Is Capital Punishment of Americans As Heinous As Torture of Non-Americans?

[Mr. Ected]

As our debate on torture and the loathsome Bush administration rages on, I constantly am reminded of my own revulsion for capital punishment in the USA. Each time the State of Georgia executes a criminal in my name, I feel less human than the day before. Let's face it: our human rights history is less than stellar. This would also be the assessment of millions upon millions of people around the world. Investigating and prosecuting those who tortured or authorized torture would be a huge first step in accepting responsibility for our actions. But the state sanctioning of murder in our own country must also be eradicated. A country that murders its own will always have the propensity to harm others.

[angstlessk]

1. I agree misdirected..er uh Mr Erected!

[Sarah Ibarruri]

2. This country does not behave like one of the advanced nations of the planet

Or maybe I should say it behaves like the United Arab Emirates, where torture is okay, murder is okay, but they have lots of money.

[saltpoint]

3. Well, keep in mind that capital punishment has stopped violent crime in

our country.

Wait.

[Mr. Ected]

4. Yes, And Torture Was The Only Thing That Prevented Terror Attacks

Darth said so.

:sarcasm:

[saltpoint]

5. Yep. Thank God Uncle Dick was there to protect us.

From the turrists.

[Greyhound]

6. Yes. n/t

[TWiley]

7. I am not sure that torture and capital punishment equate.

I do understand your point, but the bushtapo's treatment of detainees could not be duplicated in the American prison system regardless of the legality of capital punishment.

Many of the detainees were actually tortured to death by US operatives. State sanctioned capital punishment is a different type of debate involving people who have exhausted legal options. No legal options were given to the detainees ... they were tortured without any rights at all.

I would expect someone to come along sooner or later and broaden your argument to include abortion.

Many things are similar, but few actually equate.

[TomorrowNeverKnows]

8. I've never, ever, supported either of them at all,

Capital punishment is really hypocritical; Killing someone who kills to show that killing is wrong. Plus, there's nothing to show that it actually deters capital crime/violence, if it doesn't actually make it worse. That has happened in Europe many times, it's a cycle of violence. Torture is violence, and nothing reliable comes out of it anyway. We as a people should be well past the ages where both or either is normal and thought to be helpful. Granted, a lot of other countries have far worse human right records, but we aren't exactly perfect either, especially with foreign detainees.

As to which is more heinous, that's a tough call. They might be equally so.