[Stoat]

Although this scale appears to be a worthwhile tool in that it provides perspective on degrees of evil and takes into account the suffering of the victim, I take strong issue with self defense being categorized as evil at all.....a legal and necessary killing done in self defense is not evil but part of our basic instict for survival,

[frankiekitty]

11 August 2006

This scale raises a lot of questions for me. First, why is an individual, who kills out of a desperate need to end abuse(5) higher on the scale than a jealous lover (2)? It seems to me that a jealous lover would have far less justification to murder someone than an individual, who kills to end his or more likely her own suffering. He, or more like she, would certainly be in greater danger than a jealous lover, right? Or, does motive carry more weight on this scale than justification?

Secondly, why is a psychopathic individual (10+), one who has lost touch with reality, ranked higher on this scale, than a non-psychopathic individual (-8)? Shouldn't the individual, whose power of reasoning has been significantly diminished; bear greater consideration for clemency than one who knows what he/she is doing is wrong, but does it anyway?

I watched the program on TLC last night. After watching, I did not become any more supportive of the death penalty than I was before I viewed the program. I still don't believe that we have enough information about what causes sociopathic processes, both organically and environmentally, to justify the penalty of death. There are just too many factors. I am not saying that we should just let all these individuals roam free. But, I don't feel that killing them is the right idea either.

Why not make them submit to submit to a longitudinal research study. I realize that this may raise a few eyebrows ethically. However, where are those ethicists when the sates decides to execute these individuals.