My Way

As U.S. marshals armed with eviction papers began to clear out her town house, Banita Jacks sat on the steps leading to the upstairs bedrooms, intending to block their path, authorities said. One managed to sidestep the 33-year-old woman and spotted the bodies of three children on the floor of an unfinished bedroom, prosecutors said Thursday. He then opened the door to another bedroom and found the body of a teenager on the floor of the bare room.

Authorities estimate the four girls – ages 5 to 17 – had been dead for at least two weeks. Jacks told police they were “possessed by demons” and had died in their sleep, one by one, within a week of each other, court documents say. Authorities estimate the four girls – ages 5 to 17 – had been dead for at least two weeks. Jacks told police they were “possessed by demons” and had died in their sleep, one by one, within a week of each other, court documents say. The charging documents identify the children as Brittany Jacks, 17; Tatianna Jacks, 11; N’Kiah Fogle, 6; and Aja Fogle, 5.

Although autopsies are incomplete, the medical examiner’s office reported that there was evidence that Brittany had been stabbed, the charging documents state. There was evidence of binding on the necks of the Tatianna and N’Kiah, and evidence of blunt force injury to the head of Aja and binding on her neck, according to the documents. The three children were dressed in white T-shirts when their bodies were found Wednesday, charging documents state. Brittany’s body was naked but was partially covered by a white T-shirt. An object that appeared to be a steak knife lay nearby, and there was a dried maroon liquid around the body, according to the documents.

There have been several incidents, recently, that have me re-evaluating my views on the death penalty. The man who threw his 4 kids off the bridge 80 ft into the river below, the nut bag who decapitated the girl in South Carolina (who, by the way has already cut a deal for life), and this case. Is there any redemption for people like this?




  1. the Three-Headed Cat™ says:

    Oh, quit being such a fucking dunce, Fusoid.

    “Doesn’t that sound exactly like the reason this woman killed her kids in the first place. Because they were possessed with demons and might kill someone? Since most reasonable people would also agree that the woman isn’t all that mentally stable, that should also put society’s argument of preemptive or proactive killing in the same category. Delusional.”

    Wow. Talk about straw men!

    No, it DOESN’T sound like the “reason” she murdered her kids.

    The reason murderers are executed is NOT BECAUSE THEY MIGHT MURDER AGAIN, BUT BECAUSE – UNLIKE THOSE KIDS – THEY HAVE ALREADY MURDERED SOMEONE. “Preventing” the kids from murdering someone by killing them, when they have actually done nothing has NOTHING TO DO WITH EXECUTING SOMEONE WHO ALREADY HAS COMMITTED MURDER. They are not being killed to prevent them doing it again – their inability to repeat their crime is a very desirable consequence of their being executed for their crimes.

    That means, in case you haven’t gotten it yet, that EXECUTIONS PREVENT ADDITIONAL MURDERS.

    • • • •

    Anyway, as I said, keeping them (the guilty ones) alive serves no purpose. They no longer have a role in society.

    Hhmmm, another one of your over generalizations. So, let’s just euthanize all those in vegetative states or comas, they no longer have a role in society. And why not all those old people sitting in nursing homes? Using all that valuable oxygen and filling up landfills with those diapers. They don’t have any important role in society either. By your measure, keeping them alive serves no purpose.

    What the fuck is wrong with you? Can you really, I mean REALLY be that fucking dense??

    I said, if you will bother looking, THE GUILTY ONES.

    CONVICTED, COLD-BLOODED MURDERERS ARE NOT INNOCENT PEOPLE IN COMAS. THEY ARE NOT OLD FOLKS IN NURSING HOMES. THEY ARE THE VERY WORST OF CRIMINALS. THEY HAVE RESIGNED, AS I SAID, FROM THE HUMAN RACE.

    They, not the comatose or the aged or the otherwise blameless people, have FORFEITED ANY RIGHT TO BE TREATED AS HUMAN. And since the alternative is to warehouse them until some of them get out and murder again, THERE IS NO REASON TO KEEP THEM ALIVE.

    Quit the childish fucking evasion, Fuso. Tell us ONE SINGLE REASON THEY DESERVE WHAT THEY VICIOUSLY, INHUMANLY TOOK FROM THEIR VICTIMS – LIFE.

