RE: Question

I am horrified that anyone would consider treating other people with
anything less than dignity. That we as a society murder our own citizens is
unthinkable... yet it happens every day. Of course, we murder only those who
are poor, working class, or nonwhite.

Johnnie D. Spraggins, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Sociology
Randolph-Macon College
Ashland, Virginia 23005-5005
(804)752-4705 office
(804)553-1238 home
(804)752-4700 FAX


-----Original Message-----
From: mike shupp [mailto:ms44278@csun1.csun.edu]
Sent: Monday, November 22, 1999 10:05 AM
To: WORLD SYSTEMS NETWORK
Cc: WORLD SYSTEMS NETWORK
Subject: Re: Question


EAST4WIND@aol.com wrote:
> 
> I wonder if any of you have given thought to the waste which is presented
to
> us by the methods presently used to enforce capital punishment?

...

> I am of the opinion that it would be better to take the convicted and put
> them to work on projects and in programs where they would provide social
> benefit to society.  

Or, as a friend of mine once pointed out, "there are so many
*fascinating*
medical experiments to be done!"  And, for that matter, so many really
deserving people in need of transplantable lungs, kidneys, corneas,
hearts,
skin tissue, gonads, spleens, adrenal glands, etc.....

All things considered, I'm of the opinion that we should NOT look for
"useful"
processing of those convicted of capital offenses.  It's likely to lead
to
creating more capital crimes rather than fewer and increaingly callous
treatment
of those convicted.

For what it's worth, I'm not an opponent of executing criminals.


-----------------------------------------------------

Mike Shupp
Graduate Student, Dept of Anthropology
California State University, Northridge
ms44278@csun1.csun.edu
http://www.csun.edu/~ms44278/index.htm