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I am conflicted over capital (none / 0) (#1)
by jimakaPPJ on Tue Dec 19, 2006 at 09:25:06 AM EST
punishment, but I hardly find this to be a reason to ban it.

Wendy, Jonnie, and Pam, the
three surviving family members quoted
above, offer a glimpse of the distinct
and ongoing suffering to which
Young refers. The relatives of these
particular survivors were killed by
state execution, and the survivors
report feelings and experiences that in
many ways resemble those of murder
victims' family members.

While I feel sympathy for anyone who loses a friend or loved one, I am more inclined to let the harsh side of my nature say to the author(s) of the report, look folks. The dead person was been convicted of a terrible crime. If anyone is responsible for the feelings of the friends/relatives, it is the convicted killer.

I would also have no particular problem in pointing that out to the relatives, but see no reason to add to their problems. Sometimes things just need to be left alone for the good of everyone.

What is left out is the damage caused by the rage of the victims friends when they feel that they have been ignored by the criminal justice system and society. Revenge is a very basic response to being wronged, and one of the basic tenets of a society is to remove the reason for revenge.

Whether or not this is enough of a justification for capital punishment is a question. But it does point out that if you want to worry, worrying about the relatives and friends of the executed mirderer is not an exclusve activity.

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