Originally posted by glastonaut
I agree with most of your points, yet the fact remains the system collapses as soon as the first innocent is executed. I cannot support the death
penalty because of this.
And I respect your point. I do have reservations about how the death penalty is used and in which cases. There is always that problem.
I would favor the abolishment of the death penalty only if prisons were turned into medieval dungeons of hell and torment. Like, the cells were in the
ground with only a hole at the top with bars over it. scraps of waste food from the guard meals are thrown down in this hole, and the prisoners can
either fight for their food or cooperate for it. their choice. No showers. Your bed is a pile of straw. Your toilet is a corner in the cell. Along
with 50 other inmates, you have rats and rotting garbage around. No TV. No pictures. No reading material. You are dragged out of the pit for a daily
session on the stretch rack, complete with whippings, floggings, and chinese water torture. You are surrounded day and night by screams of agony from
your cellmates. There is no medical care for you, so if you get sick, you are screwed. After a certain period of time, you are lifted out of the hole
you share with fifty other inmates and given a series of tasks and tests. if you pass them, you get to move up to the next level. You get a cell
shared with 25 other inmates. You sleep on cots. You get one shower every two weeks. Your share one toilet amongst you. You get beatings and the
stretch rack every other day. On the off says, you are engaged in grueling, brutal, back breaking labor. Your food is stale leftovers from the
canteen, but at least they arent scraps. You are entitled to ten minutes of fresh air. You now are entitled to medical care if you screw up and cause
problems, you are back in the pit. After a certain period of time, you are given more tests and tasks. If you pass, you are moved up a notch.
The next level is a bit nicer. You now only have 8 inmates to a room. Your beds are still cots. Your daily beatings have been fazed out. Now you spend
every day in backbreaking labor. You get one phonecall per month. You are also allowed to recieve mail now. You now have four toilets to each cell.
Your food is no longer stale, but the only items on the menu are potatoes, celery, one slice of cheese per meal, and only one serving of meat per day.
Youre allowed thirty minutes of fresh air. if you screw up, you go back to the next level. otherwise, after a period of time, you get more tests and
tasks, which if you pass, moves you to the next level.
The next level you get the standard two men to a room. You get real bunks. You get three square meals a day. You get an hour of fresh air. One toilet
per two people. Now every other day is backbreaking humiliating labor.You are now allowed one newspaper per day. You actually get visitors now. Your
off days are spent having the nature of your crimes and the pains they caused hammered into your head by recordings of victims families and other ways
you have made yourself a burden on society. You are constantly reminded that there are people out there who have had worse childhoods than you that
don't turn into completely worthless losers like you have. You are taught that the only way you will ever get any respect from anyone is to live in a
respectful manner. You are eventually given another set of tests and tasks. Pass, you go onto the final stage.
The final stage, you get your own cell with a decent bed. You get three meals plus snacks. You are allowed books and magazines. You get 3 hours of
recreation a day. The rest of the day is spent learning a legitimate trade, people skills, and how to be a decent person. You are are given various
psychological counciling to help sort out your screwed up head. Finally youre given tests and tasks. if you pass........
You are free to leave. However, if you re-offend, you are thrown back into the bottom pit level, where you will never be allowed to leave for the
remainder of your short life.
When this system is in place, then I shall gladly support abolishing the death penalty.