Could you be a hangman?

[jake-the-peg]

On last nights program on homelessness the actor Bruce Jones, in a rather emotional state, offered to be the nations executioner for all the paedophiles and murderers.

But the difference between an executioner and a vigilante is that an executioner doesn't get to choose who he kills.

So could you do it? even if you didn't think that person deserved it.

A battered wife that killed her husband?
A pensioner that shot a burglar?
A man who killed his daughters rapist?
Someone you thought was innocent?

And if you could , what is the ethical difference between you and a soldier committing genocide on the orders of his superiors?

[Barmaid]

Yep!

[paraffin]

Had to stop for nosebag: back to "the fray."

Barmaid:

I withdraw my "duh" comment and apologise unreservedly for using it - spur of the moment?

Yes, I too have had experience of "mysterious" decisions and verdicts - guess that's down to human error?

You've quoted two extremely high profile cases in Jill Dando and Sally Clarke and I've always asked myself: what would those verdicts have been had capital punishment still been available? That puts a totally different perspective on things and although it's mere conjecture, I have strong doubts that guilty verdict would have been returned in either case.

Now had you quoted the Derek Bentley or Timothy Evans cases , either would have been more credible given that the death penalty was still in force in those days and both have been proven to have been miscarriages of justice. AND they didn't have the distinct advantage of DNA evidence on which to call.

Anyway, having digressed enough, I personally believe that the reintroduction of capital punishment would not necessarily be a retrograde step as I've always been of the opinion that the mere threat of it's enough to provide a credible deterrent, allied with the fact that the considerable progress in technology over the last 40 odd years since its abolition would help to jusify its restoration.

[123everton]

There was a convicted murderer (infanticide) on the Titanic the death penalty was'nt used that reguarly in Britain and the first 3 would be very liable to have their sentences commuted.
I get the point of your question I had a similar discussion in C.B this morning.
If life meant life (in jail, groan) then arguments for the death penalty would die away.
I saw Bruce's rant on T.V and it did'nt hold water.

[ELVIS68]

I`d be no good, I always go for the vowels first and then it`s too late

[tamborine]

soldier committing genocide where have you derived from jake?

[imhotep]

Hmmmm, a mixed response on this thread.
But,i don't think i could do such a thing.
It's definitely not in my mind.
Although,if someone abused my one year old great nephew,I would certainly torture them back,but would never actually kill them.

[littlewren]

No, I couldn't execute anyone in cold blood There have been occasions when I could have killed out of rage (yes, actually, but luckily nothing apppropriate was in my hand at the time). I have a violent temper when my loved ones are threatened which frightens me very much.

I have in my possession a pencil portrait drawing of a man who I am told was an "official executioner" in the first quarater of the lst century. The artist was my aunt, a talented youngster at the time, who apparently met him aboard ship when the family was returning to UK from New Zealand at the end of my grandfather's career.

I never met my aunt, who died when I was a baby. but I am told that her abiding memory was of a tense and wound-up man with fingernails bitten to the quick .

Of course, he may just have been terrified that his gambling debts were about to be revealed / his wife would find out he had another lover / his mother was about to find she wasn't the only person in his life / he was still waiting to know if his Littlewoods Pools had come up......................

Who knows??!!!