Howdy Folks...how I've come to understand it, the death penalty and the business of "corrections" is a multi-billion dollar industry run by private-tized corperations...these corperations were the people that lobbied for the 3 strikes and your out law. Did you know that there are 7,000 ppl on death row in California, 4000 of which are there because they commited that 3rd crime, but it was a non-violent crime, such as stealing batteries. Imagine that. That is a fact. It costs $30,000 a year to house a person on death row, an education at Stamford University costs $31,000 a year. Hmmm. Another thing folks, death by lethal injection is not as "clean" as one imagines...there have been cases where the drugs that have been injected, have been injected in the wrong sequence...providing a very grusome event, these facts just make me sad. the death penalty was instituted as a deterrent to murder, yet almost all murder is a committed in the heat of the moment. crime is over reported by the media by 600%. I think and this is just my impression, that the corperate media (owned by most of the weapons manufactorers) is trying to keep us in fear, so that we will have this knee jerk reaction of "self-defense/self-preservation." And we must always be vigilant not to abuse our priviledges---if you are white, a man, and live in the first world---all priviledges. Also hording money and materials is a form of violence...ppl go without so that a few can have some.
To me, pacifism means that you don't see violence as a SOLUTION to any of life's problems, and that you attempt to solve problems in non-violent ways whenever possible. This does not mean that you completely rule out all uses of destructive force. Obviously, if someone attacks you in a dark alley, and you can't run away, passive resistance is not a practical response. I think that violence is never "right," but it can be justified. An obvious example is American involvement in World War II, because Hitler had to be stopped. Of course, if the German people had been pacifists, the war wouldn't have started in the first place, but they weren't, so it had to be fought. Similarly, if someone attacked my son, I would do everything in my power to immobilize that person. My violence would not be "right," but it would be justified, because it is my duty as a mother to protect my child, just as it is our duty as human beings to protect each other from social deviants; if people were not violent in the first place, there would be no cause for a violent response. So I think what I'm trying to say is that my brand of pacifism dictates that I never initiate violence, although I am comfortable with using force for self-defense, as well as the defense of my fellow human beings. Preemptive strikes don't count, and violence is only justified when all other options are exhausted. If someone attacks my son, and I am surrounded by friends, I would much rather he be hog-tied than punched; however, if I am alone, and someone attacks my son, I think that my only recourse would be violence, because I am rather small. I could deliver a quick blow to the solar plexus, but unless the attacker weighs less than 115 pounds (or is very weak) I don't think there's much I could do to immobilize them. As you can probably tell, my pacifism is practical...I think that violence creates more problems than it solves, but I also realize that, sometimes, it is the ONLY solution availiable--at least in a utilitarian sense. Of course, we could have let Hitler run rampant through Europe, Asia, and maybe America, in the name of some high ideal of peace; however, to do so would have been to close our minds and our hearts to the suffering of millions of people. I think both options pose a serious moral question, and I think the only solution is this: Don't initiate violence.
well, it´s not just your impression, it is true!! so many americans have guns, because they somehow think theres a constant threat. but theys cause it themselves. if i knew that any idiot could have a weapon, i´d be frightened too. luckily i live in a country where only very few people have weopons at home.
