LH: "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few."

The many are ppl who live normal lives and try to avoid hurting other ppl. The few are ppl who think it's OK to live by violence, robbery and murder. To guarantee the safety of the many, I'd rather see the few kept where they can't hurt the many. That means either life imprisonment or capital punishment. In extreme cases, I think capital punishment is perfectly justified.

If there's any doubt about the conviction, it's wrong. If the person was provoked (including women stabbing abusive husbands in their sleep), it's wrong. If the person is not likely to do it again (eg. they've now got medication to control their mental health problems), it's wrong. But if someone's killed another person in cold blood, and is likely to kill again if they are released, I don't see why they should be allowed to live. The rest of us are safer without them.

Derek Bentley is an obvious case in the UK of someone who was hanged when he shouldn't have been. But equally the Kray brothers are a prime example of a pair of psychopaths whose preservation served no good purpose. Glorifying these maniacs seems incredibly perverse.

Grab.