If someone wishes to end their own life, they may be classed as mental ill.
To execute a mentally ill person is against international law.
Execution is not the same as voluntary euthanasia, suicide, or assisted suicide.
You'd need a process for this, including establishing the prisoner is sound of mind and therefore capable of making the decision.
You'd also need an assisted suicide, or euthanasia procedure which is different from the current execution procedures.
Undoubtedly, a fair number of death row inmates would opt for assisted suicide, or euthanasia given the current position of the lethal injection in the US.
In which case, I'm not sure you could claim free choice, given the threat of the alternative. Coercion would be an issue.
Plus, there would likely be a public outcry that there wasn't enough cruel and unusual punishment involved.
I've already pointed out the standing of this paper to you, Miwagi.
In your own words, it's not a gutter paper, but it is teetering on the kerb.
I find it unfortunate that Nelson Mandela couldn't have lived for another 100 years, or so.
Whilst I appreciate the unfairness of black South Africans still living in abject poverty whilst white South Africans own land, I suspect the poorest people won't benefit from a move to reclaim the nation in this manner.
We're not getting big, soft snowflakes here. It's more like hail the size of sand grains.
I guess it's unusually cold with less than our usual humidity. I dunno, I'm no weather nerd. I've never seen anything quite like it, though.
When I was out yesterday, many paths were clear with the snow blowing about a centimetre off the ground in ripples, a bit like sand on a windy beach. Beautiful, mesmerising and bizarre to watch.
It's not fluffy snow. It's the driest, sandy snow I've ever seen.
It blows about exactly like sand does on a windy beach. It's mesmerising to watch. There are deep drifts in places, bare ground in others.
I was out and about yesterday with my granddaughter. You can't make snowballs, or snowmen out of it, anymore than you can sculpt dry sand, or fake snow.
I'm was very concerned about daughter working until 11pm tonight and being heavily pregnant. She had a choice either the 5 minute walk home, but we have no heating and two windows which won't close properly, or a 2 mile walk to her partner's house in the dark, at least - 5C with some fairly hefty winds. As it is, she's lucky enough to be working with a colleague whose mum, or dad will give her a lift to her partner's. Not that they can afford to use the heating much.
Fuel is so expensive, rents and utilities often exceeding people's earnings, so many, many people across Britain won't be able to afford to use their heating, even if they have it.
I'm sorry, I realise this was meant as a light hearted thread, but I think lots of people will be having a hard time right now and it's likely some are simply going to die.
Vegan diet is the fastest growing food demographic on this side of the pond.
There has been an absolute explosion of plant based foods in the supermarkets, restaurants and other food outlets in the last year.
It's very different from when I first changed to a vegetarian diet nearly 40 years ago.
The European laws introduced in 2015 to cover the clear labelling of food allergens has facilitated the change, given milk, eggs and shell fish are common allergens.
Consumer power is perhaps the greatest voice we have as individuals. We can each chose to move towards a fairer, more ethical world simply by being more discerning about the food, clothes, cleaning products, toiletries and other products we purchase.
And it's not like you have to be strict and evangelical about these things. An occasional vegan day, favouring fair trade chocolate and coffee, boycotting Nestlé, making an effort to patronise high street shops known to have stringent policies against using child labour - all these things put pressure on commercial industries.
I raised my daughter on a vegetarian diet, but about a year ago she changed to a vegan diet.
She works in a small shop and told me it was the waste which converted her. She has to unwrap the waste chickens to dispose of them - a whole, miserable wasted life and death.
It's especially obscene if you then extrapolate to how inefficient animal farming is and how people all over the world are going hungry.
The meat industry has so many ethical issues, not eating meat isn't just about a distaste for putting a bit of something dead in your mouth.
Unless, of course, you're indiscriminate about where you you buy your clothing, in which case it's more children maketh clothes and man/woman weareth them.
When I was a child, left wing politics seemed to be associated with fighting for the common man. I don't recall much fighting for the common woman, so I'm not sure Jesus would be overly impressed with that, given the Mary Magdeleine thing.
By the time Tony Blair got in, we had a PM who slagged off single mums, was party to rendition and other war crimes, and barely left wing at all.
If I think of communism and some people being more equal than others, I'm not sure Jesus would fly that flag, either.
You're right, Rainbow, British and American humour is different.
I had a neighbour whose humour was so dry and straight-faced that often I wouldn't get his quips until after I'd gone on my way. It's not a good look to be walking down the road on your own and suddenly burst our laughing.
In fact, I was reading the order of service after his funeral and suddenly got the joke in his own service plan - he was still making me laugh and he'd been dead for a week.