    And fuck you if you try this bullshit about it “costing less to keep them in prison for life.” One bullet and a few cubic feet of gas to cremate their worthless carcass is a lot less money than four walls and three squares a day for 40 years. Not even counting the value of the lives of the innocent people they get to murder, no longer enjoying the life they denied their victims any more.

  2. Mister Catshit says:

    #61, Three Headed Moran,

    I said, if you will bother looking, THE GUILTY ONES.

    So who said all the comatose were innocent? How do you know they didn’t do something earlier in their worthless lives? You can’t prove they didn’t, so quit your effen whining. Those old geezers? How do you know that old Maude didn’t take Betty’s teeth? How do you know Zeke wasn’t trying to fool around with Fred’s woman?

    Tell us ONE SINGLE REASON THEY DESERVE WHAT THEY VICIOUSLY, INHUMANLY TOOK FROM THEIR VICTIMS – LIFE.

    Why? If you don’t understand by this time you never will. But I’ll repeat it. I ‘ m t y p i n g r e a l s l o w j u s t f o r y o u .

    If it is wrong for us to kill (excepting for self defense) then it is also wrong for the state to kill. On a moral level, it puts us the same low level you have so loudly put on those who would take a life. Personally, I am better than that. From the sounds of it, you aren’t.

    Fire back moran. I got work to do anyway. I will return however.

  3. bobbo says:

    Gee Mr Catshit, are you morphing into Batshit?

    The comatose are “not guilty” as they have not been charged with a capital crime whereas those on death row have been? Seems like a major distinction?

    And why go over the same ground in a continuous circle? “If it is wrong to kill” and that is the whole point. Some say it is and then almost universally make exceptions, and other accept those exceptions and recognize “by definition” killing cannot be “always wrong.”

    I do like the subject of killing the comatose though. Not because they have done anything wrong–but because they are not contributing to society anymore, in fact, they are a drain. If I am ever in a life-boat scenario, I hope you or OFTLO are my fellow passengers so that you will volunteer your personal meat so that others will not transgress your fine sense of morality.

  4. Mister Catshit says:

    #63, bobbo,

    I do not advocate killing anyone. I asked the question as an extension of an absurd logic. When you start making exceptions to a rule, then you end up with everyone demanding an exception. If you were 89 and someone stole your teeth, you might very well argue the thief “deserves a killen”.

    As for using the same argument again? Geeze didn’t you read the part where I was asked to give an example? That, plus the fact that a certain moran has been harping on the same point with his own twisted view for quite some time now.

    If I am ever in a life-boat scenario, I hope you or OFTLO are my fellow passengers

    Will you be comatose?

  5. bobbo says:

    #64–I thought you DID advocate killing in self defense? YOU are the onc making exceptions. I leave it to the group vote as not a question subject to an “absolute rule.”

    I recall a relevant story about belief systems and absolute adherence to them. An explorer met a primitive tribe that was vegetarian as they thought all life was sacred and killing was not allowed. The explorer showed them the bugs in their drinking water and explained how silly they were in that they had been killing these life forms for years—-it could not be avoided. The explorer broke camp the next day but came back a few weeks later only to find that the entire tribe had died of thirst. They refused to violate their beliefs just to save themselves. Now if the explorer had been more prescient, like that overturned truck rescue group, he might have shown them how to distill water without killing the bugs, but he thought too little of these good folks.

    Where the thinking goes from one’s personal preference to a “morality” is a bit beyond me, especially when such idea is a minority view and even self destructive at that?

  6. the Three-Headed Cat™ says:

    Killing anyone at any time is absolutely wrong (for some vague, unspecified mystical reason) except in those cases where it’s not.

    Makes wonderful sense.

    Notice how Fusamente there keeps avoiding any of the issues?

    He cannot answer, among other things, who benefits, and how, (besides the innocents that will be murdered as a result) from not executing guilty murderers.

    What good will it do humankind to keep Mr. Pickton alive? If he is executed, he cannot possibly kill any more people. If he is not executed, he may very well do so, as so many others have done.

    So – no downside. Society loses nothing.
    Upside, society eliminates a genuine threat to the safety of innocent people.

