Death Penalty for Pedophiles

[Kilarin]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070528/ts ... sexecution

Last week, the Louisiana Supreme Court upheld the death penalty for a convicted child rapist.

Now while I understand the concern expressed by some in the article that this would discourage people from reporting on family members, I'm still going to have to come down whole heartedly in favor of putting the monsters down.

What shocked me was to discover that:

In 1977, the US Supreme Court invalidated the death sentence of a rapist, arguing the punishment was disproportionate to the crime.

I'm of the exact opposite opinion. I think a rapist, and in particular a child rapist, is even worse than a murderer. I would have more mercy on a criminal who shot someone dead than for a fiend who rapes his victim.

I DO worry because it is SO easy to accuse someone of rape or child abuse, and so difficult to prove your innocence. It has become standard policy for some divorce lawyers to inform the man in the case that unless they concede to the woman's terms, she will accuse him of molesting their children, whereupon his life will be ruined whether he is ever convicted or not. So I recognize some of the dangers here.

BUT, if we have good evidence that someone IS guilty of rape, Put them at the front of the death row line and fry em.

[Testiculese]

/me waits for Duper: \"All life is precious\". Don't you hold that argument too, though?

I say put him in a room with a pack of wolverines high on PCP.

edit: No, not Duper..the rapists..

[Flabby Chick]

Yup, kill 'em.

[Kilarin]

"All life is precious". Don't you hold that argument too, though?

I do indeed believe that life is precious. Which is one of the reasons I think it's ok to take out the guilty in order to protect the innocent.

In the US, the death penalty is not administered very evenly, and we have had the occasional problem with making judicial mistakes and killing innocent people. So I would certainly be interested in death penalty reform. And, while not exactly enthusiastic about the concept, I'm willing to LISTEN to ideas about replacing the death penalty with TRUE life time imprisonment. Just LISTEN, mind you. I'm not convinced yet.

BUT, as long as we HAVE a death penalty, I can't think of ANYONE more deserving of it then rapist in general, and pedophiles in specific.

Compared to non-sex offenders released from State prisons, released sex offenders were 4 times more likely to be rearrested for a sex crime. linky

[TIGERassault]

Compared to non-sex offenders released from State prisons, released sex offenders were 4 times more likely to be rearrested for a sex crime. linky

Wow, really? God, I had no idea sex offenders were more likely to later become sex offenders than non sex offenders were! That's amazing!

[CDN_Merlin]

If Canada had the death penalty, I'd be for it for crimes like that or very horendous crimes.

Life in prison here and I beleive in the US is what, 25 yrs, out in 5 if you are good? That is not LIFE IN PRISON if you ask me.

[Duper]

edit: No, not Duper..the rapists..

lol.. Thank you!

Actually, I was thinking more along the lines of surprise. there is a push these days in the phsyic community to make pedaphilia "ok" much the same way being gay became "ok" through the 70's. And no I'm not joking. This is an extreme case being rape. I think the movement it toward "softer" stuff. You don't really need a death sentence here, the guy probably wouldn't last that long in prison anyways.

[Kilarin]

Wow, really?

Yes, I know, it DOES seem blindingly obvious. But it's a fact that seems be ignored. Keeping rapists off the street helps to prevent rape. Duh! And Pedophiles have a very high recidivism rate. But we let them back out so we can lock up some guy who was caught with Marijuana.

I don't approve of Marijuana, but it's no contest which I would rather have behind bars, or comfortably BURIED.

Life in prison here and I beleive in the US is what, 25 yrs, out in 5 if you are good? That is not LIFE IN PRISON if you ask me.

I agree 100%.

there is a push these days in the phsyic community to make pedaphilia "ok" much the same way being gay became "ok" through the 70's. And no I'm not joking.

Yep, but it's not getting off the ground very well among the general populace.

Homosexuality used to be classified as a mental disorder, but as long as it is an activity that takes place among consenting adults behind closed doors, you can't make a good argument that it's anyone else's business.
Those who act upon Pedophile impulses are, by definition, involving someone who is below the age of consent. Thank goodness most of the population still sees that as automatic victimization and a serious crime.

[CDN_Merlin]

Anytime you FORCE something onto another person that is unwilling, it's unacceptable.

[Firewheel]

I'm inclined to say that child molesters and rapists are even worse than murderers - wheras murders end a person's life, sexual crimes can have effects on a victim which take years to repair, if such efforts are ever successful. I certainly wouldn't be opposed to upholding the death penalty against such individuals.

[DCrazy]

there is a push these days in the phsyic community to make pedaphilia "ok" much the same way being gay became "ok" through the 70's.

You've got to be ★■◆●ing kidding me. Did you just equate homosexuality with pedophilia?

[Duper]

no.

read again, then read Kilarin's post.

[Dakatsu]

To answer the question, if the teacher is hot, then there shall be no charge, end of story!

Seriously, if an adult raped and murdered a child, yeah, he deserves to fry.

[TIGERassault]

There's nothing wrong with paedophilia itself, just as long as it doesn't affect anyone else.

Seriously, if an adult raped and murdered a child, yeah, he deserves to fry.

Who said anything about murder?

[Richard Cranium]

... and who said it has to be a guy? (although the number indicate it's more likely)

[Kilarin]

There's nothing wrong with paedophilia itself, just as long as it doesn't affect anyone else.

Well, I wouldn't go so far as to say there is nothing WRONG with it, BUT, granted, this should be (and IS) only a legal issue when someone acts upon those impulses by involving a child.

It's not a crime to WANT to kill someone, it's only a crime when you actually try to do so. Same thing with Pedophilia.

[Dakatsu]

There's nothing wrong with paedophilia itself, just as long as it doesn't affect anyone else.

Well, I wouldn't go so far as to say there is nothing WRONG with it, BUT, granted, this should be (and IS) only a legal issue when someone acts upon those impulses by involving a child.

It's not a crime to WANT to kill someone, it's only a crime when you actually try to do so. Same thing with Pedophilia.

I was actually going to say something like that...

[Duper]

There's nothing wrong with paedophilia itself, just as long as it doesn't affect anyone else.

um.. Pedophilia ALWAYS effects someone else. It's a two person deal. The second is always underage.

It's wrong and disgusting.

[Kilarin]

Pedophilia ALWAYS effects someone else. It's a two person deal. The second is always underage.

No actual disagreement here, we are just dealing with a matter of definitions.

Pedophilia: sexual desire in an adult for a child.

So saying "Pedophilia is not a crime, but sexual activity between an adult and a child is", is similar to saying "Being tempted by someone other than your spouse is not grounds for divorce, but adultery is"

Pedophilia is the desire or attraction, which is not a CRIME unless it is acted upon.