[goldenband]

I don't question anyone's right to defend themselves, but there's something seriously creepy about some of the ex post facto revenge fantasies being posted on this thread. One gets the impression that many posters are walking around with a serious chip on their shoulder about past injustices -- beatings from their fathers, humiliations from bullies, whatever -- and relish the thought of using the murderers' bodies as a proxy for exorcising their own sense of injustice.

In other words, for these posters it's not about Petit or his family (about whom they couldn't care less), but being given permission to exult in feelings of hatred or bloodlust that would otherwise be forbidden. "See, these are bad guys, so it's OK for me to fantasize about torturing and killing them." Yet by indulging those fantasies, you're a lot closer to being those bad guys than you think.

Anyway, if you know anything about sociopathy, the idea of using ultraviolence as a deterrent is laughable. Sociopaths have no concept of consequences, no sense of the future -- they simply aren't wired to understand any of this. The most severe cases don't even really feel fear; they just feel...nothing. They'll commit crimes knowing they're certain to be caught, not because they're bungling fools (though some of them are) but because they don't care about anything, and never will. So torturing them in some baroque way won't do anything but tarnish your own soul.

[Jay F]

I was very surprised to learn that CT has the death penalty to begin with. My impression was that it was a bleeding heart state where people feel more compassion for the criminals than the victims. If this guy doesn't deserve the death penalty I don't know who does. If he doesn't get executed the state is basically saying they approve of his actions. Nobody can use the innocense excuse for this case. He is guilty as sin and IMO one of the worst people who has ever lived on planet Earth. He deserves scorn and hatred and not one ounce of compassion or foegiveness, The people of CT should be outraged if he get's to live.

[mlassoff]

Originally Posted by Jay F

I was very surprised to learn that CT has the death penalty to begin with. My impression was that it was a bleeding heart state where people feel more compassion for the criminals than the victims.

This is conservative idiocy at it's finest. Do you honestly believe that liberal in Connecticut have more compassion for criminals than victims? You REALLY believe this? Or do you just think it's RushGlenesque and a clever insult to liberals?

I'm a progressive. I have lots of compassion for victims. I also have lots of passion for the RIGHTS afforded to us by the constitution. Sadly, unlike many of the opposite political ilk, I don't believe I have the wisdom to selectively enforce and diminish individual rights. So out of an abundance of caution, I support all the rights for everyone-- not just the convenient ones for people I like.

[dazzleman]

Originally Posted by goldenband

I don't question anyone's right to defend themselves, but there's something seriously creepy about some of the ex post facto revenge fantasies being posted on this thread. One gets the impression that many posters are walking around with a serious chip on their shoulder about past injustices -- beatings from their fathers, humiliations from bullies, whatever -- and relish the thought of using the murderers' bodies as a proxy for exorcising their own sense of injustice.

In other words, for these posters it's not about Petit or his family (about whom they couldn't care less), but being given permission to exult in feelings of hatred or bloodlust that would otherwise be forbidden. "See, these are bad guys, so it's OK for me to fantasize about torturing and killing them." Yet by indulging those fantasies, you're a lot closer to being those bad guys than you think.

Anyway, if you know anything about sociopathy, the idea of using ultraviolence as a deterrent is laughable. Sociopaths have no concept of consequences, no sense of the future -- they simply aren't wired to understand any of this. The most severe cases don't even really feel fear; they just feel...nothing. They'll commit crimes knowing they're certain to be caught, not because they're bungling fools (though some of them are) but because they don't care about anything, and never will. So torturing them in some baroque way won't do anything but tarnish your own soul.

I think it's sort of creepy that for some people, even the most heinous crimes don't seem to elicit any sense of real outrage.

[mlassoff]

Originally Posted by dazzleman

I think it's sort of creepy that for some people, even the most heinous crimes don't seem to elicit any sense of real outrage.

You can express outrage without violent ideation.

[dazzleman]

Originally Posted by mlassoff

You can express outrage without violent ideation.

You're not really better than the rest of us. You just think you are.

[Tetto]

Originally Posted by mlassoff

You can express outrage without violent ideation.

Again, I think if it were your daughter or sister, mom, whatever, you'd have a whole different response. If you didn't, then you are devoid of a basic human instinct. And don't give me any of that "rising above it" malarkey.

Do you seriously think Dr Petit doesn't imagine himself pummeling those bastards to death for what they did to his family?? Is there something wrong with him then?

[dazzleman]

Originally Posted by Tetto

Again, I think if it were your daughter or sister, mom, whatever, you'd have a whole different response. If you didn't, then you are devoid of a basic human instinct. And don't give me any of that "rising above it" malarkey.

Do you seriously think Dr Petit doesn't imagine himself pummeling those bastards to death for what they did to his family?? Is there something wrong with him then?

Dr. Petit wants them put to death and he's 100% right. There are some people of whom society must purge itself, and these two killers fit that description.

[Beeker2211]

Originally Posted by Jay F

I was very surprised to learn that CT has the death penalty to begin with. My impression was that it was a bleeding heart state where people feel more compassion for the criminals than the victims. If this guy doesn't deserve the death penalty I don't know who does. If he doesn't get executed the state is basically saying they approve of his actions. Nobody can use the innocense excuse for this case. He is guilty as sin and IMO one of the worst people who has ever lived on planet Earth. He deserves scorn and hatred and not one ounce of compassion or foegiveness, The people of CT should be outraged if he get's to live.

Thank you for your input. "Bleeding Hearts?" Sorry, but I don't think anyone really, myself included, has sympathy for the criminals in this case. Connecticut rarely implements Capital Punishment, I think this would be the first in 40 years or so. And I think it would be the minority opinion in vast quantity that says this man should go free as if nothing happened.

Frankly I think it's the easier route for society to call for this man's blood and for the State to oblige. It just gets "rid of the problem" on a very superficial level.

By the way: Nevada has about double the Murder rate as Connecticut. It has sent 12 people to the gallows since 1976 as opposed to Connecticut's 1.

~Cheers

[dazzleman]

Originally Posted by Beeker2211

Thank you for your input. "Bleeding Hearts?" Sorry, but I don't think anyone really, myself included, has sympathy for the criminals in this case. Connecticut rarely implements Capital Punishment, I think this would be the first in 40 years or so. And I think it would be the minority opinion in vast quantity that says this man should go free as if nothing happened.

Frankly I think it's the easier route for society to call for this man's blood and for the State to oblige. It just gets "rid of the problem" on a very superficial level.

By the way: Nevada has about double the Murder rate as Connecticut. It has sent 12 people to the gallows since 1976 as opposed to Connecticut's 1.

~Cheers

Connecticut has 7 or 8 people on death row. I think the most recent person sentenced to death before Hayes was that monster drug dealer in Bridgeport who killed the mother and her son to prevent the son from testifying against him in another murder case. The death penalty is handed down on occasion but rarely carried out, except in the Michael Ross case in 2005. He had been on death row since around 1987.

I favor keeping the death penalty, even under present circumstances, for a couple of reasons. One is that life on death row is much worse than life is for other prisoners. The other is that as long as people are under a death sentence, they won't be considered for parole. I don't trust the liberals who oppose capital punishment and say they favor life imprisonment for these uber-violent people. Once they win the capital punishment battle, they'll be pushing next for early release for these people and forget all about their pledge to keep them in jail for life.