Ethics (Religion)

by David Turell , Saturday, October 04, 2008, 16:21 (5892 days ago) @ dhw

. As I wrote later in the same posting, "society does not need to kill criminals in order to protect itself", and so in my view, and in the context of my "minimal harm" precept, there is absolutely no ethical justification for the death penalty. - I cannot accept a blanket rule that that all murderers escape death. I can understand murder that occurs under extreme emotional strain. I come upon someone raping my wife and I kill him on the spot. But cold premeditated murder is another issue. Should serial killers be incarcerated for life? Should someone who carefully plans a murder that has no justifing issues be in prison for life? Not in my way of thinking. Some murders require execution. But I do have one other solution: a new Devil's Island, run as a world's prison, patrolled on the sea by the world's navies to prevent escape. A self-sufficient island where all the condemned murders can live together, support themselves, and live or kill each other, no guards present. Why should I pay taxes to support a premeditated murderer? And that gives time for exoneration if contradictory evidence finally appears to reverse a sentence. To be condemned to the island I envision an impartial committee from many international police departments to review the forensic evidence and approve it.