I remember, a while back, a policeman was murdered in the course of his duty, resulting in calls from some for the restoration of the death penalty - specifically (and only) for killers of police officers. Frankly, this struck me as more than a little bit insulting to the rest of us. I have nothing against the death penalty per se for certain crimes, but surely, as a punishment, it should apply equally across the board for wilful murderers of anyone, not just a select few who wear a uniform. It may not be the intention, but it implies that not every innocent person's life is of the same value, and that some are worth more than others purely because of the way in which they earn their living.
Everyone's life is of equal value (at least to their relatives), so think how you'd feel if the person who killed a member of your family was given just a few years imprisonment, while the miscreant who murdered a member of someone else's family received the death penalty, purely because the victim was a policeman or woman. Hardly fair is it? It creates a two-tier system in which the lives of some people are considered more valuable than others. Protecting the police in the execution of their duty is not something that most people would object to, but surely the best way of doing it is to protect everyone by having the same punishment for murder, regardless of the victim's job?
So let me ask you a question. It's not the concept of capital punishment itself which is up for discussion (though you can tackle it if you want to), but rather whether it's fair or right that the death of someone in a minority (but important) occupation should be regarded as more worthy of the ultimate punishment for offenders than that of nurses, binmen, or shop workers.
What's your take on this, fellow Crivvies?
