Yamamura says:
"'Successful murder, in this state, means the gas chamber, which is about as sadistic as burning at the stake.'" (p. 59)
Is it? How could it be? Why does anyone use gas for execution then?
I am against the death penalty in any case. We know that brutalities like burning at the stake occurred historically recently and also that such brutalities can continue into technologically advanced societies. I think that Orwell's 1984 and SM Stirling's Draka are improbable but are they possible? Nazism was.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
I am not opposed, in principle, to the death penalty. Certain crimes are so horrendous and monstrous that I truly believe execution is the most appropriate means of penalizing them. As St. Paul said in Romans, the state carries the sword to punish evildoers. As a Roman citizen St. Paul knew of course that beheading by the sword was the only legal means of executing Roman citizens. Just clarifying what Paul meant by mentioning the "sword."
That said, I don't object at all to making it lengthy and difficult to actually execute any criminal convicted by the courts. With plenty of time and options for appeals.
Sean
Post a Comment