer the penalty, the greater the precaution in its administration. I leave such heavy decisions to those best suited to make them--the judges and justices.

I also agree that a strict limitation on governmental power is important. Obviously, the death penalty in the hands of a tyrannical government is an awful thing. In fact, tyrannical government is an awful thing, and a menace, and will not long be denied the death penalty should it want it.

That said, the administration of justice is part of the appropriate functions of a good government. So, just as it is dangerous that the government has control of the military, the true danger is tyranny and the abuse of power, not the fact that government has power, as such.

I'm not sure if most people missed this, or whether people are just happy to discuss the hypothetical scenario brought up by this story, but the guy in this news story was in fact shot dead by the police.

I had mentioned this, no one seemed to care.

They should bring back public hangings. No wonder people think the death penalty doesn't have a deterrent effect.

The OP didn't change my mind.

My whole argument against the death penalty is really short. I posted this in an abortion thread on Valentine's Day:


The death penalty costs way too much money. There are 2 ways to lower the costs: abolish the death penalty entirely, which will save tons of money (good) and never accidentally kill an innocent person again (very good), or allow for speedier executions with fewer appeals, which will save money (good), but leads to more accidental executions of the innocent (very bad).

This does not change my mind. I would not support my government murdering people ever.

Even if its foreigners? You know, to defend American power, topple a government and kill some civilians?