Abortion and the Death Penalty, Part 2
I support the death penalty, but oppose abortion. Some people think that is hypocritical.
As I stated in my previous post, my position is not hypocritical because there is a huge difference between the death penalty and abortion. The death penalty only applies to people who are guilty of heinous crimes, while abortion is the willful killing of the most innocent and helpless among us.
Here's another way of looking at it:
If we went back to 1944, I would support executing Hitler and rescuing Anne Frank.
Is that hypocritical?
posted by The Phantom Republican @ 12:15 AM
3 comments
3 Comments:
PR, I couldn't help but notice how timely your comment about Hitler and Anne Frank was considering that today is Yom HaShoah. That wasn't just a coincidence, was it? To answer your question, yes, even under that scenario your position is hypocritical. A few years ago, I visited the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, where Anne wrote her famous diary. It was a moving experience, to say the least. I strongly support the mission of the Anne Frank House, which is "to promote tolerance and mutual respect in society." Of course I wish Anne could have been rescued from the concentration camp. And it's a shame that Hitler didn't wait until after he stood trial to commit suicide. I think the best punishment for someone like Hitler (or Osama) would be to rot in solitary confinement with no human contact, no light, no amenities (just food and water). Under those circumstances, they'll eventually kill themselves anyway. But I don't think a country that is trying to promote a "culture of life" should kill anyone, even those despicable criminals who have taken the lives of others. I honestly think this death penalty issue has been a major stumbling block for pro-lifers because people on the other side of the abortion argument can point out the hypocrisy. David
David,
I am surprised to hear that you think putting someone in solitary confinement and driving them to despair and suicide is somehow more acceptable than a quick death.
PR
PR, So you think what I proposed would be considered torture? Maybe it is. That's for another discussion. But I certainly wouldn't mind seeing Osama bin laden driven to "despair and suicide." He caused our country plenty of despair. And I definitely wouldn't shed a tear if he were killed as a result of the War on Terror. Some people who oppose the death penalty actually support it for terrorists. I think in many ways it would be dangerous to keep someone like Osama in prison. It would be a major threat to our country, and capital punishment in a case like that might be a form of preemptive self-defense. That's also another discussion. But, as a general principle, I believe that we shouldn't be making life and death decisions even for criminals. Let's leave that to a higher authority. David
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