Boston Marathon Bombing: BEAHCAT & BRUINS, 'MURICA

[Salodin]

He will never be rehabilitated, so I don't see why we need to keep him around.

[Tyrath]

I'm against spending tax dollars to keep him alive.

It costs more dollars to kill him.

He will never be rehabilitated, so I don't see why we need to keep him around.

Because we as a society should strive to be better than murderers. He will still be punished with life in prison.

[Yabby]

It only cost more because of the way we do it. 3 dollars will buy a bullet to the head.

We should strive to be better than murderers.... but he should be stuck in a small room with nothing but himself and a toilet for the rest of his life? Go spend a week in a small room, alone with no outside contact....then tell me society is being nice.

[Tyrath]

It only cost more because of the way we do it.

It costs more the way we do it because we want to be fucking sure we don't kill the wrong person. And even then it doesn't always work 100%. Sure, theres no chance to fuck it up in this situation because he is as guilty as it gets, but that doesn't mean we can throw all the rules out the window and make exceptions.

3 dollars will buy a bullet to the head.

I sometimes wonder if people even listen to themselves when they say shit like this. Would you be lining up to pull that trigger?

We should strive to be better than murderers.... but he should be stuck in a small room with nothing but himself and a toilet for the rest of his life? Go spend a week in a small room, alone with no outside contact....then tell me society is being nice.

It's not about being 'nice.' Theres nothing nice about punishing someone, but in many cases it is a necessity. I believe no one should have the right to take a life, not even the government. If we are to be better than murderers, we must show that in every situation.

[Yabby]

It costs more the way we do it because we want to be fucking sure we don't kill the wrong person. And even then it doesn't always work 100%. Sure, theres no chance to fuck it up in this situation because he is as guilty as it gets, but that doesn't mean we can throw all the rules out the window and make exceptions.

I know, i posted that earlier. IMO there should be exceptions.... such as the given case.

I sometimes wonder if people even listen to themselves when they say shit like this. Would you be lining up to pull that trigger?

Many people would say they would do something in certain cases, but put into that situation might back out... and i doubt you would trust my answer. That sad, if i was told i could kill someone who destroyed so many lives... the answer would be yes. I'm not here to take the moral high ground, this guy did one of the most nasty things a person can do...and ending his life would be justified IMO. [/QUOTE]

It's not about being 'nice.' Theres nothing nice about punishing someone, but in many cases it is a necessity. I believe no one should have the right to take a life, not even the government. If we are to be better than murderers, we must show that in every situation.

No one has the right to take a life... but put them in a cell 23 out of 24 hours a day alone with no one to talk to for the rest of their life? You do understand which one is worse in this case right?

[Tyrath]

I know, i posted that earlier. IMO there should be exceptions.... such as the given:nekos

And then the exceptions start to get used in more cases and eventually misused and we're right back to where we began, killing people for crimes they didn't commit. Even one false death penalty brings the whole system down because you can't give back that life.

Many people would say they would do something in certain cases, but put into that situation might back out... and i doubt you would trust my answer. That sad, if i was told i could kill someone who destroyed so many lives... the answer would be yes. I'm not here to take the moral high ground, this guy did one of the most nasty things a person can do...and ending his life would be justified IMO.

Forgive me for not believing you until you actually are put in that situation. Nor do I see how it is justified, at all. Does ending his life bring those people back? Does it heal the wounds of those who were hurt? There is no moral justification for it, only an emotional one.

This one guy did "one of the most nasty things a person can do" so lets ALSO do the same thing? The fuck kind of backwards thinking is that?

No one has the right to take a life... but put them in a cell 23 out of 24 hours a day alone with no one to talk to for the rest of their life? You do understand which one is worse in this case right?

Taking the life is. There is no return from it. Absolutely none. And I don't think it is up to any of us to make a permanent decision like that.

[Yabby]

Taking the life is. There is no return from it. Absolutely none. And I don't think it is up to any of us to make a permanent decision like that.

If you think losing your life is the worse thing that can happen to a person, you are delusional. I would give sources from real studies, but ... paywall..

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontl...-to-your-mind/

PBS will do

[Melena]

Well, I was listening to NPR about this story and one of the criteria for being on the jury was that you had to be willing to consider handing out the death penalty. I'm not saying that it shows that the courts are wanting blood. They most likely just don't want a hung jury because of someone's conscience, but it's highly implied.

I'm not going to think that it's going to be less cruel to give him life, because it isn't, but I think that life in a supermax will be more poetic than anything else. Locking him away to be forgotten will be better than giving him the chance to have last meals and make a final statement to people who will witness his death.

Jury can't hang on sentencing. Has to be unanimous for Death Penalty, or he gets life without parole. It may vary from state to state, but the Judge can still also impose life instead of the death penalty, but he can't impose death if the Jury selects life.

[Tyrath]

If you think losing your life is the worse thing that can happen to a person, you are delusional. I would give sources from real studies, but ... paywall..

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontl...-to-your-mind/

PBS will do

I think there are some things that can happen that are worse than death. Being put in prison for life for crimes you committed is not one of them.

I'm advocating for putting him in prison for the rest of his life with no parole, not in solitary confinement for the rest of it. If I said solitary before it was a mistake in response to the solitary comment people keep making.

