Yes.
Justified? Hmm… you know, as a father of young children, I would be hard pressed to forgive a man or woman who dared to sexually violate them.
Although my opinion has been for a long time to oppose the death penalty for anyone (yes, even serial killers) there is something about violating the most vulnerable members of our society.
When I think hard about it, I would still oppose it for first or second offences. However, when a person clearly shows a repeated, incorrigible pattern to their deviancy, and that deviancy threatens the lives (yes, I said lives, because children abused in this way are harmed for life) of innocent children, they must be stopped.
If I were a judge or police officer, I could not live with myself if such an individual ever regained their freedom and reoffended.
Tim Mak wrote:
In my opinion, chemical castration would be the right path to take on this issue, when you have multiple offenses.
If I were a father and my kids were tortured/raped/abused/killed, I’d want the punishment to severely harsh - to the extent that I’d probably support the death penalty. But that’s why family members don’t sentence offenders - there is a need to be reasoned, impartial and free from visceral anger and predisposition.
On an impartial level, the death penalty for pedophiles seems a little too harsh. I mean, they are completely the scum of the earth, but I’m not sure pedophilia warrants death.
Posted on 13-Feb-07 at 10:59 am | Permalink
Shane Edwards wrote:
Sadly, even chemical castration doesn’t always work. Check this out.
Posted on 13-Feb-07 at 11:05 am | Permalink
Matt wrote:
I have no qualms with the death penalty for mass murderers (Bernardo, Pickton, assuming he’s guilty) or pedophiles such as Shaun Decan
Posted on 13-Feb-07 at 11:27 am | Permalink
Simon wrote:
I don’t let things like emotions get in the way of my total opposition to the death penalty. I don’t care what it does to criminals I only care what it does to us…because we’re supposed to be better than them. And because when it comes to emotions everything is relative.You might want to kill pedophiles I might want to see homophobic slowly choked to death…or gunned down in the street like dogs. But that would make it a jungle. Besides are you really going to set up death camps to gas those legions of pedophiles from the Catholic Church.
Posted on 13-Feb-07 at 11:45 am | Permalink
Shane Edwards wrote:
Good for you, you clearly don’t have kids.
It isn’t about revenge. It is about protection of the innocent. It is about NEVER allowing one who would break or steal the irreplaceable innocence of a child to do it again.
To compare this to your own definition of “homophobia” is ludicrous. I have seen that term so broadly defined as to include a person who simply doesn’t attend a gay pride parade. Tell me again how a gay person would be damaged for life by another person’s lack of complete endorsement and celebration for their “lifestyle choice”.
And what make you think I’d somehow make an exception for an offender “of the cloth”? You obviously like to put anyone who disagrees with you into a tight little box so you can disregard without consideration their views. You have clearly already decided simply based on my discussion of the death penalty that I am a homophobic Catholic neo-nazi about to call for concentration camps and liquidation of the “defective”.
Nice display of tolerance. Your mother must be proud.
Posted on 13-Feb-07 at 11:59 am | Permalink
Bobs Your Uncle wrote:
Why not life imprisonment w/o parole? I spent time as a law student representing inmates in Kingston Pen. Let me tell you — pedophiles have it rough. Why not let them rot away. In the unlikely (but possible) event the person was wrongly convicted, at least they’ll have some of their life back.
Posted on 13-Feb-07 at 12:37 pm | Permalink
Shane Edwards wrote:
It is not a bad idea, but I would lean away from it because there is always a chance they could escape, and also the wrongly convicted defence shouldn’t be an issue because as I mentioned, I wouldn’t endorse death for first or even second offence. I would put it at 3rd offence, which shows a clear pattern of behaviour and demonstrates the unrepentant nature of their mental state. If someone gets busted 3 times in a row, endures 3 court cases and is convicted 3 times, then even assuming that the 3rd charge is iffy, you have 2 solid convictions demonstrating the guy has done it and qualifies for the penalty.
It would have to be a major stretch to have someone completely innocent of the charge to get charged and convicted 3 times, and have every appeal fail.
Posted on 13-Feb-07 at 12:46 pm | Permalink
Peter wrote:
Personally, I don’t favor the death penalty. I would prefer to wait until proven guilty and convicted to life imprisonment at hard labour then shot while trying to escape. Less chance of appeal that way….
Posted on 13-Feb-07 at 2:10 pm | Permalink
Aaron Unruh wrote:
Pedophiles in the true sense of the word are mentally ill. They need to be treated, not executed.
Posted on 13-Feb-07 at 6:49 pm | Permalink
Scott from Winnipeg wrote:
As a father, I instinctively share your thoughts on it Shane, despite my similar opposition to the death penalty.
I wonder sometimes about whether the death penalty is an easy way out. The idea of them being stuck in GP, or in protective isolation 365 might actually be a more fitting penance.
Posted on 13-Feb-07 at 7:01 pm | Permalink
Riki Holliday wrote:
Yes pedophiles should DIIIIIEEEE!!!! Anyone else who doesn’t think so is ALSO a pedophile or has a lust for kids. What the FUCKS this world coming toooo!? Defending pedophiles!!!??? They should die! die! die! I’d brutally TORTURE! someone for doing that to my kids. What if it happened to YOURS huh!? Then what!? For the normal people who are against defending them, I respect you.
Posted on 01-Feb-08 at 6:45 pm | Permalink
ciaran s mccreanor wrote:
I agree with Riki Holliday(above) let them all Burn in hell,,, If Not Hell Am Sure Mr Riki would send them there God Bless Men like him :)
Posted on 16-May-08 at 9:33 am | Permalink
Riki Holliday wrote:
Thank you so very much for the compliment sir. I respect you back me brudda. No offense my keethly human being but…I’m a woman. GOD bless you utuzyamu!
Posted on 24-May-08 at 10:33 pm | Permalink