I've always thought that the thing a child traumatized by rape needs most is to know their attacker(s) died because of them. Surely that will ease the burden of neuroses piled on by the initial violation.

I don't know what happened to Obama recently, but I'm kind of annoyed. His lack of action on the FISA bill this week was just unconscionable. But I guess he did just hire Patty Solis-Doyle... ;)

I've always thought that the thing a child traumatized by rape needs most is to know their attacker(s) died because of them. Surely that will ease the burden of neuroses piled on by the initial violation.

I don't know what happened to Obama recently, but I'm kind of annoyed. His lack of action on the FISA bill this week was just unconscionable. But I guess he did just hire Patty Solis-Doyle... ;)

Actually it increases the likelihood that the rapist will kill the child. If there is a risk of death, why keep the child alive? This is emotive legislation and I am not entirely convinced it is not a tool for extending the death penalty to crimes other then murder.

Actually it increases the likelihood that the rapist will kill the child. If there is a risk of death, why keep the child alive? This is emotive legislation and I am not entirely convinced it is not a tool for extending the death penalty to crimes other then murder.

no doubt people find child rape heinous but capital punishment? that's some murky slippery slope crap. i really think if we must have the death penalty it should be reserved for cases where someone has murdered someone. knowing how the masses work in this country, it'll be just as easy to get people to villainize almost anything to the degree of wanting capital punishment.

Next on news 10 at 10: DRUG dealers sell DRUGS to YOUR children...so far 10 CHILDREN have died country wide from these SALES OF DRUGS.

p.s. bobby jindal has signed a bill authorizing chemical castration

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/06/26/louisiana-gov-jindal-authn109342.html

Child rape is a horrific crime but it's sometimes hard to prove. Plenty of people are convicted without DNA evidence. In this particular case the poor child changed her story twice about who did it. She was surely harmed very greviously by someone, but Louisiana can't be completely sure they've got the right person.

I don't know that it increases the liklihood of victims being killed. At any rate you can be locked up in a supermax forever for this crime and I don't think a child rapist would worry about killing a child to avoid that fate. Criminals respond to the threat of punishment in an imperfect, perverse way, which is why they're committing the crimes in the first place.

There's still so much more ground to cover. I long for a President willing to really take on the country's archaic notions of drugs and capital punishment. Obama isn't perfect. I don't expect him to be. I strongly disagree with him on this issue but I remain fully supportive.

but I remain fully supportive.

My silver lining is that I voted for a candidate that surprises me a little when he moves to the middle rather then makes me think, "That's exactly what I was expecting."

That said, he is making some bad policy decisions lately.

If there is even a chance that by increasing the punishment to the death penalty, that a rapist might kill the only witness, it is not one you should take. If there is enough evidence for a life sentence then no further children will be harmed.

My silver lining is that I voted for a candidate that surprises me a little when he moves to the middle rather then makes me think, "That's exactly what I was expecting."

I can't reasonably expect a candidate to hang as left as me and have a shot at winning.

key line from the yahoo article:

Obama has two daughters, ages 7 and 9.

i also have a daughter in this age range, and two more just a little older. for me, the question isn't what the constitution says about what to do with the rapist-the court was probably correct in its decision there- but rather what the constitution says about what to do with me after i kill the bastard myself. yes, i know the answer and no, i doubt it would affect my behaviour. i also doubt that i am far from unique in this.

let the sonofabitch grab hold of the horns of the altar, if he can. i imagine,geographically speaking, i could get there first.

key line from the yahoo article:

Obama has two daughters, ages 7 and 9.

i also have a daughter in this age range, and two more just a little older. for me, the question isn't what the constitution says about what to do with the rapist-the court was probably correct in its decision there- but rather what the constitution says about what to do with me after i kill the bastard myself. yes, i know the answer and no, i doubt it would affect my behaviour. i also doubt that i am far from unique in this.

let the sonofabitch grab hold of the horns of the altar, if he can. i imagine,geographically speaking, i could get there first.

key line from the yahoo article:

Obama has two daughters, ages 7 and 9.

i also have a daughter in this age range, and two more just a little older. for me, the question isn't what the constitution says about what to do with the rapist-the court was probably correct in its decision there- but rather what the constitution says about what to do with me after i kill the bastard myself. yes, i know the answer and no, i doubt it would affect my behaviour. i also doubt that i am far from unique in this.

let the sonofabitch grab hold of the horns of the altar, if he can. i imagine,geographically speaking, i could get there first.

key line from the yahoo article:

Obama has two daughters, ages 7 and 9.

i also have a daughter in this age range, and two more just a little older. for me, the question isn't what the constitution says about what to do with the rapist-the court was probably correct in its decision there- but rather what the constitution says about what to do with me after i kill the bastard myself. yes, i know the answer and no, i doubt it would affect my behaviour. i also doubt that i am far from unique in this.

let the sonofabitch grab hold of the horns of the altar, if he can. i imagine,geographically speaking, i could get there first.

damn internets!

As I've stated before, I'm opposed to capital punishment, but since Teaforthetillerman has yet to comment...

"Actually it increases the likelihood that the rapist will kill the child. If there is a risk of death, why keep the child alive?"

By that reasoning, wouldn't it be in the child's best interest to not punish the rapist at all?

wouldn't it be in the child's best interest to not punish the rapist at all?

But that would increase the rapes.

Life in prison for rape of a pre-pubescent seems fair enough. But killing or chemically castrating people based solely on the word of an 8 year old is a frighting prospect. As much as I don't trust my government to take lives in a responsible way, I also don't trust children with life or death decisions. If they reach adulthood and remember things differently we should have someone in prison to release.

For once Red, we agree.

I don't know if you've ever heard of Ted White, but not only should you not trust life and death decisions on the word of an 8 year old, you shouldn't trust that the government is playing fair in the prosecution of the accused.

although i'm opposed to the death penalty, i can't blame a parent for taking this position. saves them from having to murder the S.O.B. themselves, and perhaps ends the cycle of violence right there - i do appreciate everyone's opinion here, and can easily sympathize with most views.

so yes, Obama continues to dissapoint me, but i'm giving him a pass on this one.

In a 5-4 vote, the Supreme Court decided that capital punishment was unconstitutional for child rapists.

I wonder how the Supreme Court would rule on the claim (and which of the Justices would agree with the claim) made by Bush Justice Department Counsel John Yoo: The president has the legal authority to order the crushing of a child's testicles.