PS. Even if he were to get solitary, we could argue the morality of permanent solitary confinement after the sentencing and review our own actions. If we take his life, we close that avenue for good. There is no possibility of the realization that we were morally wrong or handing out a cruel and unjust punishment. The permanence of the death penalty is one of the biggest issues I have with it.

[Tyrath]

Jury can't hang on sentencing. Has to be unanimous for Death Penalty, or he gets life without parole. It may vary from state to state, but the Judge can still also impose life instead of the death penalty, but he can't impose death if the Jury selects life.

It's a federal case though so wouldn't it not vary and just go by what the federal law is?

[arus2001]

Honestly, even we did just lock him away, there's no guarantee he wouldn't bite his own tongue off, see if a brick wall is stronger than his skull, just plain hunger strike, try to swallow his uniform and choke on it, or whatever other method of suicide one could employ. So, while one can be all, "We don't have the right...!" despite the atrocity he's committed, I don't really like the thought he'd still have the freedom to off himself if opportunity presented and rationalized as some kind of ritualistic suicide so he gets his 40 virgins or whatever in his own personal headspace.

For lesser crimes or more questionable evidence, yeah, exercise caution, but he lost any benefit of the doubt the moment he stepped away from his backpack.

[thetruepandagod]

Does ending his life bring those people back? Does it heal the wounds of those who were hurt? There is no moral justification for it, only an emotional one.

Does a life sentence bring those people back? Does it heal the wounds of those who were hurt? There is no moral justification for it, only an emotional one.

[thetruepandagod]

IMO death by firing squad is much more humane than years of isolation and the forced insanities and mental imbalance than come with it coupled with rape and violence in prisons. But hey, I guess I must just be weird for thinking that an entire life time of horrendous treatment is anything more than someones revenge fantasy to help console them during moments of grief instead of a fitting punishment for a crime.

I am curious what your opinion on life sentences would be if we were capable of artificially keeping humans alive for hundreds of years. Let's say a brain in a jar that you could chemically feed negative emotions and reactions into.

This one guy did "one of the most nasty things a person can do" so lets ALSO do the same thing? The fuck kind of backwards thinking is that?

You seem to just be wary of the nature of killing being rather barbaric and inhumane. At the same time however you have to understand that anything short of forgiveness and attempts at rehabilitation is just revenge for those feeling wronged. A lifetime sentence does nothing in regards to forgiveness, rehabilitation, or to help ease the sense of loss and tragedy. It merely let's people latch on to this "at least he's being punished sense" until he drifts away from the memories of everyone a decade from now and then spends another 60years rotting while no one alive even cares or benefits from it.

Taking the life is. There is no return from it. Absolutely none. And I don't think it is up to any of us to make a permanent decision like that.

A life sentence is still taking his life and short of amnesty for all terrorist actions or a prison escape it is also a permanent decision. Or does it make you feel better knowing that there is a .0001% chance that some sort of DNA evidence and eyewitness testimonial will set him free 30 years from now and you can feel vindicated in your thought process of "no death sentence because it's too permanent"

[Melena]

It's a federal case though so wouldn't it not vary and just go by what the federal law is?

I believe (and could be wrong) that consensus on death otherwise life is a federal standard for sentencing when it comes to a capital murder trial.

[Tyrath]

Does a life sentence bring those people back? Does it heal the wounds of those who were hurt? There is no moral justification for it, only an emotional one.

This is an idiotic comparison. By your logic he should be set free.

He still needs to be punished, just in a way that is humane and doesn't lower us to the level of the thing that we are punishing.

[thetruepandagod]

This is an idiotic comparison.

For an idiotic statement.

He still needs to be punished, just in a way that is humane and doesn't lower us to the level of the thing that we are punishing.

Death penalty is the most humane option. And it's not on the same level because he killed innocents, he forfeit his right to life by killing others. Killing a murderer is not the same as killing an innocent.

[Tyrath]

It's not the same but it still makes you a killer. Theres a reason they used to do firing squads of multiple people where only one person would have the actual bullet without any of them knowing. Theres a reason nobody wanted that burden on themselves.

Killing someone is NOT a humane solution. I don't know what kind of fucked up brain you have to have to believe that taking away literally the only one life you will ever get is a humane solution.

[Blubbartron]

It's not the same but it still makes you a killer. Theres a reason they used to do firing squads of multiple people where only one person would have the actual bullet without any of them knowing. Theres a reason nobody wanted that burden on themselves.

Killing someone is NOT a humane solution. I don't know what kind of fucked up brain you have to have to believe that taking away literally the only one life you will ever get is a humane solution.

A life of suffering is more cruel than not having a life at all. What kind of fucked up brain do you have to not be able to acknowledge that?

[Tyrath]

I guess we should go kill everyone who is in prison for life amirite? Should kill those people in jail for 40 years while we're at it. That is too long for them to be suffering for life to have any meaning. Make it 30 while we're at it.

It's not like people in prison get tortured. They lose their freedom because they have shown themselves to be destructive to society. But they still have the chance to live and come to peace with what they did within themselves. Or maybe not. But its not justice to take that one last chance away from anyone. Nor is there any good reason to do so. Bloodthirst and revenge is not good enough.

[Brill Weave]

Whether he's executed or killed in prison, either way, he's going to die.