On Sun, 17 Sep 2006 11:44:17 UTC, Pyromancer
wrote:

: Upon the miasma of midnight, a darkling spirit identified as Ian
: Johnston gently breathed:
: On Wed, 13 Sep 2006 23:45:25 UTC, Pyromancer
: wrote:

: : We don't execute.
:
: : That's the problem. We let them out to re-offend, again and again, and
: : each time some other innocent victim's life is ruined, often forever.
:
: Have you any evidence for that?
:
: See numerous reported cases where serious sex offenders have been
: released only to commit more offences?

How numerous? What proportion of them? Compared to what proportion of
those who weren't caught the first time?

: And are you arguing that we should
: kill all rapists, or only serial ones?
:
: I don't think it's safe to execute anyone for a single offence, the risk
: of convicting someone innocent would be too high.

So actually you're in favour of letting people out to offend again, in
order to see whether they do?

: : The underlying problem is that a proportion of the human race is
: : naturally evil.
:
: Proof?
:
: Um... Where would you like me to start? Witchburning? Serial killers?
: The UK guy who was interviewed in a programme on mercenaries during the
: Bosnian war who said "I've always wanted to kill legally"? Serial
: rapists? People who rape six month old babies? The people who
: brainwash other people into being suicide bombers? Just about any
: religious war you care to name? The list is endless...

It's the "naturally" which worries me here.

Ian