GrainneDhu
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- Jun 11, 2010
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Until I read this thread, I assumed I was probably very much in the minority for being anti-death penalty.
For me it is partially a religious/philosophical issue (I was raised Buddhist) and partially a desire to hold myself to a higher standard of behaviour than that of a murderer.
My Buddhist upbringing makes me feel that I would be wrong to even call a convicted murderer a monster because that is dehumanizing them... just as they dehumanized their victim(s).
That upbringing also leads me to believe in the possibility of rehabilitation or redemption (or whatever you want to call it). It may be rare but I believe that it does happen and that it is the right thing to give every person the chance to attain it if they so choose, no matter what their history.
For me it is partially a religious/philosophical issue (I was raised Buddhist) and partially a desire to hold myself to a higher standard of behaviour than that of a murderer.
My Buddhist upbringing makes me feel that I would be wrong to even call a convicted murderer a monster because that is dehumanizing them... just as they dehumanized their victim(s).
That upbringing also leads me to believe in the possibility of rehabilitation or redemption (or whatever you want to call it). It may be rare but I believe that it does happen and that it is the right thing to give every person the chance to attain it if they so choose, no matter what their history.