Death Penalty decision imminent for Boston Bomber

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

I won't lose any sleep over offing this kid, but it seems to me he was a more like a lil puppy being dragged around on a leash by his big brother (who got off too easy), though that doesn't excuse a thing.

[Boris]

I will never understand how people perceive the death penalty to be a worse fate than 23 hours a day of solitary confinement at ADX Florence.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Especially considering the lengths ADX Florence goes to to make suicide impossible.

[The Dowager Mod]

Hey let's murder the murderer!
Ya that should deter every other potential bomber. 

[IceSpear]

Hey let's murder the murderer!
Ya that should deter every other potential bomber. 

And imprisoning him for life will deter potential bombers just as well (that being, not at all).

[Redalgo]

I will never understand how people perceive the death penalty to be a worse fate than 23 hours a day of solitary confinement at ADX Florence.

It is an incomplete picture though. I for instance am not at all fond of how people are treated in American prisons and reckon means to quick, painless suicide should be available to anyone in the system who expresses informed, non-coerced consent. I don't want this kid to languish miserably for 50+ years.

Hey let's murder the murderer!
Ya that should deter every other potential bomber.  

And imprisoning him for life will deter potential bombers just as well (that being, not at all).

At least with the idealistic ones, they are soldiers for a cause. The cruelty of their enemy if anything adds to their determination to fight. A lot of terrorists in some way or another feel like they or the people they seek to represent are victims of persecution and injustice. By they time they have radicalized and decide to fight most in not all of our opportunities to steer them away from their cause have long since passed.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Breaking on the USA Today website that they WILL seek the death penalty.  No surprise.

Can the kid get an impartial jury in MA?  Not sure.

[Franzl]

Can the kid get an impartial jury in MA?  Not sure.

Probably not, but could he anywhere in the country? This was covered so extensively by the nationwide (and indeed, worldwide) press while it was happening

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Can the kid get an impartial jury in MA?  Not sure.

Probably not, but could he anywhere in the country?

Yes, because emotions are running hotter in MA (understandably so) than if you brought in a bunch from another locale. 

[All Along The Watchtower]

I agree with Foucaulf. I think it's pretty disturbing/horrifying how giddy some people get at the prospects= of the death of another human being. In that respect, they are not much better than the killers themselves.

[tmthforu94]

Mixed here. While I oppose the death penalty, I also think this guy is a clear scumbag who deserves what he gets.

I think rotting in prison for the rest of his life is exactly what he deserves.

[The Arizonan]

I think one way to execute him AND deter future bombers is to execute him and cremate him if you want to go that route.

It seems like America has become wussified when it comes to dealing with terrorists like him.

[Alcon]

I don't really, philosophically, understand the point of punishing bad people if it doesn't deter them or other bad people.  They "deserve it"?  It's totally pointless.  It doesn't make sense.  It doesn't do anything.  I don't see the point of getting pleasure out of it, and generally speaking, I think it's kind of scary to get pleasure out of someone else's suffering, even if they're a bad person.

I can see how someone would be relatively apathetic to the suffering of bad people, but enjoying it just seems to be indulging a scary, jealous, potentially dangerous part of human instinct.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

I'm willing to bet that people from MA, even those who disapprove of the death penaly in almost all instances, are supporting this decision.

[The Arizonan]

If they execute the Boston marathon bomber, can they NOT bury him in Virginia? Virginia is the birthplace of eight presidents and it would be a sacrilege. Just send him back to Chechnya or wherever his family came from.

[I Will Not Be Wrong]

If they execute the Boston marathon bomber, can they NOT bury him in Virginia? Virginia is the birthplace of eight presidents and it would be a sacrilege. Just send him back to Chechnya or wherever his family came from.

How about bury his body at sea instead?
I don't think anybody wants his body.

[Alcon]

Not to interrupt the gung-ho-fest, but could someone actually respond to the point I made above?

[H. Ross Peron]

Not to interrupt the gung-ho-fest, but could someone actually respond to the point I made above?

I think it is necessary for heinous-enough crimes where guilt is certain for the symbolic display of the power of the justice as wielded by the state to show that such crimes cannot be allowed in society.

[Hatman 🍁]

While I wouldn't shed a tear if he's killed, I have to echo those who are concerned about the foam-in-the mouth revenge seekers here. It's kind of creepy.  Justice cannot be served properly if those who are enforcing it let emotions sway the outcome.

[Alcon]

Not to interrupt the gung-ho-fest, but could someone actually respond to the point I made above?

I think it is necessary for heinous-enough crimes where guilt is certain for the symbolic display of the power of the justice as wielded by the state to show that such crimes cannot be allowed in society.

I think that's a potentially reasonable argument, even if I'm not sure it's true.  It's really the people who are calling to inflict the most pain possible on him because he "deserves" it I'm asking.

[Badger]

The title is biaised. We shouldn't say "death penalty", but "state-sponsored murder".

Is imprisonment "state sponsered kidnapping"?

[Badger]

I don't really, philosophically, understand the point of punishing bad people if it doesn't deter them or other bad people.  They "deserve it"?  It's totally pointless.  It doesn't make sense.  It doesn't do anything.  I don't see the point of getting pleasure out of it, and generally speaking, I think it's kind of scary to get pleasure out of someone else's suffering, even if they're a bad person.

I can see how someone would be relatively apathetic to the suffering of bad people, but enjoying it just seems to be indulging a scary, jealous, potentially dangerous part of human instinct.

The short answer (because it's late and I'm tired) is: ask most mrder victim's families.

[Franzl]

The title is biaised. We shouldn't say "death penalty", but "state-sponsored murder".

Is imprisonment "state sponsered kidnapping"?

Sure, every criminal penalty involves something being taken away from the person who is sentenced, whether it be money, their freedom. (Or in the few civilized places that allow it, their life).

It's only a matter of what you believe is right and sensible.

I don't believe it's acceptable for a democratic society to be killing people, whether or not it's for "fair" reasons.

[bedstuy]

I don't really, philosophically, understand the point of punishing bad people if it doesn't deter them or other bad people.  They "deserve it"?  It's totally pointless.  It doesn't make sense.  It doesn't do anything.  I don't see the point of getting pleasure out of it, and generally speaking, I think it's kind of scary to get pleasure out of someone else's suffering, even if they're a bad person.

I can see how someone would be relatively apathetic to the suffering of bad people, but enjoying it just seems to be indulging a scary, jealous, potentially dangerous part of human instinct.

Here's why you're wrong.  First, even if the individual wrongdoer if not influenced by deterrence, there can be a deterrence value to society at large.  But, deterrence isn't the only reason why we punish morally wrongdoing.

Here's a thought experiment.  We invent a magic pill that makes people incapable of murder.  Would that be an acceptable alternative to punishment?  Someone has just killed a young child in cold blood, but we know 100% they will never do it again.  Is that good enough? 

I suppose the objection to this would be that punishment also raises social consciousness and when people hear about the punishment, they will also be deterred from murder.  Then, say we also have a pill we can drop into the water supply that will raise the social consciousness about the wrongfulness of murder as much as life in prison or the death penalty.

In this world, would we be OK letting murders go free with no punishment at all?  I suspect most people would not.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

In this case... the death penalty should not be applied because other terrorists would view him as a martyr...

I'm sure plenty of terrorists viewed Osama Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein as martyrs as well.

Are you telling me they actually found Saddam's terrorist ties? Lol.