    All your phony bluster and bullshit, Fusillero, can’t disguise the fact that you are just pushing PC dogma, ideological humbug that I have demonstrated cannot be rationally justified. You haven’t a leg to stand on. You don’t even attempt to rebut my points, since you know it’s hopeless. Instead you try to create a sideshow and keep the audience’s mind off the fact that you have no other rationalization for banning executions except “I don’t think it’s nice to kill people.” That’s good enough for knee-jerk ideologues, but not good enough for people who actually think instead of spew slogans and propaganda.

  7. Mister Catshit says:

    #66, Three Ring Circus,

    Killing anyone at any time is absolutely wrong (for some vague, unspecified mystical reason) except in those cases where it’s not.
    Makes wonderful sense.

    Yes, I can see how you love such a morality. Killing is wrong except for when it serves YOUR interest. I find it strange that you have taken this new tact, but then rationality is not always expected of you.

    Notice how Fusamente there keeps avoiding any of the issues?

    Au contraire Three Empty Heads. I agree with a simple, easy to follow statement that was made earlier. YOU on the other hand have tried to get me to agree with some words you have twisted to mean something else. YOU have created new “issues” several times I don’t care to get involved in due to their repetitive juvenile nature.

    He cannot answer, among other things, who benefits,

    Oh, I did answer. Only you don’t like the answer so you prefer to suggest I can’t answer. But, I’ll repeat.

    Society benefits by not lowering itself the same level as that of the murderer. To use society’s mechanism’s: laws, police and the courts, to justify the taking of a life is as wrong today as it was during Nazi Germany or Pol Pot’s Cambodia.

    (If society executes a murderer) Society loses nothing.

    Except dignity which maybe you don’t posses.

    All your phony bluster and bullshit, Fusillero, can’t disguise the fact that you are just pushing PC dogma,

    You’re correct. I have several PCs around house. We all use WIN XP. No MACs here. Yes, I like the stability of XP. But I don’t rant about it or even get into serious discussions. It is what I use, period.

    You don’t even attempt to rebut my points, since you know it’s hopeless.

    Shall I repost your incoherent rant in #44 and answer line by line? Or would my response in #47 do. I’m sorry if you can’t understand because you are such a fool.

    No, I won’t answer every point you try to make. Simply because you have repeated them or they are so bizarre as to be unanswerable.

    Instead you try to create a sideshow and keep the audience’s mind off the fact that you have no other rationalization for banning executions except “I don’t think it’s nice to kill people.”

    Sideshow??? Me??? And what the effen hell have you been posting? The three ring main event? Have you bothered to wipe all that spittle off your chin? You have been ranting as the un-medicated fool you are. Go ahead, take a deep breath and read the crap you wrote. You are a fool. Not for what you believe about capital punishment, but for the way you expressed your opinions.

  8. the Three-Headed Cat™ says:

    The dunce cap is cutting off blood flow to the vestigial organ you probably think of as a ‘brain.’

    “Killing anyone at any time is absolutely wrong (for some vague, unspecified mystical reason) except in those cases where it’s not.
    Makes wonderful sense.”

    If that doesn’t set off your sarcasm detector (and it apparently didn’t) then you need to take a course in Remedial Humor. I was parodying YOUR – and OFTLO’s – stance.

    YOU are the ones saying that ALL killing is wrong EXCEPT when YOU have decided it’s OK…

    1. You can’t give any better reason than ‘because I say so.’ Neither of you have offered one word of logically support to that idea. Why is it “wrong”? In what specific way is it “wrong”?

    “Because you say it is” ain’t good enough. Hence my crack about ‘some vague, unspecified mystical reason.’ You have yet to come up with one.

    2. The sarcasm comes in in the obvious contradiction of your assertion. If it is ALWAYS WRONG then there ARE NO EXCEPTIONS. If there ARE EXCEPTIONS then it is NOT ALWAYS WRONG.

    But you offer both mutually contradictory statements as being somehow logically consistent. Bad news, amigo. They’re not. It’s one or the other.

    3. And since you have made the exception for self-defense, then if we accept that killing in self-defense is NOT wrong, then an exception exists. If an exception exists, it is therefore NOT ALWAYS WRONG.

    If one exception exists, so may another. And that is closely related to the first exception.

    If an individual may kill to prevent being killed, then society may also kill to prevent members of that society from being killed.

    But the most idiotic thing you have uttered yet is this horseshit about ‘dignity.’