What, like, 'marry me, or it's over between us' sort of thing?
Yes, ultimatums work splendidly if you're okay with either option.
Usually, when people are issuing an ultimatum they are okay with either option. That's what is most interesting about them.
If someone is okay with marriage and it being over, it says something about them.
If someone is okay about with you eating your sprouts, or killing you, it says something about them.
And ultimatums especially work if you're trying to get rid of someone. Whether the recipient marries, walks away, eats their sprouts, or is killed, one way, or another, at some point they won't be seen for dust.
Food waste isn't just about sell by, or use by dates.
Those dates are only valid if the food is kept in the correct conditions. For example, raw meat with three days on the date cannot be sold, or given away if it has gone over 8C. A piece of raw meat containing 3 e.Coli that is allowed to go over 8C for 10 minutes will end up with enough microbes to kill.
If you're going to go dumpster raiding, know your stuff about high risk foods, especially if you're feeding vulnerable people.
It takes a bit of funding and organisation to use waste food on a large scale. It needs to be transported under the correct conditions and then stored likewise.
We're beginning to see some changes here in the UK.
And I'm greatful for what my friend calls the 'nearly dead section' and supermarkets call 'still fresh' where goods near their dates are discounted. I eat well for that.
My mother thought it would confuse my sister and I if we were brought up in a bilingual household. I understand her concerns, but regret her decision.
I wonder if her decision also ran deeper. I have a sneaky feeling she could at one time speak Yiddish, but survival depended on only speaking German.
I was never very good at learning languages at school and I wonder if some of her unspoken fears rubbed off on me subliminally as a child.
It may be that aural learning is simply not my strong point. I've tried to pick up a little Welsh, but my deafness makes that an arduous task. I've only really managed to pick up stuff I've seen written down. I'm great with road signs.
Sewing machines are pretty simple and logical Pat, but if you've never used one, I'd recommend getting an old one.
The simplest type being an old cast iron one with a hand wheel. Grand if you just want to sew straight stitches. You can often get electric older models with more functions second hand, as well.
Modern ones are often all singing and dancing, but it's unlikely you'll want all the functions. They tend to be plastic, fragile and especially if they have electronic functions, somewhat expensive and throw away.
Some people introduced antidepressants in some area of Africa, I think it was. The local medics wanted to know what they were and what they were for.
After the explanation, they informed the visitors that they already had antidepressants.
Expecting some herbal remedy, this visitors followed the medics and we're introduced to a local farmer. The farmer had been working in the fields when a landmine exploded, amputating his leg. After treatment and having a prosthesis fitted, he went back to work. The trouble was, something to do with the wet conditions of the field caused him extreme pain where the prosthetic leg fitted to the remains of his limb; the field was also a reminder of his traumatic experience. The farmer became anxious and also cried the whole time he was in the field.
The medics bought him a cow. He became a dairy farmer, no longer suffered the physical pain and no longer cried all the time.
So, you see, said the medics, we already have antidepressants.
I'm not sure why, because it seems like a good idea on many levels - documenting accidents, feedback of tuition and learner performance, etc.
One issue might be that cameras would have to be able the view knee level, as well as everywhere else. Another might be that codes of conduct might need to be introduced before monitoring those codes of conduct. Or maybe the suggestion of cameras might muddy the water in terms of getting legislation through.
I wonder about the implications of the added expense on sole traders - many struggle with the cost of the adapted cars as it is. Then there'll be how you monitor that sole traders are recording and storing footage.
Hmm, there's something about derogating people from poorer countries for not being productive enough, whilst they grow crops for richer countries to waste, that I can't quite put my finger on.
As for modern medicine, despite the various ethical issues of the industry, how many people would be willing to sacrifice their own for the benefit of all? It would be rather odd if people didn't fight for their loved ones' survival.
Perhaps a change of mindset and some reorganisation would help avoid an apocalypse.
jac_the_gripper Forum Posts (5,363)
RE: Life sentences
You have a slight dilemma, or two here.If someone wishes to end their own life, they may be classed as mental ill.
To execute a mentally ill person is against international law.
Execution is not the same as voluntary euthanasia, suicide, or assisted suicide.
You'd need a process for this, including establishing the prisoner is sound of mind and therefore capable of making the decision.
You'd also need an assisted suicide, or euthanasia procedure which is different from the current execution procedures.
Undoubtedly, a fair number of death row inmates would opt for assisted suicide, or euthanasia given the current position of the lethal injection in the US.
In which case, I'm not sure you could claim free choice, given the threat of the alternative. Coercion would be an issue.
Plus, there would likely be a public outcry that there wasn't enough cruel and unusual punishment involved.