Death Penalty

The Supreme Court decided today that "the death penalty is unconstitutional as a punishment for the rape of a child."

You know, usually I don't know where I stand on the death penalty. To me, most modern day executions don't seem to constitute cruel and unusual punishment (as long as it's not torturing the person). Even if it's not really that logical to take a life for a life, it does seem somewhat fair in a rather perverted way. There's also the "benefit" of not having overcrowded prisons, and thus either less funds are directed towards prisons or the country can concentrate on rehabilitating those who are convicted of other crimes... although one of the gravest consequences of the death penalty could be accompanied by the question, "What if he didn't do it?"

When it comes to rape though, I do advocate the death penalty. Rape is an intentional crime, carried out consciously upon a helpless victim. It leaves the victim mentally, emotionally, and possibly even physically scarred for life. Rape is committed for no other reason than for the offender to satisfy his or her perverted need for power at the expense of an innocent bystander, causing trauma that may fade but will never disappear from a victim's life completely.

I'm happy Barack Obama disagrees with the Supreme Court Decision. If I may quote him, "I have said repeatedly that I think the death penalty should be applied in very narrow circumstance for the most egregious of crimes. I think that the rape of a small child, six or eight years old, is a heinous crime, and if a state makes a decision under narrow limited well defined circumstance the death penalty is at least potentially applicable."

Though honestly, if Obama is elected president and he has the opportunity to nominate a new justice, I think he's going to have a hard time finding a liberal judge without strict liberal beliefs. (Sandra Day O'Connor, we need people who approach problems like you do...)

Nonetheless... well said, Barack Obama. Well said.

Oh, and if you're wondering why I was MIA for so long, it's because A) Hillary is out of the race and I'm suddenly rather disinterested in politics again, B) I REALLY don't have any work to do now and thus since I have nothing to procrastinate on my creativity light bulb doesn't light up as much, and C) I'm wrapping up my school year. Senior Picnic passed, my last day of classes passed, Senior Countdown passed, Senior Sunset passed (that is, if it didn't rain that day), grad parties are beginning, I just wrapped up prom yesterday, and I'm graduating tomorrow.

Busy, busy, busy. But I'm having such a great time.