Well, in my quest for the controversial I have a really good question, should we use corporal punishment in our justice system?

For example, in many Asian nations vandalism, ie. tagging, wanton property damage, even beating your wife can result in being beaten with a rattan cane as part of the sentence. This is no girlie stick but a serious piece of wood wielded by someone who knows how to lay the smack down.

Here in America I can go one step further, beat your wife or husband, several State Marshals get to beat the crap out of the offender publicly so they get a feel for the pain and humiliation of what they inflict on others and instill upon them the knowledge they cannot victimize people, especially family members like that and get away with it.

Now if you are going to answer with one or two line quippy posts forget it. I am not looking for ignorant or stupid answers. I am looking for REAL debate with well thought out responses with a reason behind them.

I feel it is justified. This IS a violent world and Americans are WAY too soft on the violent offenders. Humans innately are violent creatures and only learn though pain sometimes to behave themselves. Inflict pain, receive pain. Trying to pander to these people does not solve the problem. Putting them in jail and prison only hardens their behavior. They need a reason to know fear. If you are not out hurting people you have no reason to fear reprisal.

Spare the rod, spoil the child. Granted we need to still require due process before inflicting any punishment but once convicted...

Also please do not use the whole 'but innocent people will suffer accidentally' line. Yes it does happen and then there is a whole different topic in the "what should we do for those unjustly punished" question. That IS NOT the topic of this thread.

Let the controversy flow!

You make a lot of good points. I can see both pros and cons in your way of thinking. I'm sure the bleeding hearts out there would say something like "violence begets violence'. Well boo-hoo. The aggressors should get a dose of their own medicine. Obviously, they don't get the fact that their actions can destroy ppl's lives. As I stated in a previous thread there is no accountability today. Look at the legal system. Commit the crime -- in jail, out of jail. Big deal. This is not working for the most part. I would love to know the stats on how many child molesters/abusers, rapists, murderers get their get out of jail free card, only to go back out and re-offend. Most of these ppl cannot be rehabilitated. Their justification in doing these horrible things is ingrained in their brain! Or, some defense attorney will put forth the idea that "poor man/woman, had a terrible childhood and doesn't know the difference between right and wrong". If you don't know the difference between right and wrong, there's got to be something funky going on in your brain. Making the punishment fit the crime is a hard call though. Lots more to say on this topic, not enough room or time.

Great topic for debate. Let's hope the replies stick to the issue on this one.

I spent almost 9 years working as a Sheriff's Deputy in the biggest jail in the free world- Cook County jail, here in Chicago. I have no doubt in my mind that caning, or stuff like it, would deter a few people from doing what they do, but for the majority of evil-doers, it won't work. We have seen the death penalty do almost nothing to halt murders.

When I was in Saudi Arabia, back in 1991, we happened to be outside a small village when they went about cutting a few people's hands off. The threat of being called Stumpy didn't deter those few folks, so I don't think caning, or a butt-kicking will work either.

As someone that was raised knowing how to say "Yes, Sir, or Ma'am", I think my folks did a good job. Almost 45 years on this planet, and I have only spent 4 hours in jail- due to clobbering a guy with one punch that grabbed my buddie's wife's behind. The charges were dropped due to his uncle, a local Judge, not wanting the bad publicity at election time. The guy did get his "Action/Reaction".

Grab a heiney that belongs to someone's wife, and a dude will break your jaw.

These days, parents using the time-out BS.. Man... We're gonna get bit in the keyster when these kids get older and they haven't learned any respect for anyone.

I've always said that those who go out an maliously rape an murder should be dealt the exact same punishment

Short and sweet, NO CORPORAL PUNISHMENT.

I do however, think that if someone commits murder they should be executed immediately.

hahaha I remember the kid in Singapore

he was the son of an embassy staffer

little rebellious punk wannabe gang banger

the kid went out at night and spray painted a bunch of cars with gang graffiti.

and got caught. tried and sentenced to 30 lashes with a cane

the cane is bamboo that is split into ten or so pieces. so when you get hit with it the pieces pinch and actually cut through the skin. and thirty times will leave your back a raw and bloody mess

President Clinton at the time appealed for leniency and the Singpore government replied "too much leniency is the kids problem in the first place"

He got those thirty lashes and then was deported from the country.

on his arrival to america he was interviewed and he said "I'll have these scars the rest of my life to remind me to be accountable for my actions"

so apparantly the lashing worked in his case

Let that be a deterent to those who are even thinking of beating and robbing old ladies, slapping their partners around (men and women) and stop this happening in the future..........

