Should we bring back the Lash?

[sandwichwarrior.livejournal.com]

Advocate corporal punishment and most people will scoff or recoil in horror. "What do you take us for? Barbarians?" seems to be the most common response. and yet, thanks to the "War on Drugs" and mandatory sentancing the US imprisons more citizens per capita than any other country in the western world. One month ago the US Supreme Court ruled that conditions in California prisons were unconstitutional, specifically that the prevalence overcrowding coupled with shoddy/non-existant medical treatment constitued cruel and unusual punishment. Furthermore the prevalence of rape in american prisons has been declared a humanitarian crisis by numerous watchdog groups.

It's a simple question really.

If given the choice between 10 years in a California prison or 10 lashes in the public square which would you choose?

Personally I'd choose the whip.


PS:
The above morally-framed argument completely ignores the economic incentive for corporal punishment, you don't have to spend ____ years feeding and housing a flogged prisoner and you do not loose a potentialy valuable member of the workforce. Though if the former is your chief concern we could just bring back chain gangs.

Comments

[meus-ovatio.livejournal.com]

Lashing is no more realistic than decriminalizing drug offenses. Both are political impossibilities.

[sandwichwarrior.livejournal.com]

Of course. but in the words of Herbert Stien, "That which cannot continue won't"

[meus-ovatio.livejournal.com]

In that case, the decriminalization of drug offenses is an order of magnitude more realistic than bringing the lash.

[sandwichwarrior.livejournal.com]

But can you sell pay-per-view rights to decriminalization?

;)

[meus-ovatio.livejournal.com]

I can't sell anything. I'm a terrible salesperson.

[allhatnocattle.livejournal.com]

political impossibility? like a black president? or same sex marriage?

The difference between possible and impossible is often will and determination.

[meus-ovatio.livejournal.com]

Oh, I thought it was online petitions.

[allhatnocattle.livejournal.com]

I saw the petition but couldn't afford to send my money order in with it until the end of the month. But Oprah is great isn't she? Did you see when she gave away all those cars?!!! She's so generous. I learned everything I know from her. Thankfully she has her own network now. I was getting bored and didn't know what to do with my day. I mean I was practically suicidal! After 4 o'clock I'd be watching reruns of M*A*SH*, isn't that pathetic? But now there's Shania Twain, the Princess chick and that guy with all the dogs... A cup of tea and a box of bonbons and I'm a happy camper. :)