Public flogging

[Sojourner]

I know you all have missed my periodic updates on Indiana politics. I've tried to abstain, because I know Indiana politics are only really interesting to me. HOWEVER, this was just TOO GOOD to pass up.

OK. So we had our primary on Tuesday, and the longtime leader of the state senate, Bob Garton -- who's held office for more than 30 years -- lost to a young whippersnapper who (as you may guess from the title of the thread) supports public flogging.

[url="http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060503/NEWS02/605030487&SearchID=73243679191178"]From the Star:[/url]
[quote]He has said he supports public flogging, a stance he defends by saying "no skin would be broken," and the public humiliation could change lawbreakers' ways.[/quote]
And from a letter to an editor to his county's local paper:
[quote]Flogging would have a high deterrent factor, be inexpensive, would not keep the perpetrator from working to support himself and any dependents, could be administered swiftly, and most importantly, would alter behavior. If properly, publicly administered, the corporal punishment would steer the offending citizen to chose constructive recreational alternatives to drug abuse.[/quote]

And last but not least, [url="http://www.theflogger.com/"]the obligatory satirical Web site[/url], complete with "Whip It" as the background music.



So yeah, what do you think? Should public flogging be reinstituted?

[AngelofJesus]

Legally speaking, it would be a lawsuit nightmare. Not even convicts in jail can be punished corporally. They can be isolated or restrained but never flogged. As soon as you lay a hand on an individual they can sue for "never able to walk straight again", "mental anguish, not able to work" ,etc.

[zwergel88]

it might deter it, but it would also violate the 8th amendment that protects against cruel and unusual punishment.

[Franimus]

it's definatly not cruel and unusual punishment...

I think my answer to this is the question: Do we want to deter criminals, or do we want to change their hearts?

I think prison is better because it gives them reflection time. A spanking may work for a child, but even then spankings stop working for a child. People say, oh it's only a quick flogging.. The pain will be done just like that. Prison, however, takes up their time, and we all know how valuable time is. Also, it gives us the perfect opportunity to evangelize to them. Not only do we have many stories of how christians are arrested for their faith, and end up holding daily mass in prison and converting the jailers, but also I know here at FUS they have prison ministry, where people visit the prisons with the intention of talking to them and ministering to them.

it's definatly not cruel and unusual punishment...

I think my answer to this is the question: Do we want to deter criminals, or do we want to change their hearts?

I think prison is better because it gives them reflection time. A spanking may work for a child, but even then spankings stop working for a child. People say, oh it's only a quick flogging.. The pain will be done just like that. Prison, however, takes up their time, and we all know how valuable time is. Also, it gives us the perfect opportunity to evangelize to them. Not only do we have many stories of how christians are arrested for their faith, and end up holding daily mass in prison and converting the jailers, but also I know here at FUS they have prison ministry, where people visit the prisons with the intention of talking to them and ministering to them.

[blovedwolfofgod]

Not a good idea to publicaly beat someone with low self esteem. Tends to cause more problems...

Though I do quite often feel that a number of people should be dragged into the streets and beaten. But skin SHOULD be broken.

[Norseman82]

If you want to go the public humiliation route, you could always put people in stocks.

[GenesiusMMVI]

Public flogging is perfectly legal....if you live in Jalalabad...Jedda....Darfur. How someone can actually support this is beyond me.

What a ma-roon.

[Brother Adam]

I see nothing wrong with public humiliation depending on the crime. If you break the law, you deserve to be punished. If you are humiliated publically, it is your own fault. No one forced you to commit the crime.

[frozencell]

Although I am sure that there are instances where people are converted in prison I think that it doesn't do the job it is designed to do most of the time. Sure you lock people up and get them out of peoples' hair for a while, but taxpayers have to pay for that and then they are released to, many times, become repeat offenders. Harsher, and more public, punishment should definitely be instituted, and I am not opposed to public humiliation or flogging! Something has to be done! I am a good Catholic and all, but at the same time I get so tired of worrying if someone's feelings were hurt> I mean, come on! Geez! No one made them do the wrong thing and I think that if they do then they should just have to smell of elderberries it up and deal with it! Other countries that institute punishments like this (or have a different cultural mentality altogether) don't have the problems that the States do. I live in Japan and I can go out at night and not really worry at all that I might get mugged. I can leave my car unlocked almost anywhere and not worry about it getting broken into. Flocks of children go miles to kindergarten all by themselves everyday and none of them are ever snatched! It all has to do with the cultural mentality, of which the US has not a very good one. I think that the mentality can be jumpstarted by different punishment. I don't know about you, but if I really wanted to rape someone or steal something and know that I'm going to go to jail and be treated rather humanely and then get out in a couple of years(maybe even early) then I am more inclined to take the chance then if I knew I would get publicly humiliated or even worse! Punishment in itself isn't going to solve the problem, but I think that it could pave the way for change if applied appropriately.

[Jaime]

If you're looking for public humiliation, I have a few women they should ask out.






Oh maybe ithat's just me

[frozencell]

[quote name='hot stuff' post='975635' date='May 8 2006, 06:21 PM']
If you're looking for public humiliation, I have a few women they should ask out.
Oh maybe ithat's just me
[/quote]

Hahahahahahaha....................

[Tarcisius]

i think its rediculous. it would only make me further resent society. plus a lot of "lawbreakers" and the people they hang around wouldnt feel embarrased and would of it like, hey it doesnt even hurt that bad.

plus, i dont like the idea of humans punishing others. that is for God. I think we only have the right to protect ourselves, others, and prevent further crime. That is why prison works, it prevents crime from happening while the inmate is jailed.

[Socrates]

I'm all for public flogging!

This was a common traditional punishment, and is still practiced in many countries (which incidentally, tend to have low crime rates).

Our modern, liberal society worries way too much about the "rights" of the guilty (while at the same time, the right to life of the innocent becomes ever more disregarded).

And the notion that all human punishment is wrong, and that the sole purpose of incarceration is to protect others, is hardly a traditional Catholic one.

As a society, we seem to have largely lost any sense of justice (other than the false Marxist ideal of justice as economic equality).

[Era Might]

Flogging is barbaric.

[Norseman82]

[quote name='Tarcisius' post='975673' date='May 8 2006, 07:32 PM']
plus, i dont like the idea of humans punishing others. that is for God. [/quote]

Please read 1 Peter 2:13-14. Punishment of criminals IS the role of government!