Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site sftri.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!bellcore!allegra!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxm!sftig!sftri!mom From: mom@sftri.UUCP (M.Modig) Newsgroups: net.women Subject: Reply to questions on confronatations Message-ID: <285@sftri.UUCP> Date: Sat, 22-Dec-84 15:29:43 EST Article-I.D.: sftri.285 Posted: Sat Dec 22 15:29:43 1984 Date-Received: Sun, 23-Dec-84 08:34:43 EST Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Summit N.J. Lines: 61 >> >> Also spare me any frenzied, sarcastic, or even well-reasoned >> accusations that I am in favor of "protecting rapists" or that I am >> a woman-hater for daring to intimate that the rapist is a human >> being, and thus is entitled to rights we accord all other human >> beings, and may only have those rights and privileges taken away >> from him in a particular manner [convictions, courts, >> sentencing...,etc.] >> >> Mark Modig >> ihnp4!attunix!mom > >I would like to elaborate on that last paragraph...It is certainly very >important to avoid false accusations, and see that justice is accorded >properly, but as far as I'm concerned, the CONVICTED rapist (or for that >manner, anyone who has been convicted of a violent crime against another >person) is no longer a human being, but some sort of beast--I don't want >to use the term animal for fear of insulting the animals :-). It seems to >me that in our zeal to see that justice is administered fairly, the scales >have swung too far in the direction of the convicted criminal, and that just >doesn't seem right to me. I'm not advocating INHUMANE treatment of these >people, but I do think that they should be punished for what they've done, >and that usually involves revoking many rights and privileges that most >humans take for granted. Admittedly, you do make mention of the conditions >under which a person's rights may be taken away, but again, a being who has >been convicted of a violent crime has, in my opinion, just forfeited any >rights he/she may once have claimed as a human being. Perhaps people would >thing twice about committing violence against their neighbors if the >punishment were swift, sure, and just. No doubt the fostering of the proper >attitudes toward our fellow humans, male and female, would be the ideal >solution, but I don't see that becoming widespread anytime soon. The point >is, people must learn that antisocial behavior has nasty consequences. >MJR Shurtleff I sympathise with your feelings, and I am not sure if my attitudes would change if someone close to me were a victim of violent crime, but: I believe an accused rapist has the same rights we all enjoy, including innocent until proven guilty, and the right to a speedy trial. (Actually, the alleged victim should enjoy this right too, in my opinion) I believe a convicted rapist has, by virtue of his guilt, some of his rights taken away. These rights are restored to him when he has served the sentence assigned him and "paid his debt to society"; provided the sentence given to him is not death. The severity of the penalty is another matter. You may feel that the penalty for certain crimes is too light or too heavy, but that is a different issue. You obviously feel that a convicted rapist has no rights. If he does not, then why do we bother imprisoning him? Why not execute him on the spot? To my way of thinking, the rights of every human being are precious, and the crime that has to be committed to justify taking away all of those rights forever must be monstrous indeed. Precisely which crimes those are is a matter of judgement, and I will not argue further on that score here. Mark Modig ihnp4!sftri!mom