cruel and unusual

In a 5-4 decision June 25, 2008, the US Supreme Court struck down a law that imposes the death penalty for people convicted of raping children under the age of 12, saying it violates the Constitution’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment.

In Kennedy v. Louisiana, Justice Anthony Kennedy said in so many words that a State may not impose the death penalty against an individual for committing a crime that did not result in the death of the victim, and in essence said that for as long as the rape did not culminate in the death of the child, the punishment of death is not commensurate to the crime.

I suppose I agree with him. After all, why not keep the perverted fuckers alive and torture them and let them get buttfucked every goddamned day of the rest of their lives? Except I suppose that would be cruel and unusual too.

But I think what’s more cruel and unusual is the fact that the poor children these dickwads raped and tortured and mutilated will have to try and live whatever lives they can live with the knowledge that the persons responsible for their worst nightmares ever have received the mercy and compassion from the Court that they didn’t show to their victims. That they should’ve died after they were raped, if only to ensure that their rapists would die too.

Cruel and unusual. Really.

I’ve never really had a strong stand regarding capital punishment, I’ve usually been in the shades of gray whenever the topic comes up, but I know where I stand in some things.

I’m mostly against capital punishment because of the fallibility of the justice system, the mistakes that can be made that can result in innocent people dying,

I don’t agree with the imposition of capital punishment for drug crimes, as the people who get caught and punished are usually the middle men and the low rung players who were too stupid to know better, and not the big time dealers who barely blink at the loss and continue counting the money.

But people who rob other people of the lives they used to know, people who never gave innocent children the opportunity to grow up and be happy first and maybe later when they’re adults find out that the world isn’t such a good place, people who derived pleasure from causing defenseless little boys and girls pain?

If only to give those poor children who survived some small measure of comfort, if only to let them know that those who took their innocent lives away will have their godforsaken lives taken from them too?

I would say that what’s more cruel and unusual is to allow these fuckers to live and torture and insult their victims, as well as the good and decent people of this world, with their continued existence.