Goodbye Bomber Suspect

[Malleo]

No matter what the government does with him, it's probably better than what might have happened if say a group of vigilantes found him

[Gorzo]

I'm amazed he was taken alive. I was sure he'd take his own life before being arrested, or go down in a shoot-out like his brother.

He's likely to be put to death, like it or not. I understand both sides of the death penalty debate, but I admit I have trouble with the exuberant cost it takes to keep a mass murderer alive in prison, while a bullet costs 10 cents, and that taxpayer money could go to injured veterans, needy families, better education to prevent murderers in the next generation, etc... Does that make me a savage for wanting to do something that actually helps people, instead of giving this dirtbag a hot 3 meals a day, shelter, and other dirtbags for him to give tips to?

I could go on, but if I started posting in-depth details on my polical views, I'd never shut up.

[Piotr]

Eye for eye does nothing but leave the whole world blind.
Hundreds of ppl die daily in close proximity to one another for far more retarded reasons and no one cares. Bombs near a highly crowded area and a kill count of 3 is fairly weak and pathetic. I saw the video of those smoke bombs...... U should be optimistic and be grateful it wasn't 150 dead

Not true, death penalty kills the killer and that's the end of it. Only one victim is required for death penalty. I will never be grateful for evil deeds being done.

[Dudecore]

It seems funny that everyone is so quick to prescribe the same punishment to someone else that they find so deplorable to begin with. It isn't about justice at that point, it's about revenge.

I think anyone who feels like this gentleman lacks humanity, looks at themselves also. You support a government that starves millions in North Korea by filing sanctions against them. You support a war that bombs and kills hundreds of children. If bombing is a "terrorist" act, what do you call what we do in Afganistan?

If you support that type of freedom, then I suggest you imagine what it would be like subscribe the ones you love to either at random and live with the results. We're profoundly lucky to be born where we are, have the genes we have, have a good upbringing and good ideas. Some are not. In a very true sense they are unlucky to be who they are.

Even if you believe in a "soul", in what way are you responsible for not having the soul of a psychopath? Life is made up of very complex, intertwining things. The past makes up the future in perpetuity. The Big Bang till this very moment you're reading this (or not). It cannot be undone.

Anyone so quick to wish death upon another should understand that an unbalanced justice system could easily do the same to them. To Gorzo's point: the United States has 25% of the worlds prison population. It is a gigantic industry to lock up people. Non-violent drug offenders to actual murders. Costs are high because there is money to be made. Unfortunately our myopic view of our fellow man makes it so that no one is outraged about this. "It's not me." "If they weren't doing anything wrong, they wouldn't be there." "It's their fault." ect ect. Again, in a very real sense you're supremely lucky to NOT have a combination of bad genes, bad upbringing, bad ideas and bad luck. No one is responcible for their genes. Where and what time they were born. In which region to which type of parents. Is it any surprise that some people turn out violent?

I'd must prefer a system of law that demonstrated cooperation and compassion for its criminals. Any of us could have been dealt a much different hand in life, and would be no step closer to claiming we are solely responcible for it. Incarceration is enough, with rehabilitation the goal. Killing someone does little more then satisfy the most basic parts of our primate brains.

[NyghtHawk]

Killing innocent people had nothing to do with the right to bear arms.

[Birdbrain]

I'm not sure how to solve the prison issue. i always belived life imprisonment was they way to go because people deep down have good in them, they only ignore it. but Lets look at the extreme on both sides to get some perspective on this. Again, these are only to make a point

Why don't we have someone set up cameras everywhere and for every little thing people do zap them to oblivion. Someone belch too loud? Zap them! Someone's too lazy? Zap them! Someone blink too many times a miunet? Zap them!

And the other side

Oh that person just committed a mass murder, I'm sure he won't do it again, lets give him another chance. Oh that person is a serial rapist, and has no empathy whatsoever, lets tell him to stop and give him another chance. Oh that person just pulled a bank robbery every hour of the day for a month, I'm sure he'll stop eventually, lets give him another chance. Oh that person is making bombs and mixing dangerous substances in there basement, I'm sure its nothing

I understand that both of these are completely out of line with what people belive, I'm just showing them to make a point
Now. After looking at both extremes, what should we do with the Boston bomber?

[Coffee Vampire]

It seems funny that everyone is so quick to prescribe the same punishment to someone else that they find so deplorable to begin with. It isn't about justice at that point, it's about revenge.

This. This. This.

I wish all Americans could realize how disgustingly hypocritical you can be.

