Larry Dighera wrote:
Larry Dighera wrote:
Why isn't incarceration alone fitting punishment for burglary? Why
don't you see anal rape as falling under the "cruel and unusual" group
of impermissible punishments?


It is my understanding this is not unusual at all in today's jails and
prisons. All the more reason not to do anything to get thrown into one.


So you think the US military's behavior in Abu Grave was appropriate?
You have no respect for the rule of law.


You're changing the subject. 1) Abu Ghraib isn't in our country and Americans
aren't incarcerated there. 2) If any raping was going on in Abu Ghraib, it was
the Iraqis doing it. But now that you mention it, nobody can think of "cruel
and unusual punishments" like a Middle Easterner. In the scheme of things, the
GI guards acted very poorly (so we lost the moral high ground) but nobody
suffered anywhere nearly as much under the GI guards compared to Saddam's.
Humiliation just isn't in the same category with what those sadistic *******s
did every day there.


I'm reacting to this crass statement:

On Sat, 09 Jun 2007 20:22:36 -0000, wrote in
.com:

Well, now these young men get to find out what its like in an
ass-pounding prison...

Please try to keep up with the discussion.

Condoning lawlessness within the nation's prison systems is
reprehensible as it condones crime not the rule of law. Can't you see
that?


Well, too bad. Don't want to enjoy a romantic interlude with Bubba tonight?
Don't hold up the 7-11 today.


The intent of punishment for criminal behavior should be
rehabilitation, not vengeance. I believe restitution should play a
large role in sentencing. That way a criminal sees that s/he does not
benefit from their criminal acts, but compensates victims instead.


A fine idea. Who shall the criminal rob to come up with the compensation?


The chances of rehabilitating a first time offender through brutality
are nil. It only fosters resentment not contrition.


If it were the guards doing the brutality, I'd say you were right. But it's the
inmates themselves. If they want to avoid feeling resentful, they can stop
beating, killing and raping each other. But they're criminals... they can't
help themselves. Frankly, I don't care about whether they're rehabilitated.
It's enough that they're removed from society. And frankly, unpleasant
consequences can have a preventative effect, if the criminal believes he might
actually get caught.

We all have choices. We can be good citizens and leave others the hell alone,
or we can be predators. If you choose to be a predator, you deserve whatever
happens to you. I've managed to stay out of jail my whole life. How? I stay
out of other's property when I'm not invited; I don't drive drunk; I don't
assault my fellow citizens. Actually, it's been pretty easy.



--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN
mschnerdatcarolina.rr.com