This started as a comment/reply to Heather’s post but it gained a life of it’s own. She’s reading a book in which part of the story-line is cops killing repeat felons
…there are a lot of people who would support vigilante cops who took out repeat felons. They are not innocent – and hurt innocent people. But it is returning violence with violence. What do you think of this?
Before I go on – for those of you who don’t know me, I pretty much lean towards the pacifist end of the scale. I volunteer for a SA/DV shelter so I see things from repeat offenders and how the courts don’t work some times so I see the appeal of the possibilities.
I think our legal system has enough loopholes many people are not afraid to kill because they think they can get away with it. Fear of being caught by the executioners might discourage some.
Can someone kill them and forgive them? (I’m serious) If the killing is to stop them from killing/hurting again, can they be forgiven for their past transgressions and still killed to be stopped from harming more innocents?
Did you ever see the Star Chamber (Michael Douglas)?
I just finished The Trigger, they figure out a way to remote detonate gunpowder allowing safety shields. It’s very interesting on how it deals with crime (and the NRA). IT brings up lots of interesting thoughts…
Next two: Not vigilantism, but justice with no courts.
OLD Start Trek: TNG episode. There’s only a few police on the planet, they randomly patrol different areas on the planet. ALL/ANY crimes are punishable by death (they carry the syringes with them). You obey the laws since you don’t know where police will be. Very peaceful planet (if only that damn Wesley hadn’t walked on the grass), everyone knew the rules, they understood the punishment and everyone was good. Interesting concept. I suppose it helps genetically breed out those predisposed to crime/rule breaking. Pretty much you had to be caught to be punished (no courts)
The Hybrid Chronicles (Robert Sawyer) – if guilty of a crime of violence you were sterilized and so were any of your offspring to breed out the undesirable trait (maybe parents/siblings too?), I can’t remember about grandchildren. Very interesting concept. No courts, everyone wore implanted recording PDAs so there was a record to review.
FYI – Heather’s book was Silent Prey by John Sandford (part of the Prey series).
My Dear!
We all have to know that: destroying never can build anything! You say: “If the killing is to stop them from killing/hurting again, can they be forgiven for their past transgressions and still killed to be stopped from harming more innocents?” and recommand that: “Can someone kill them and forgive them?”
I’m just wondering! wondering of your emotional expression that faces rationally!
For solving any problem, we have to know “where it has come from”. We have to find the origin, the base, the foundation of the problem. Imagine that: if there is a nice and clean society, no fly can be alive, because they live beside shit. For instance, if there is no crime in U.S.A., nobody deposite huge money in those banks. I want to say the problem is in the nucleus of the system.
Regards;
I’m not talking about the parent who robs the pharmacy one time for the drugs his child needs to live (and accidentally kills someone on the way out). Even though they are technically a criminal and a murderer even if it was accident. I’m taking about the serial killer who tortures, rapes and kills multiple times (for fun). Did they learn how or is there really something wrong with them?
Is finding an origin for their problem going to help them or just the the people of the future generation? What do we do with said killer now? And is/are any of the desires to kill/mame/rob/rape (or the thoughts that lead to it) all learned or might they start for some genetic predisposition.
I don’t have any great answers for this. I’ve just been thinking a lot since that book and how (it was portrayed) that people have more rights to kill than to not be killed (and if you’re the latter you’re dead so you cannot complain).
I hear you body! I do agree with most of your told and your questions were my questions, but I tried to say that “the problem is much bigger and deeper than what we see. Crime became a part of our society/life, like having a pet at home!
You take care…