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The Forum > Article Comments > Nguyen Tuong Van is not alone > Comments

Nguyen Tuong Van is not alone : Comments

By Keith Kennelly, published 1/12/2005

Keith Kennelly examines the extent and use of the death penalty around the world.

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To Ms Hedgehog. Internal enemies? Serial killers, terrorists, mass murderers, hired murderers, abduction/ rapist/ murderers and professional criminals. I know that girls are squeamish about killing people, Ms Hedgehog, that’s why boys are in the army. Don’t ask me why girls are now in the army. My unit was the 1/15th Lancers, a reserve unit at Parramatta. (spot on “ALL” it was an armoured unit.)

To Mr. Reason. If you go back through this topic you will see that I have the courtesy to write entire articles explaining my position to my opponents. I resent people who are unable to formulate a reasoned argument to support their erroneous views simply asking me a series of questions without submitting anything themselves. This is a debate, not an Inquisition, and you are not my Inquistor. I will be happy to answer your questions when you have the decency to stick your neck out and say something which you are prepared to defend.

I am not gloating over your mistake, Sneaky Peter, not am I accusing you of submitting fabricating figures which you knew was wrong. What I am saying is that the people who are providing you with these figures and arguments are being economical with the truth. You did not know that Kenneth Boyd strangled a six year old girl, did you? And you did not know that Norman Mailer has already made an idiot of himself over defending vicious criminals either. Correct? Whoever told you that Flint, Michigan was primarily a white city was lying to you. Your opinions on these subjects are based upon a false premises.
Posted by redneck, Tuesday, 6 December 2005 6:44:16 PM
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Redneck, your response didn't answer the question I put to you. Your ability to accept risk was not in question. What I actually asked was if this risk did in fact eventuate and you found your brother, son or self sitting on death row and quite possibly due to a judicial error, would you then simply shrug your shoulders and say "no problem, it's for the good of the community".

There is a difference.
Posted by crocodile, Tuesday, 6 December 2005 9:05:06 PM
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As one of “non-sufficient” I eventually omitted an official request for extradition – and not so much was said of but personal plees.

Any attending by EXPERTS to this postage?
Posted by MichaelK., Wednesday, 7 December 2005 3:55:11 PM
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For heaven's sake, Crocodile. I do not go around organising my life based upon worst case scenarios. I would hate to get killed driving my car, and I would opine that my chances of dying in a motor vehicle accident is a damned site higher than my chances of being executed for abduction/rape/murder. But that does not mean that I would avoid driving because I am terrified of the chance of getting killed. Especially since I am not really into serial killing, abducting, raping and murdering girls, strangling children, putting bombs in trains, or selling heroin.

I consider that your premise is laughable.

In times of war we as a nation order our innocent young men to die for us for the good of the community. And die they do, in the tens of thousands. But in times of peace, when we are beset by internal enemies who are mass killing our people and looting our treasury, we balk at the thought of killing dangerous criminals because they might be innocent.

When men who might be relied upon to fight to keep this nation independent realise that people like you consider the lives of criminals to be more worthy of preservation than the lives of soldiers, don't be surprised if they won't heed the clarion call to arms anymore.

The Australian Army today is having problems finding recruits and has asked the Australian government is they can recruit mercenaries. But as a former member of the reserve, I can tell you right now that the reserve has no trouble at all getting recruits. the problem the Reserve has is keeping recruits. Because our reserve is so woefully equipped that most recruits realise that the Reserve is a pretend army. Crime is costng this country twice the annual Defence budget, yet people like you would rather that your counry be defenceless than execute a single drug trafficker who complicit in murdering 1000 Australians a year.
Posted by redneck, Wednesday, 7 December 2005 7:05:40 PM
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Thanks for your reply Redneck, although I am neither dishonest or desparate. If you think there is dishonesty in my post, identify it.

With respect to your reply..
"Smoking has been fashionable and acceptable for 500 years so simply banning tobacco is not an option."

Why not? Surely if our rules are sufficiently harsh and we kill enough tobbacco pushing scum, people will learn to do what they are told. Or are you saying that use of deadly drugs is OK if they are accepted for a sufficient length of time?

"Most smokers begin as adolescents. A 14 year old girl does not smoke her first cigarette then overdose on nicotine and then die on the spot. But this can, and does, happen with 14 year old girls trying their first hit of heroin."

True, and a good point. So drugs should only be the subject of strict laws if they might kill young people suddenly. Alcohol is therefore out , marijhauna is OK.

14 year old girls are not noted for prostituting themselves for cigarettes or for committing serious crimes of theft to support their habits.

Is it the drug or the crime thats the problem?

"The responsible adults who make up the majority of the Australian electorate do not consider tobacco as being any where near as bad as heroin."

No, and I agree with them, but its still a deadly drug that kills more people every year than all the other drugs put together.

"We the responsible see it as our duty to support laws that protect both our children and our less intellectually endowed adults from the consequences of their own youth and stupidity, which we the responsible usually end up paying for anyway"

I agree, and would support severe sentences for anyone that provides dangerous drugs (including alcohol and tobacco) to children or intellectually disabled people. I don't however think that our current laws or a harsher version thereof are really doing a very good job of protecting the vulnerable though.
Posted by hellothere, Wednesday, 7 December 2005 7:07:47 PM
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On this thread there has been a little diversion into drug use. I have been following the thread of Greg Barnes article

Nguyen Tuong Van's death is a wake up call: legalise illicit drugs.

There appears many inaccurate assertions re drug use and drug related deaths in Australia.

I'd simply suggest a reading from the Parliamentary Library.

http://www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs/bp/1996-97/97bp12.htm#DRUGS

Now I don't know how authoratitive the work but it does carry with it some impressive references.

I think most would be surprised at how small a percentage of the population actually abuse herion and other illicit drugs.
Posted by keith, Wednesday, 7 December 2005 10:05:26 PM
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