(October 26, 2016 at 8:27 pm)LadyForCamus Wrote: I would say perhaps that's an oversimplification of the scenario. Many people who are mentally ill can still discern right from wrong. That's why the accused are afforded fair trial, along with psych evals from a qualified professional if they pursue that line of defense. If a defendant was deemed mentally impaired to the degree of not understanding their actions then I would agree that the death penalty is not an appropriate punishment in that circumstance.
What about the mentally retarded, which the Supreme Court ruled is cruel and unusual, yet Texas sees fit to execute them anyway?
http://www.alternet.org/civil-liberties/...sabled-man
Even if the open windows of science at first make us shiver after the cozy indoor warmth of traditional humanizing myths, in the end the fresh air brings vigor, and the great spaces have a splendor of their own - Bertrand Russell