"Two young brothers who lured two boys, aged nine and 11, to a South Yorkshire ravine before carrying out a brutal attack have admitted the assault.

At Sheffield Crown Court the brothers, aged 10 and 12, admitted causing grievous bodily harm with intent."

When a society thinks that violence is to be solve with violence then violence becomes natural and the only solution.

I am a non violent person in my everyday actions might it be for humans or animals but I believe that certain individuals are loss causes and should be dealt accordingly.

I always found it odd how people feel they have the right to go in and attack or kill someone but when it comes to their life... they don't want to give it up. They feel they should be treated fairly. They have "rights" that we have to give them.
Why is it OK for you to go around taking lives at will but when it comes to your own, you won't give it up? You take a life, you up yours.
Right now there is a lawsuit going on where a guy went in and robbed someone, and as he was fleeing... the victim shot him. The attacker feels he has the right to compensation for "pain and suffering" because he was shot while commiting a felony. WTF??
There are entirely to many criminal rights and no victim rights.

This comes straight from my profile:
I'm a combat Veteran, son of a combat Veteran, who was also the son of a combat Veteran, and all three of our generations have been Catholic, and Democrats, but I'm pro-choice and pro death penalty. I think that a retrial should take place within one year of conviction, and that if there's a reconviction, execution should take place one month later. Anyone heard of Pay-Per-View? Big $$$ to be made.. I'm pro water-boarding. I'm against making deals with terrorists.
I'm all about castration for 2nd time sex-offenders, and that anyone that hurts a child should be put in a locked room with as many male relatives of that child as possible, no-holds barred, no charges filed.

However, it's proven that violence doesn't cure violence. It never has.
Often times criminals are far more violent AFTER they get out of prison than they were before they went in.
And captial punishment obviously hasn't deterred people from committing capital crimes.
Even back in the days of public hangings... people still committed crimes.
You can't cure stupid and you can't cure evil.

I just heard about that too.. He isn't here in Illinois though. Here, we have a law that states, I'm paraphrasing now.. "You do an illegal act, and you get hurt, then you're to blame for your own actions".
It goes along with another law that says "You're responsible for your crime". For instance.. A man robs a grocery store, and the security guard accidently shoots a mother of three, and then you get in your stolen car and run a stop sign, killing an old lady when she crashes into a pole.. You just hit the trifecta of crimes. You own all of that by your actions of robbing the store.

That's how it should be.

Anybody here ever watch the movie "Doctor Strangelove, or how I stopped worrying and learned to love the bomb?"

There was a dialogue between the Russian Ambassador and the President about deterrent force. Deterrent force does not work if people do not know about it.

Executions need to be public. So should beatings if they are employed. People are desensitized to the idea of executions because they don't see them happen. Every person in prison where a convicted death row inmate getting their just rewards should be forced to watch. Also the idea of Humanely putting them down? FAH! Hang em, shoot them, behead them, or better yet kill them in a way that makes them scream. Even the hardest criminal will get scared hearing the screams of a dying man especially if they think they are next.

One of the ultimate problems is if we were such an enlightened people we should not have criminals in the first place. We are not. We still act like animals in more complicated ways. Heck, we ARE animals no matter what religion pushes on us. We spent too much time with Criminal Rights that we took away the rights of the Victims who committed no crime. Mexico has no death penalty and look at the mess they are in. I dare ANY of the liberals out there to go to Mexico right now! Complain about Criminal Rights there.

For as unfortunate as it is we are a nation of TOO MANY LAWS and not enough enforcement!

What can I say I'm Proud to be a Texan and the fact we have the death penalty. Sorry I feel if you commit the crime you should do the time..........how ever it is put into effect....

Actually if the punishment was harsher then it is I would almost bet our prisons would not be as over crowded as they are.

Do you see those countries that actually carry out the harsher punishments prisons overcrowded? Heck noooooooooooo they would do anything just to get out of them......

I read that many of the terrorists captured, when threatened with being put in American prisons just laughed and said "your prisoners live better than the people in my village. please put me there"

Put them in Cook County in General Population, and see how long it is until they turn in bin laden, and their own mother.

Why hasn't Winx chimed in yet????

Quit bashing us Democrats, Andy.. Some of us lean towards the conservative side.

Not bashing Dems. I know not all of them are bad or blind. At least Winx usually can come up with some good and intelligently spoken counterpoint. Nothing more. If I was bashing Dems in general I would be a lot more clear about that.

What I bash is the apparent lack of financial sensitivities and a blind belief in party politics! I have no issue with an intelligent disagreement. I DO however have issue with one line and two line "Tongue stuck out" responses.