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As we all know I'm a little weird on this one, may I just say that I wouldn't care if the death penalty were shown to deter 99 % of all homicides, with the remaining 1 % convicted and immediately converted, baptized, and ordained?<br><br>I personally think the study is shoddy in its methodology and dubious in its conclusion, but I believe that capital punishment is a moral wrong, period, and the wrongness of it is not in the least mitigated by any purported effectiveness.<br><br>keely<br><br>> Date: Mon, 11 Jun 2007 18:11:43 -0700<br>> From: joekc@adelphia.net<br>> To: vision2020@moscow.com<br>> Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Study says Death Penalty IS a Deterent<br>> <br>> There are two issues here, Gary and Kai.<br>> <br>> Is the death penalty is a justified/appropriate/convenient option. I'm no fan of the death penalty (actually, I'm against it -- not surprising given my Catholic sentiments). <br>> <br>> I don't want to argue about this issue, though. Here is a genuine philosophical issue -- a host of them, in fact -- that would take awhile to untangle and in the end you and are unlikely to think differently.<br>> <br>> But the issue Donovan began with was whether on not the death penalty is a deterrent. This strikes me as an empirical issue. Donovan claimed to have evidence supporting that it was a deterrent and with regard to that debate I say, “Hogwash!”<br>> <br>> If you have rabbits eating your carrots and I tell you that I have a way of deterring the rabbits you'd be surprised were I to offer the solution of shooting them. This might solve the problem (issue 1) but it doesn't solve the problem by deterring the rabbits from eating your carrots (issue 2). That's my point.<br>> <br>> Best, Joe<br>> <br>> ---- "g. crabtree" <jampot@adelphia.net> wrote: <br>> <br>> =============<br>> There is also the lives they may eventually take in prison. Or are inmates convicted of lesser crimes as well as corrections staff not entitled to protection from society's worst? We've run down this path before, the only problem with a death penalty is the danger of making a mistake. In cases where the guilt is beyond all shadow of a doubt, (Joseph Duncan leaps to mind) give them a shot and make the world a slightly better place.<br>> <br>> g<br>> ----- Original Message ----- <br>> From: "Kai Eiselein, editor" <editor@lataheagle.com><br>> To: "Joe Campbell" <joekc@adelphia.net>; <vision2020@moscow.com><br>> Sent: Monday, June 11, 2007 9:33 AM<br>> Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Study says Death Penalty IS a Deterent<br>> <br>> <br>> > Joe,<br>> > The difference is with life without parole there is ALWAYS a chance of <br>> > escape. There is no escape from death.<br>> > ----- Original Message ----- <br>> > From: "Joe Campbell" <joekc@adelphia.net><br>> > To: <vision2020@moscow.com><br>> > Sent: Monday, June 11, 2007 9:22 AM<br>> > Subject: [Vision2020] Study says Death Penalty IS a Deterent<br>> > <br>> > <br>> >> Donovan,<br>> >><br>> >> Here is a quote noting the conclusion of your 'scientific study.'<br>> >><br>> >> "What gets little notice, however, is a series of academic studies over <br>> >> the last half-dozen years that claim to settle a once hotly debated <br>> >> argument - whether the death penalty acts as a deterrent to murder. The <br>> >> analyses say yes. They count between three and 18 lives that would be <br>> >> saved by the execution of each convicted killer."<br>> >><br>> >> What is missing is the contrasting study: Would killing the killer prevent <br>> >> more lives than, say, putting him in prison for life? There is no evidence <br>> >> to suggest so, as far as I can tell. The "once hotly debated argument" is <br>> >> not about whether death would prevent people from killing. Of course it <br>> >> would! The issue is whether the threat of death prevents anyone from <br>> >> killing. And your 'study' says absolutely nothing about that. There is no <br>> >> evidence here that the death penalty is any more of a deterrent than, say, <br>> >> life without parol.<br>> >><br>> >> Best, Joe<br>> >><br>> <br>> <br>> =======================================================<br>> List services made available by First Step Internet, <br>> serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994. <br>> http://www.fsr.net <br>> mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com<br>> =======================================================<br><br /><hr />Make every IM count. Download Windows Live Messenger and join the i’m Initiative now. It’s free. <a href='http://im.live.com/messenger/im/home/?source=TAGWL_June07' target='_new'>Make it count!</a></body>
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