The seagulls on Cardiff Central train station are pretty interactive. My daughter and I made friends with one in particular who we recognised by her limp.
We then didn't see Blodwyn for a while, but recently we both reckon we've seen her. She sat staring fixedly at my daughter for 15 minutes waiting for food the other day, but my daughter didn't have so much as a crumb in her handbag.
I would question at what point an emotional reaction should be a part of legal justice.
I think 'victim impact' is very important, but that it shouldn't be confused with justice to the point of revenge. Revenge and justice are two very different things.
I also think assuming that people who don't believe in capital punishment haven't had first hand experience of a 'capital offense' is a logical fallacy. Just as for some people the healing process may involve the execution of the perpetrator, for others it may create the opposite. It's not unheard of for survivors, or surviving family members to appeal for clemency on the behalf of the perpetrator.
I have a very strong sense that the death penalty is counter-productive. It doesn't appear to deter people from commiting capital offenses, it may well promote the idea that murder is justifiable (given the incidence of capital offences appears to be higher where capital punishment exists), errors are made in finding innocent people guilty and to my mind execution constitues a cruel and unusual punishment.
I also think life sentences without the possibilty of parole contradict the concept of human rights and constitute a cruel and unusual punishment.
However, I can also relate to a survivor's perspective. When a perpetrator of a hideous crime dies, it can bring a particular kind of closure. A survivor may feel a certain freedom, or release from fear; the perpetrator will never be able to find them, come and get them, or repeat the crime.
I wonder how it might be possible to provide that perhaps necessary closure for survivors, without resorting to the same kind of criminal acts commited by the perpetrators.
Is that a glib comment, Serena, or do you think you could actually execute someone?
Only, I wonder if executioners have the same kind of psychopathic traits that very often those who are being executed have...and whether both executioner and executionee believe they are justified in their murderous actions.
You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination. (Leviticus 18:22)
If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them. (Leviticus 20:13)
I think forgiveness is something you take for yourself, not something you generously bestow on someone else.
For me, forgiveness is about having some understanding of the horrible thing that someone did; it dissipates the extreme emotions I may be experiencing and enables me to find my own peace.
That's different from putting my head in lion's jaws. Rebuilding trust would be a two (or more) way thing and for me the other parties would need to demonstrate they were willing and able to deconstruct the scenario. I'd also have to be willing and able to evaluate my own contribution with them.
One difficulty I can foresee about not cutting contact, is the injured party may always have the upper hand if they take the higher moral ground route. That kind of power imbalance may be just as unhealthy as abusing one's power by cheating.
As you can see from the above definition, not only does 'stupid' relate to intelligence and common sense which may be graduated, there are comparative and superlaive adjectives of the word, suggesting there is indeed something like 'less stupid'.
online today!jac_the_gripper Forum Posts (5,363)
RE: soulmate
Sometimes I'm reminded of birds who peck at an injured member of the flock.