    Here’s yet another you can’t possibly refute (that’s IF you even understood enough to know how to refute it):

    Convicted murderers, if left alive, often do murder again.
    That is to say, the number of innocent victims of convicted murderers who are not executed is greater than zero.

    If executed, they NEVER murder again.
    That is to say, the number of innocent victims of convicted murderers who ARE executed is ZERO.

    Therefore, execution prevents additional murders.

    Here’s your bullshit:
    “(If society executes a murderer) Society loses nothing.”

    Except dignity which maybe you don’t posses [sic].

    That means, sonny, that if murderers are not executed, then society suffers more loss of innocent life, but remains “dignified” – but if they are executed, more lives are saved, yet society “loses dignity”.

    So, you are clearly saying that society’s “dignity” is worth more than human life is.

    This becomes your SECOND exception to your “killing is always wrong” rule.
    Murder of innocents is permissible to protect society from “loss of dignity.”

    ‘”…dignity, which you don’t posses [sic].” That’s ad hom., chum.

    “Society benefits by not lowering itself the same level as that of the murderer.”

    But it’s NOT “the same level” – that’s what you’re too dense to grasp – or too dishonest to admit. And that is also what I precisely and exactly disproved in my earlier posts. That the act of a murderer is illegal, forbidden, unacceptable and takes the life of an innocent party who has not committed any crime. It is done without society’s approval, and it is prohibited by society. The act of execution is AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT ACT. Saying “killing is killing” is FALSE. THE MOTIVES BEHIND MURDER AND EXECUTION ARE DIFFERENT. THAT ALONE PROVES CONCLUSIVELY THAT THEY ARE NOT THE SAME ACT.

    ONE ACT IS A CRIME. THE OTHER IS AN ACT OF SOCIETY, IN THE INTEREST OF JUSTLY PUNISHING THAT CRIME. ONE TAKES THE LIFE ON AN UNDESERVING INNOCENT. THE OTHER TAKES THE LIFE OF A GUILTY PERSON WHO DESERVES IT.

    THOSE ARE NOT “ON THE SAME LEVEL.” THEY”RE HARDLY IN THE SAME UNIVERSE.

    USING THE SAME VAGUE WORD TO MEAN TWO DIFFERENT THINGS IS DISHONEST.

    You sorry sap. You can’t even grasp the simple known fact that using the same word to describe completely different things is dishonest. You haven’t got brains enough to understand that if you make the distinction between killing done by an individual and killing done by the state, you are already conceding that they are two different acts. And therefore there are two different names for those two different acts, which are MORE EXACT, MORE PRECISE and therefore MORE HONEST.

    You must have flunked high school algebra, since you can’t even understand simple term substitution.

    It isn’t “putting words in someone’s mouth” you moron. It’s analyzing those words to determine if they constitute a true statement

    This is an operation in relevance logic called an indicative conditional:
    IF premise(s) is(are) true THEN conclusion.

    First you DEFINE YOUR TERMS.
    The word “kill” has MANY MEANINGS. THEREFORE IT IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY TO SPECIFY WHICH MEANING YOU ARE USING.

    Do you read me, dimwit?

    That is how logic works – whether you like it or not.

    AND, since the word “kill” is used both in the premise AND the concusion, then BOTH USAGES MUST BE SPECIFIED.

    If your term has ONE definition, then it’s simple, actually trivial:

    where X=X
    IF X IS WRONG
    THEN X IS WRONG

    Now this is TRUE.

    (and we’re not even yet touching on what “wrong” means)

    BUT,
    where X=(A OR B OR C)
    if we say
    IF X IS WRONG
    THEN X IS WRONG
    that may mean ANY OF A NUMBER OF THINGS:

    1. IF A IS WRONG THEN A IS WRONG

    2. IF A IS WRONG THEN B IS WRONG

    3. IF A IS WRONG THEN A OR B IS WRONG

    4. IF A IS WRONG THEN C IS WRONG

    5. etc…

    Since we DO NOT DEFINE WHICH MEANING OF X WE ARE USING IN EACH PLACE, WE CANNOT DETERMINE IF THE STATEMENT

    IF X IS WRONG THEN X IS WRONG

    IS ACTUALLY TRUE, SINCE THERE ARE MULTIPLE POSSIBLE ANSWERS.

    and THAT mean that as long as we aren’t exactly specific as to which of the DIFFERENT MEANINGS OF “KILL” we are using IN EACH PLACE -
    because if we simply agree that the same definition is used for both, then it’s obviously true – but we’re CHANGING DEFINITIONS between the PREMISE and the CONCLUSION.

