Comment on Executions in Florida and Missouri as 4 days of state-sanctioned killings begin
YoFrodo@lemmy.world 2 weeks agoI dont think that works because it seems that people generally love the idea of punishing the guilty. As in, a person being guilty with 100% certainty should be punished. To many there are crimes that justify execution. So we cannot convince those people that killing the guilty is wrong.
However sparing an innocent person the same fate is a much easier hill to climb. Most people agree that innocent deaths are inexcusable and will consider a reality where there is no death penalty to ensure we arent killing the wrong people. You just have to appease their punishment fetish first. So I find the best approach is first to establish the reality that no system is 100% accurate 100% of the time and therefor innocent people will be executed, as many already have. Then follow that up by highlighting how life imprisonment accomplishes two things: a lifelong punishment for the guilty AND a timeline to allow for the possible exoneration of the innocent.
School_Lunch@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
If their punishment fetish is what allows them to be ok with potentially killing innocent people, then they deserve to be next in line. They are no different than those they want to punish. I don’t even think punish is the right word. Executions would be vengeance. They have that fetish because they think of themselves as righteous, good people. They are not. People who support the death penalty are no different than medieval peasants cheering on the gruesome torture of a “criminal” like its entertainment. That is sadism. They can not be the good person they see themselves as and be sadistic at the same time. They just love to feed the sadistic part of themselves. I just try to get them to be more introspective, and that if their goal is to be a rightous person, they need to stop feeding their own sadism.
YoFrodo@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I agree that ppl accepting innocent deaths from the death penalty are wrong. I dont think those people can be convinced otherwise and its not worth it to try.
School_Lunch@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I know its unlikely they will hear anything I say, but I like to point out, with solid logic, people who see themselves as rightous (without any actual introspection) are actually giant pieces of shit. I have yet to hear any good argument from them in response.