Can't you just admit that criminals come with a different mindset and that a deterrent that may work for you clearly has not worked for them (otherwise they wouldn't be criminals, they'd be normal people.)
Instead of enacting the threat of punishment that has clearly failed (otherwise they wouldn't have committed the crime) perhaps we can feed them 3 hot meals a day and put a roof over their head and attempt to figure out why they felt hurting so many people was so important to them.


Also, just FYI don't forget, anyone who believes in the infallibility of your great  constitution must also hail these terrorists as heroes. People like this and Chris Dorner are just enacting their (apparent) God given 2nd amendment right to take up arms against what they believe is a tyrannical government.

I know that it's not all Americans that are walking contradictions, but from what I've seen and heard its a good lot of you.

Hail these people, or admit the 2nd amendment is an outdated piece of legislation and renounce your right to bear arms.

Do you believe that the bomber was taking up arms against the government? That's quite a stretch.

[Dudecore]

I don't think anyone was suggesting we let him go as an alternative for punishment. I was merely suggesting we do not kill him.

[Birdbrain]

I wasn't saying you said we let him go either. The first part was saying the punishment should fit the crime. The second part was to get a perspective on the severity of things, with the first part as a buffer to keep people objective.

If we can somehow, let him feel the full impact of what he has done, awaken his empathy, that will give him something to think about while he rots away in prison

[Dmreiss]

I would have to say the majority of us on here are lucky in that we can look at this from a somewhat "scholarly" perspective.  What I mean by this is that few of us have been touched directly by a violent crime, and are therefor unaware of how it can effect someone and their perspective on life.

Before becoming a teacher, I worked as. Juvenile officer.  I worked with kids 11 to 16 who did everything from skipping school to murder.  I have read victim impact statements and seen how violent crimes effect parents, siblings, friends and others.  It is amazing how one deplorable act can Chang not only the life of the victim, but all those around them.

In October of last year, a fellow teacher was assaulted in a school parking lot and sent to the hospital.  She is still in the process of recovering and continuously reminded of the event when she gets court papers or hears of another court date.  Her children don't understand what happened and don't understand why their mom is upset at times.

Given this, I believe the death penalty is an appropriate punishment.  To take someone's life means you forfeit yours.  There is never just one victim, but a larger group of people effected by that one act.

[MisterJH]

Im a christian, i still dont believe he deserves the luxury of life. Especially when it costs ME money, and he has given up any humanity. As i said before, he is an animal who deserves to be treated like an animal.

[Dmreiss]

The money issue... It pretty much breaks even.  You can either pay for life in prison or attorneys and extra appeals afforded those on death row.  You are not really saving money either way.

[Dudecore]

I would have to say the majority of us on here are lucky in that we can look at this from a somewhat "scholarly" perspective.  What I mean by this is that few of us have been touched directly by a violent crime, and are therefor unaware of how it can effect someone and their perspective on life.

Before becoming a teacher, I worked as. Juvenile officer.  I worked with kids 11 to 16 who did everything from skipping school to murder.  I have read victim impact statements and seen how violent crimes effect parents, siblings, friends and others.  It is amazing how one deplorable act can Chang not only the life of the victim, but all those around them.

In October of last year, a fellow teacher was assaulted in a school parking lot and sent to the hospital.  She is still in the process of recovering and continuously reminded of the event when she gets court papers or hears of another court date.  Her children don't understand what happened and don't understand why their mom is upset at times.

Given this, I believe the death penalty is an appropriate punishment.  To take someone's life means you forfeit yours.  There is never just one victim, but a larger group of people effected by that one act.

I don't see how the death penalty differs from life sentence in terms of dealing with emotional mind states of those individuals. Either way they aren't going to be able to terrorize those individuals anymore.

Also, if something horrible like this befalls someone i know and love, or myself personally, I'd like to believe im a better person then to kill another. With that being said, I may experience outrage or require retribution. That doesn't make my opinion of the matter any more informed.

The system we have is meant to be fair to all individuals. It isn't going to shock me when his lawyer receives death threats. It doesn't surprise me that Christians would do un-Christian things like command death as punishment, it doesn't surprise me that our human rights to person and property are being violated to keep us "safe".

A system that can turn on its worst individuals can turn on anyone. The tired phrase of "you can tell a lot about a culture by how they treat their criminals" has never had more meaning.

[Dmreiss]

But that is just it...  Very few of us on here have been in that situation.  And we should all count ourselves lucky for that.

[Dudecore]

But that is just it...  Very few of us on here have been in that situation.  And we should all count ourselves lucky for that.

That is a wonderful way to view this. Be happy it wasn't you, and this person won't be able to do this again. Thinking that killing a human is the solution to the problem, or that everyone's opinion about killing him is the answer - I'm sorry. We've got to be better then that, all of us.