Death penalty

[KeithI]

Mark, what are your thoughts on the death penalty and its implementation? I believe there are crimes that should be punished by death and people who deserve to die for what they’ve done. I don’t know how to reconcile that with the fact that it is implemented by a corrupt and incompetent government. As you have said, they could indict a ham sandwich. I don’t think it’s that uncommon for the wrong person to be convicted of a crime. A number of such cases have been found in recent years.

[Mark Rippetoe]

There are several things wrong with it, primarily the fact that the aforementioned problematic government must administer it. But I think that a person who burns a child to death needs a different form of execution than that provided for a loving pet. Putting a murderer to sleep is just as heinous as letting him go -- if he's not begging for death at the end of the rather long process, it was done incorrectly.

Lots of problems. Better just let the survivors' family deal with it.

[Johnsonville]

The government having the ability to murder citizens has always sat wrong with me, but then again the fact that the can lock you in a cage for not paying them is also wrong.

[anticausal]

Tangential, but I find it fascinating how they've convinced everyone that corporal punishment is "cruel and unusual". How on earth are a few lashes worse than wasting away months or years of your life in prison? Not to mention the much cheaper cost. Depending on the crime, it's a much more civilized and effective punishment, which is probably the real reason they got rid of it.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Tangential, but I find it fascinating how they've convinced everyone that corporal punishment is "cruel and unusual". How on earth are a few lashes worse than wasting away months or years of your life in prison? Not to mention the much cheaper cost. Depending on the crime, it's a much more civilized and effective punishment, which is probably the real reason they got rid of it.

And it's more fun to watch.