    And that means the only forms that apply are:

    IF A IS WRONG THEN B IS WRONG

    IF A IS WRONG THEN C IS WRONG

    IF B IS WRONG THEN A IS WRONG

    IF B IS WRONG THEN C IS WRONG

    IF C IS WRONG THEN A IS WRONG

    IF C IS WRONG THEN B IS WRONG

    and NONE OF THESE IS TRUE

    Therefore
    IF (killing by one kind of party for one motive) IS WRONG
    THEN (killing by a different kind of party for a different motive) IS WRONG

    is NOT TRUE.

    So, to determine if it REALLY IS TRUE that
    If killing by an individual is wrong
    then killing by the state is wrong
    ‘killing’ in the premise, and ‘killing’ in the conclusion have to be broken down to see if they refer to the same thing. If they do NOT refer to the same thing – AND THEY DO NOT – then it is idiotic to believe such a statement. It isn’t logical. It’s meaningless, in fact.

    You fucking dimwit. As oversimplified and dumbed-down as I try to make it so you might begin to get some faint glimmer of understanding, It’s still like trying to explain quantum mechanics to a hamster.

  9. bobbo says:

    #68==3HC–your argument is so mathematically and logically coherent and perfect, it only makes me want to switch sides? But who can argue against perfection; so I must remain silent==except to say the argument against the Death Penalty that I do find reasonable is as the sacrifice society is willing to make to protect the potentially innocent from wrongful execution.

    Its not a 100% slam dunk, but at least it is reasonable.

    What else rings your bell?

  10. Mister Catshit says:

    #68, Three Empty Heads

    Saying “killing is killing” is FALSE. THE MOTIVES BEHIND MURDER AND EXECUTION ARE DIFFERENT. THAT ALONE PROVES CONCLUSIVELY THAT THEY ARE NOT THE SAME ACT.
    ONE ACT IS A CRIME. THE OTHER IS AN ACT OF SOCIETY, IN THE INTEREST OF JUSTLY PUNISHING THAT CRIME. ONE TAKES THE LIFE ON AN UNDESERVING INNOCENT. THE OTHER TAKES THE LIFE OF A GUILTY PERSON WHO DESERVES IT.

    So, you are justifying the various genocides over the past 100 years because they were sanctioned by the governments. How arrogant can you be? All those Armenians. All those Ukrainians. All the Jews, Gypsies, Communists, Socialists, homosexuals, and political opposition. All those labor leaders. All the Priests and Nuns. All the Tutus and Bantus. All “legally” killed by their governments because they “deserved” it according to their society.

    If you think I misunderstand you, I didn’t. You reinforced your position later with

    You haven’t got brains enough to understand that if you make the distinction between killing done by an individual and killing done by the state,

    Fuck you are a sick person.

    But again you want me to use your words to admit something that is itself wrong

    you are already conceding that they are two different acts.

    Because I don’t concede they are two different acts. They are both killing a person.

    ***

    You on the other hand insist upon making the words mean what YOU want them to mean.

    kill
    v. killed, kill·ing, kills
    v.tr.
    1.
    a. To put to death.
    b. To deprive of life

    In the sense I used the word kill there may only be one common sense meaning. So take your pick, “a” or “b”.

    So, if it is wrong for an individual to “put to death”,
    (except in the case of self defense)
    then it is also wrong for the state to “put to death”.

    Does that make you happier? It isn’t as simplistic or neat, but if this is what you want … .

  11. Mister Catshit says:

    Three Empty Heads,

    You seriously should either get another physician or else take what is prescribed. Your writing is showing schizoid tendencies with shades of paranoia and mania.

  12. the Three-Headed Cat™ says:

    Y’see what an uphill battle it is, bobbo?

    All mine right honorable opponent can do is:
    1. fabricate a straw man -

    “So, you are justifying the various genocides over the past 100 years because they were sanctioned by the governments. How arrogant can you be? All those Armenians. All those Ukrainians. All the Jews, Gypsies, Communists, Socialists, homosexuals, and political opposition. All those labor leaders. All the Priests and Nuns. All the Tutus and Bantus. All “legally” killed by their governments because they “deserved” it according to their society.”

