Understanding or stone thrower?

[Marguerite]

I mentionedbefore, we don't have the death penalty in Australia.

People we have in our maximum security prison for the worst of the worst (and remember, these people can at times talk to one another) -

Ivan Milat, the backpacker murderer. They believe he killed many more than we know about.

The Scaife brothers, whose horrific torture and rape of a number of girls has them getting the highest sentences for this considering their victims are alive. But their crimes were shocking.

The Murphy brothers. Not sure if they're in Goulburn like the others. They murdered Anita Cobby, very messily. She was a pretty nurse on her way home form work by train. They grabbed her, had their fun and then realised she shouldn't be allowed to live.

And many more.

I think the Scaife brothers will eventually be released, but not the others. Same goes for the guy who killed all those people at Port Arthur - he went hunting for people. Stalked them with his hunting gear and shot as many as he could. A public historic place on a public holiday, so it was crowded.

Then there's the bloke who grabbed a couple in the outback and tried to kill them both. The girl got away but her fiance has never been found. It's likely that it was not the bloke's first offence. Again, he will never be released. But while he lives there is always the chance he could tell people what he did with the body. Or bodies. Same with Ivan Milat - while he lives, he has the chance to tell people who he killed and where they are, so families can stop wondering about their missing loved ones.

But on the flip side, while they live they can still plan to escape. We keep hearing of Ivan Milat's latest foiled attempt, or the Scaife brothers with another smuggled mobile phone.

I'm not saying the death penalty is wrong. I'm not saying it's right. Just talking about how it is, when there isn't one.

The last bloke hanged in Australia was Darcy Dugan. From what we now know about the case, he probably didn't deserve it because it was someone else who fired the shot that killed a prison guard, but ecause it was an escape attempt Dugan had organised, he was the fall guy. He WAS a hardened con, he kept robbing places and escaping from jail. But the only person killed in any of his activities was probably not from a shot he fired. If they hadn't hanged him, we might still have the death penalty.

Compared to a lot of people we have locked up in Aussie prisons - Darcy Dugan was a gentleman and a decent human being. We have worse people walking the streets.

THAT is scary!

Marg

 

[DammitJanet]

I used to be more of a diehard fan of the death penalty. Now I am not. I changed my mind when I read a John Grisham novel about the death penalty. While I realize it was fiction there was enough truth to the story about what goes on with death penalty cases to really turn my stomach. Then we have to consider all those who have now been shown to have been not guilty but it is too late because they have been killed already but now DNA proves them of their innocense. I worry about that too. What if some new technology come along that can tell if someone is guilty or not and we kill them first? I would rather they sit in prison and let them wait out their lives.

 

[Hound dog]

Star

I learned from other people, not my mother.

I learned from TV. Sounds silly, but TV shows back then centered on the "perfect families". Moms/Dads, clean houses, plenty of food, decent clothing, parents who actually spoke to their kids instead of screaming at the top of their lungs or hitting.

I learned from a few teachers. Bless their kind hearts.

I learned from an aunt whom I will forever cherish.

I learned from my grandma who saved my life.

I actively sought the knowledge outside of my home enviornment. And I don't know how else to put that into words. As a kid I was like a sponge soaking up whatever I found that seem to be "normal" and "good" from a wide variety of sources. Even strangers on the street.

I knew my homelife wasn't normal by at least age 8. I knew form hearing other kids talk of theirs at school and such.

I dunno. I can't drum up any empathy. As an adult a person is not going to tell me they don't know beating a child is wrong. Unless they've lived their life in a barrel, they know it's wrong. Regardless of upbringing and abuse.