Flyingcats posted a question in her LiveJournal based on something Elly (still an honorary Rinkie, in my book) posted in *hers*. I responded to fc's entry, because I thought it was an interesting question, but seeing as how LJ is a terrible place to try and actually have a meaningful conversation, I thought I'd bring it over here. We can always use some lively debate (the fact that I just bought stock in the Forum has *nothing* to do with this, honest).

'Cats asked whether or not you would want to view an execution. My answer is a bit of a tangent, but I think it's interesting.

Frankly, I sometimes think people should be required to watch executions if they live somewhere that has the death penalty. I am for capital punishment (given the right circumstances, of course) but having to witness executions would definitely force me to be constantly evaluating my stand on that.

If we are going to say that executions are a just and fair outcome of the criminal justice system, then we as a society need to be prepared to really understand that outcome. I feel the same way about pictures/video of wars: it amazes me to hear people who are for military action decrying the fact that the media shows gruesome images of warfare. Yes, this is the doing of your government. In a democracy, everyone of us bears some responsibility for the actions of our government; we are in some way responsible for the deaths of people we execute or kill in war.

Churchill once wrestled with the problem of whether or not people should be allowed to view executions (he was for capital punishment). Eventually he came to the conclusion that they should. His logic was something along the lines that justice, in all of its forms, should never hide from the light of public scrutiny. If our actions are just, then there should never be any reason to hide them. That sometimes our actions must take forms we dislike gives us motivation to prevent situations from occurring which require such actions.

Ste "And, yeah, my response to the question was copied verbaitm from my response in fc's journal" phen