    But we aren’t discussing genocide, which is a different topic. We are talking about individuals in present-day America who have been found guilty of capital crimes by juries of their peers, have enjoyed numerous mandatory appeals and are now residing on Death Row, in American prisons, awaiting lawful execution for the crimes of which they are guilty.

    So, bullshit.

    then we have
    2. a ridiculous ad hom. which is but a rerun of the same tired one he’s been repeating for months, since he cribbed it from me in the first place. Zero creativity, zero relevance – but I guess he figures he can impress some airhead with his borrowed and misapplied ‘wit.’

    It’s a tough job, bobbo, but someone’s gotta do it.

    Anyway, if you will recall, your one reservation there I have already addressed. Since there is not a single instance of a factually innocent person being executed in the U.S. for at least 40 years, a prohibition on all capital sentences lacking direct forensic evidence connecting the accused with the offense would make executing an innocent virtually impossible, since, as mentioned, every single exoneration without exception has been of people convicted on eyewitness and / or circumstantial evidence. It follows, then, that capital sentences must exclude those cases.

    Bobbo, think we can get up a collection, put together enough for Fuso to get those rabies shots and ECTs he so desperately needs? :)

  13. Mister Catshit says:

    #72, Three Headed Moran,

    But we aren’t discussing genocide, which is a different topic.

    Yes you are. You distinctly justified killing by the state as legal and moral. Now, when you don’t like the definition you just made, you want to deny it. How convenient. And dishonest. Or is this another of your twisted memes.

    The Three Headed Moran School of Logic

    “Duh”, (Three Headed Moran drooling,) “Well, it means what I want it to mean when I want it to mean what I want it to mean. Otherwise it doesn’t mean what I want it to mean because I don’t want it to mean what I wanted it to mean when I wanted it to mean what I wanted it to mean that.” If you know what I mean.

    So, bullshit.

    RIGHT !!!

    It is a simple line and you want to twist and distort it into something else under the guise of “logic” or “algebra”. You can’t even understand the basic, incontrovertible definition of the word “kill”.

  14. the Three-Headed Cat™ says:

    Cheezus, what an asshole.

    “You distinctly justified killing by the state as legal and moral.”

    I did nothing of the kind.

    A dictator ordering the mass killing of a group of innocent people on a whim has nothing to do with a jury of 12 citizens rendering a lawful verdict against a criminal in accordance with that society’s law. You constantly tap-dance around the major difference between executions and all these other absurd things you try vainly to equate it with: the person to be executed is guilty of committing a crime that humanity has agreed to be the worst.

    Subject of murder = INNOCENT VICTIM – KILLED ILLEGALLY ON AN IRRATIONAL WHIM

    Subject of genocide = INNOCENT VICTIM – KILLED ILLEGALLY ON AN IRRATIONAL WHIM

    Subject of execution = GUILTY MURDERER – KILLED LEGALLY BY SOCIETY FOR THE WORST VIOLATION OF THE LAWS OF CIVILIZATION

    You are a real hoot, kiddo. You haven’t the faintest idea of how to think logically, and exactly like the scientifically illiterate morons who dispute evolution, you don’t have to know one speck about it, all you need to know is YOU’RE RIGHT!! Fuck facts and reasoning – what YOU believe is TRUE – because YOU BELIEVE IT!

    Yes, a series of rabies shots and daily ECT for a month or so and you’ll be a new Fusoid…

  15. Mister Catshit says:

    #74, Three Headed Moran,

    What you are so intent on doing is to justify killing when the State does it. So holding with your A = B logic is to accept your explanation as promoting genocide. Which, after all, is State supported in most cases. Are you now trying to backpeddle and retract those comments?

    Killing is wrong. If it wasn’t then YOU would not be advocating the death penalty. The only exception I will accept to be justified is for immediate self defense. And then only as a last resort.

    I remember during my intro Philosophy class, the class discussing the question “WHY ?”. You can parse it to death trying to answer the question. You could write a 10,000 word essay trying to find the meaning as so many of the brainiacs would want to do in order to demonstrate their superior intelligence.

    Or you can simply answer “Because !”

    Of coarse the brainiacs would argue that “because” is not an answer. Their 10,000 word dissertation isn’t either. That was always an attempt to convince themselves as much as convince others of their worth. Sometimes some people just can not accept a simple explanation.

