I was arguing with my mother about executions in the US the other day. We are both VERY anti-death penalty.
She said that if we're going to spend tax payer dollars to execute people, we should televise it so the people paying for it and voting for it would know exactly what happens there. She feels that this would wake people up to what a horrible thing it is for the state to kill people, and that it would effect change.
I disagreed vehemently. I think if we were to televise such things, it would rapidly become entertainment- a la the Hunger Games- and coarsen people instead of shaking them up emotionally.
She said I am underestimating people. I said she was overestimating them. We then drank wine and shifted topic to how gorgeous Paul Newman was in his prime, always a safe topic.
Who is right (about executions, that is- everybody knows that Paul Newman was gorgeous)?
She said that if we're going to spend tax payer dollars to execute people, we should televise it so the people paying for it and voting for it would know exactly what happens there. She feels that this would wake people up to what a horrible thing it is for the state to kill people, and that it would effect change.
I disagreed vehemently. I think if we were to televise such things, it would rapidly become entertainment- a la the Hunger Games- and coarsen people instead of shaking them up emotionally.
She said I am underestimating people. I said she was overestimating them. We then drank wine and shifted topic to how gorgeous Paul Newman was in his prime, always a safe topic.
Who is right (about executions, that is- everybody knows that Paul Newman was gorgeous)?
