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Cruel and Unusual Punishment

Tuesday's profile picture

Posted by Tuesday

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Okay, this is technically a political topic but it isn't partisan. By that I mean there is no clear-cut left or right wing sides here. This is an arguably NEW political topic!

Should criminals have the right to choose their punishment?

Is locking someone in a prison for twenty years humane? Or is it cruel?

If given the option between serving ten years of your life behind bars OR losing your pinky finger, which would you choose?

Ladies and gentlemen of the internet jury, should we as Americans (non-Americans BTFO) grant convicts the right to immediate punishment instead of serving years in prison?

I for one think we should. The choice between going home with scars on my back from fifty lashings OR not seeing my child grow up... isn't a choice at all.

This is a really shallow starter post, I know, criminal justice is very complicated, but I'm on a crappy laptop and can barely stand to use this keyboard any more that I need to.

Thoughts?


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dreamspider's profile picture

Reply by dreamspider

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I mean the main problem with the question you pose is the idea that if you are convicted of a crime, you should be "punished." People think all criminals are deserving of punishment, when the vast majority of the time they haven't even done anything wrong and were forced into doing something illegal due to societal pressures like hunger, poverty, or addiction. If you stole a can of food- would you like to be given the option to choose 10 years in prison or losing a pinkie finger- or would you like to be escorted to a food bank? 


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Tuesday's profile picture

Reply by Tuesday

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I used to think similarly to you, and then I realized just how much crime is not crime of necessity. There are very few "Aladdin" criminals who steal just to survive. I have my sympathy for those who are in that situation, but at the same time, we have social safety nets, such as food banks and homeless shelters.


I would have to ask, outside of the few cases where people commit crimes out of cirumstance and necessity, such as bank robbery, what should we do with the perpetrator?


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