    So you may agree with me, disagree with me, or go off on a tangent of extrapolation, illation, extension, explanation, comparison, derivation, deduction, trope, analogy, scrutiny, presumption, and hyperbole.

    Regardless of where you go, to kill is wrong. I personally do not want the State to kill another human in my name.

  16. bobbo says:

    #75–Catshit. In the main, 3HC wins this degate mostly because you won’t address his positions straight on. So, minus points for being a weasel.

    My philosophy classes left me with the conclusion that there is no right and wrong==only thinking/attitudes/ and sometimes a group consensus that is a proxy for right and wrong. It is also a short hand for that and for consensus a society reaches on what it is going to do.

    You do then have a burden in supporting the notion that something is wrong, when the consensus is that it is right. You don’t address that burden, you only repeat yourself. Try to advance the argument, not just repeat it.

    3HC–Even if its true no innocent person has been executed in years, it would still make sense to not have capital punishment in order to assure there would be no unjust executions in the future.

    Now to me as right and wrong (usually) only addresses the answer already concluded, the practical analysis is to compare two societies side by side. They are exactly the same on day one, then one has capital punishment and the other does not. See how the develop and what happens. Now, pick which society you want to live in based on those developments.

    If you can do that, you are thinking. If you cannot do that, you are a moralist.

  17. Mister Catshit says:

    #76, bobbo,

    #75–Catshit. In the main, 3HC wins this degate mostly because you won’t address his positions straight on.

    A straw man argument, bobbo. I am under no obligation to answer Three Empty Heads’ arguments. I only am here to support a specific phrase that killing is wrong. To become sidetracked into bullshit that goes on and on is a fool’s path.

    The Three Empty Heads did not answer nor rebut why killing is wrong without forcing the meaning into something it is not.

  18. bobbo says:

    #75–Catshit==too many posts here to review to guess at what word, phrase or sentence you are referring to. My understanding of 3HC’s position is not so much a rebuttal of your argument, but rather a dissection of its validity standing alone? You may be at cross purposes.

    -or-==early on his and my position was most easily stated that if killing was wrong, there could be no exception to it. You make an exception, so it can’t be wrong. We are left only with talking about what the exceptions should be?

    Still, you don’t advance your own position other than being dogmatic.

    Lets go back to my thought experiement at #76. If capital punishment resulted in fewer innocent people being killed than would life in prison, would you be for or against capital punishment?

  19. Mister Catshit says:

    #78, bobbo,

    If capital punishment resulted in fewer innocent people being killed … .

    Against.

    Simply because as a free society we don’t take away the rights of the majority, or even a large segment, of the population simply because an individual or a small group have abused those rights. If that were the case then the government could shut down all Universities because there was a violent demonstration on one campus, or shut down all newspapers because a few wrote articles against the government, or jail all Republicans because one took a bribe.

    Sometimes we have to put up with someone shooting another so we can all carry a gun. Or someone in the park being loud and obnoxious as they spout their political views. Or a newspaper publishing something we disagree with. Or someone absconding after being given bail.

    Now you can argue that I have made an exception because of the “self defense” rule. No. That is a contingency that allows you to break the law. Another contingency would be if you are speeding to get your wife to the hospital to have her baby. Or if a physician operated on you while you were unconscious in order to save your life. Or the police bashing down your door because they saw someone they were chasing run inside.

    When the immediacy of the moment requires an action contrary to the law in order to save a life from death or immediate harm, the law allows the extenuating circumstances to weigh in your favor. It does not allow the calculated, planned execution of an action contrary to law.

    In this case, a death penalty is a planned action by the state. Yet, if it is wrong for an individual to kill, it is equally wrong for the State to kill. Considering that the State allows it or condones it is not a defense any more than is any other killing carried out by a State under sanction of law.

    Nor do I think executing people will save any more innocent lives.

  20. OhForTheLoveOf says:

    #55 – Now–OFTLO’s immediate recognition of a single exception, the non-listing of defense of others, and the failure to understand the justification/morality/functionality of a “fair and exact” societal imposed death penalty, simply shows a lack of insight.

    It shows that I’m not a pedantic ninny.

    You know… I really should revisit old threads from time to time. I had no idea I was so entrenched in the conversation.



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