Quote:
Originally Posted by Libertine
I know about genetics (and honestly, I think that the genetic aspects of behaviour are rather more complicated than dominant and recessive genes - it seems more likely to me that the meta-structures of DNA play a large role here, coupled with their almost infinitely complicated interplay with environment), but I would be opposed to making them mere objects for study since, in my view, that would be cruel and inhumane.
If one does not assume the existence of a soul or afterlife, death is a rather meaningless nothingness, which apart from our fear of it - and that ends when death comes anyway - would seem far preferable to a pained life as a guinea pig without any future prospects.
|
I wasn't saying alleles were the answer... my point was that the "example [of dominant and recessives] is analogous throughout all of genetic science"... as well as in anything, I gather... for every yin, there's a yang. For every action, an opposite and equal reaction. If we're to figure it out, we gotta start somewhere.
And why are your future prospects gone if studied? Many people have accomplished a great many things from behind bars.
I think committing yourself to a period of incarceration where you suffer steady observation coupled with an occasional pin prick and where you may have to, infrequently, answer a battery of test questions is a lot more humane and sensible of a situation than having your life ended...
But hey, maybe that's just me.
Not everyone has as calm and collected an approach to the idea of death as your argument presents... in fact, I don't think it's going too far our on a limb to say that few actually do.
And that's just from the prisoner's perspective. From society's perspective, there's much to be gained from study, and the best thing that we may arguably gain from capitol punishment - deterrence - isn't even an issue with minors. Everyone thinks they're immortal until about 25.
So, no... I really don't think we should kill them just for some misplaced sense of revenge contorted into justice.