Court considers paralysis punishment
 

Saw this today and thought IW would be a nice place to have a discussion/argument about this.
It's certainly out of the ordinary, but I'm sure it will stir a few people's morals.....

http://www.news.com.au/national/cour...-1225907580098

Re: Court considers paralysis punishment
 

I think if the attacker is undeniably guilty they should just shoot him in the head.

edit- But I also think we should plant landmines in the southern border of the US so my opinion may be somewhat unpopular.

Re: Court considers paralysis punishment
 

Hooooowee,
What can one really say to something like that. I have to admit though, that I have thought of doing the same thing, to people which do horrible things to others. I'm sure it has crossed most of our minds.

I think the better thing to do, would be to have the convicted person be a servant to the person he injured and maimed. Make him wash the person, care for him, bath him etc. An eye for an eye will only cause 2 people, to be dependent on others.

Re: Court considers paralysis punishment
 

It's too cruel imo. I mean, as a very extreme measure, use capital punishment if you must, but don't get all creatively karmic with lives. While the accused may have done some horrible things, the court shouldn't stoop to his level. But then, a Saudi court is a whole different ballgame.

Re: Court considers paralysis punishment
 

Certainly it fits a "tit for tat" justice model. But I think there is far more punishment and justice served by having him become a servant of the person he's injured.

The fact that it will create *two* people reliant upon others is another long-term issue...

Time for the human rights people to show up.

Re: Court considers paralysis punishment
 

I don't go for capital punishment, as a rule. Not that i don't think there are people who deserve to die. There certainly is. It's just that i don't believe there's a single person on the Earth who's righteous enough to be justified in delivering that sentence.

Re: Court considers paralysis punishment
 

Justice without mercy is simply cruelty in disguise and an eye for an eye leaves us all blind.

Re: Court considers paralysis punishment
 

From the perspective of what's humane, if you're only options are a swift death vs. surgically induced paralysis, then death is the way to go.

Of course, I've always said one sure way to reduce crime dramatically is to invoke the death penalty for any felony level offense, to be imposed no longer than a month after sentencing. But this creates a rule by terror system that the greater majority (if not all) of humanity wouldn't like very much.

Alternately, I had a teacher who once said the easiest way to eliminate crime was to make everything legal. On a technical basis, this does eliminate crime, but then you'd be left with utter chaos.

As for making him the other mans servant/nurse-maid. Technically its a form of slavery, but it is a creative and appropriate punishment. The difficult part being, you'd be putting the man who nearly killed the victim in charge of the victim's well being. Even with guards watching him the whole time he could find an opportunity to finish the job.

Re: Court considers paralysis punishment
 

Spirit wants to kill the guy rather than paralyze him. Why not ask the guilty man who's to be punished what he wants, first. Maybe he prefers the paralysis.

Chewie, how merciful would you be in this case? Imprison the guy? Let him skate free? Fine him? Minimal fine or high fine? Etc. It's all just different version of the same system. You say Hammurabi, I say Himmurabi.

Firestorm, I think you may have little clue as to how easy it can be for a normal person to mistakenly stumble into a felony, so you may want to reconsider. For instance, I know a kid, early 20's college student, who just got sentenced to 55 years because he made the mistake of giving the car ride to another dude who had a huge brick of cocaine in his backpack.

Re: Court considers paralysis punishment
 

Please. Many countries practice capital punishment as a final, quick and humane last resort (lethal injection). But how many allow the severing of your spinal chord as a sentence? If you want to give the guy a chance just don't do anything to him and let him free.

Re: Court considers paralysis punishment
 

Just execute him. He tried to commit murder so I'd say that sentence is justified. Turning him into a long-term burden won't help anyone.

Re: Court considers paralysis punishment
 

Read carefully, I only said it would reduce crime levels. When the punishment is the loss of your life, you're less inclined to do it.

However I don't advocate this standard as it tends to create a rule by terror. (and by saying 'tends to' I am grossly understating it.)

Re: Court considers paralysis punishment
 

I have a feeling that none of us here have a clue about how desperate people in other parts of the world are, and what they will do out of desperation. It's easy to pass judgment.

Re: Court considers paralysis punishment
 

And i have a clue they are therefore better off dead. Yea it easy to pass judgement, and even in my dire finacial straits (yea this economy sucks) I will not be going robbing. Sometimes you really are better off dead.

Re: Court considers paralysis punishment
 

Yes I agree, the punishment system in general across all human cultures is what's flawed to various degrees and will remain that way until the root cause of violence is recognized and addressed rather reacting to it's effects.

How does one teach another the respect the life and liberty of each and every other? That is the challenge. The human conscience is not something that can be just pointed out. It is an individual expirience and self-evident.

Helping a person find their conscience, so that they are inspired to provide restitution, rather than have it forced upon them by the State. However we discover that can be done, I find that approach quite merciful indeed. Also quite idealistic, but everything is born from dreams and visions.

Re: Court considers paralysis punishment
 

<font color=plum>That's why it is left up to a government or court system to deliver the sentence. It isn't an individual that is deciding the fate of the criminal, it is the chosen representative system of the society in question.</font>

Re: Court considers paralysis punishment
 

<font color=plum>Research actually shows the opposite. States and countries with sever capital punishment laws tend to have the highest crime rates. Yes, I know it is counter-intuitive, but that is what history tends to show us.

England implemented one of the most severe "No Tolerance" policies in the 1700's (IIRC). Executions were swift and plentiful. The crime rate increased dramatically during this time, forcing Parliament to rethink their position and make changes in the system.</font>

Re: Court considers paralysis punishment
 

Remind me again why people hate Iran but not the Saudis?

Re: Court considers paralysis punishment
 

They don't come round for bbq and beers, but they do play ball.

Re: Court considers paralysis punishment
 

There hasnt been squabbling in two days wtf? Will I have to scold?

Re: Court considers paralysis punishment
 

Because the Saudis don't have Ahmadenitard and are smart enough to STFU and swim in all their oil money like Scrooge McDuck?

Re: Court considers paralysis punishment
 

A moot question? The Saudi courts have decided against the punishment as the doctors they consulted said that death instead of paralysis could be an outcome if they did the procedure.

Re: Court considers paralysis punishment
 

The same could be said of a jail sentence too.

Re: Court considers paralysis punishment
 

If they really did that, I'd like them a lot more, actually.