An Rgument Over Public Executions- Who Is Right?

[Doubting Thomas]

Look at how popular all those "Faces of Death" videos were back in the late 80's and early 90's. There's a certain element of curiosity among the public that they'd love to see someone put to death, and many of them would not necessarily be shocked by it. Look at how many rubberneckers there are at a traffic accident. Indeed, when we see people die in our movies and TV shows so often, it does tend to desensitize us to actual death.

And if anyone thinks it will be a deterrent to crime, think again. There's always going to be some nutjob who will shoot up a school just so they can be executed on TV and get their 15 minutes of fame, even if it's infamy.

[pineapplebunnybounce]

Are you against the death penalty because you think it is a form of suffering those people do not deserve? Personally, I believe that there are many who don't deserve to live, but death penalty shouldn't be an option because our justice system sucks and often gets the wrong guy. The problem is most people who believe in the death penalty would feel like I do and not have sympathy for them. I'm sure watching it would be traumatic if I did it alone. But I'm sure watching an average guy's day in jail would probably have the same effect too, especially when you think about how he has to do the same thing for his entire life, but that's not going to make me change my mind about putting people in jail.

I said watching it alone, because humans often display extremely cruel behaviours when in groups. It's called social psychology, it's crazy the types of things a normal person would do when put into a group with very subtle suggestions. I'm sure if I watched it with a group of people, they may very well induce me to cheer for someone's death. And yea, when you put it on television, death becomes an entertainment. Death already is an entertainment, but the death penalty would be a reality show.

Although if you're interested, there's a program in China that interviews death row inmates. It's a talk show, they talk about their crime, why they committed it, even lets them send messages to their families and stuff. It's awful to watch, the conditions they're in, the crime they committed, you see how someone goes from having a life to losing it all and it all happened so easily.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taDwLtK7XxY

[Fruity]

There's enough death on TV for practice. By the time they see the real thing it's no biggy, rather attractive to people.

That, and there's that "three guys and a hammer" thing... Or is it five? Anyway, have you seen how many people have seen that shit? Me either, because I haven't looked it up myself. Me behavioral health challenged clients seem to love it, though. Not that there's a lot of challenged people out there. Cough. Cough.

[Zazzy]

Are you against the death penalty because you think it is a form of suffering those people do not deserve? Personally, I believe that there are many who don't deserve to live, but death penalty shouldn't be an option because our justice system sucks and often gets the wrong guy.

This is exactly how both my mother and I feel.

And thanks for the vid. Sobering.