Capital punishment is the punishment for the more serious offenses in certain countries. The punishment is death by either hanging, electric chair, beheading, lethal injection, etc. The idea behind capital punishment is that the concept of death will deter other criminals from committing any crimes. These criminals may fear death more than jail, but when in my eyes, staying in jail for life and working laborious jobs is worse than death. Still in thirty eight states in the United States capital punishment is legal, usually caused by murder, but also could be from treason, terrorism and other serious crimes.
The main reason capital punishment exists is to deter other criminals form committing the same crime, in theory this works because the criminals will be afraid of the unknown of death. The issue is that in most cases the countries with capital punishment have about an equal crime rate with the countries that have no capital punishment. The reasons for this could be that the criminal doesn't know what his punishment will be. He could be unaware that the trial will be quick and he will almost certainly be guilty. Also the criminal could get away with his crime due to the fact that only 63% of murderers in the U.S. are caught.
A reason why some people are against capital punishment is because of the morality issue. This is an issue in euthanasia as well because the people are not sure if it is right or wrong, most people say euthanasia is wrong, but capital punishment is right. It is actually kind of hypocritical because They won't allow people to die if they want to, but they don't have a problem killing people against their will. Personally I agree with euthanasia but I disagree with capital punishment because someone should be allowed to choose when they die, and a criminal should be given the worst treatment.
Death is scary to us because it is unknown, people think - Will I go to heaven, hell, or will there be nothing? That is why capital punishment exists, to scare other criminals, but since it doesn't deter most criminals. Because of that we should try and give them the worst punishment. Of course torture is extremely cruel and immoral, so the second best option is to force them to stay and make their life miserable, in a humane way. Such as giving them the worst food and making them do the hardest jobs, or something that will be negative towards them. This is better because from a non-religious standpoint, death is neutral, you may not be able to enjoy anything, but you will never have to suffer. Being locked up may not be as scary but it won't but fear of death doesn't seem to be stopping very many criminals.
Capital punishment could be for fear, revenge, or to give the criminal a suitable punishment. But for revenge, if someone is a killer, killing them back won't solve anything. Fear is still the main reason many countries keep capital punishment, but what those countries aren't realizing is that it isn't having much of an effect on the crime rates in that area. The only logical option left is to try to give the criminal a proper punishment for what they have done, which would be something that makes their life miserable, while not being cruel.
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
If a Country Calls Itself Free, Then The People Should be Free
People should have freedom over their lives, whether it be for what job they want to when and where they want to die. That is what my article is about, it debates about people wanting to choose to die and if it should be legal. But the main reasons people don't want to allow it are because of interference with religion, other loved ones may be effected, and mainly because it is illegal for a doctor to do so. Certain ways for people to die are illegal for a variety of reasons, some make more sense than others, but in the it should all come down to the patients choice.
I think that the patient should be able to end his/her life peacefully instead of living their life as a brain-dead vegetable. But certain religions believe that god should decide when a person dies and that is is wrong to deny gods will, but I believe that religious beliefs should not be mixed up with laws or the government. If you look at general history countries that have managed to keep a separation between religion and polotics, those countries are generally more successful. But even in countries where those two institutions of society are separate, you may not end someone life in a peaceful way even if the patient wants to. In my opinion doing this is an injustice to people, but yet it is part of the justice system.
The laws about different types of euthanasia are different wherever you go, for example in Washington it is legal to perform assisted suicide or active euthanasia, in which you give a drug or lethal injection with the patient's permission. Whenever I imagine assisted suicide I picture someone on the top of a building, their life is not worth living, due to pain, or any other reason someone else is there to give them a nudge, just a little push off the ledge, do I think this is wrong? It depends; the person may be misjudging things, and they have a chance of being saved then it may be wrong. If their life is truly not worth living and they just don't have the courage or willpower to take that step themselves it just might be right. This may make things sound dark, but certain diseases will cause tremendous amounts suffering, and the treatment could as well, and from my view I could consider it inhumane to force someone to live through torture like that. Many people still edge away from the topic of assisted suicide, so they use a different method, that ends with the same final product.
In Texas, assisted suicide is illegal, but passive euthanasia is legal. Passive euthanasia is when the doctors stop treatment on a patient whether due to it being futile, or perhaps the they can not afford the treatment, the permission may come from another loved one, a will, or the patient states it themselves. Another similar term for passive euthanasia that is much less official would be "Do Not Resuscitate"which means, if the participant has a heart attack or chokes, you may not give CPR or the Heimlich, you must let the patient die. This may sound harsh and irrational, but if it is what they want, it is best that you don't interfere. Many other types of euthanasia are around, a few legal only under certain circumstances, and others with varying degrees of consequences, such as involuntary euthanasia in which the doctor gives lethal drugs or an injection without the patient's consent.
Many different enthusiasms are legal or illegal in countries worldwide. They could be legal for reasons about religion, ethics, or maybe the doctor doesn't have the willpower to end someone life. People who believe in different things can view these topic however they want, but in the end they will all end the same, the patient will eventually pass away, and it could be due to old age, active euthanasia/assisted suicide or the disease takes them. No matter which I believe the final decision should always be from the individual who is suffering.
I think that the patient should be able to end his/her life peacefully instead of living their life as a brain-dead vegetable. But certain religions believe that god should decide when a person dies and that is is wrong to deny gods will, but I believe that religious beliefs should not be mixed up with laws or the government. If you look at general history countries that have managed to keep a separation between religion and polotics, those countries are generally more successful. But even in countries where those two institutions of society are separate, you may not end someone life in a peaceful way even if the patient wants to. In my opinion doing this is an injustice to people, but yet it is part of the justice system.
The laws about different types of euthanasia are different wherever you go, for example in Washington it is legal to perform assisted suicide or active euthanasia, in which you give a drug or lethal injection with the patient's permission. Whenever I imagine assisted suicide I picture someone on the top of a building, their life is not worth living, due to pain, or any other reason someone else is there to give them a nudge, just a little push off the ledge, do I think this is wrong? It depends; the person may be misjudging things, and they have a chance of being saved then it may be wrong. If their life is truly not worth living and they just don't have the courage or willpower to take that step themselves it just might be right. This may make things sound dark, but certain diseases will cause tremendous amounts suffering, and the treatment could as well, and from my view I could consider it inhumane to force someone to live through torture like that. Many people still edge away from the topic of assisted suicide, so they use a different method, that ends with the same final product.
In Texas, assisted suicide is illegal, but passive euthanasia is legal. Passive euthanasia is when the doctors stop treatment on a patient whether due to it being futile, or perhaps the they can not afford the treatment, the permission may come from another loved one, a will, or the patient states it themselves. Another similar term for passive euthanasia that is much less official would be "Do Not Resuscitate"which means, if the participant has a heart attack or chokes, you may not give CPR or the Heimlich, you must let the patient die. This may sound harsh and irrational, but if it is what they want, it is best that you don't interfere. Many other types of euthanasia are around, a few legal only under certain circumstances, and others with varying degrees of consequences, such as involuntary euthanasia in which the doctor gives lethal drugs or an injection without the patient's consent.
Many different enthusiasms are legal or illegal in countries worldwide. They could be legal for reasons about religion, ethics, or maybe the doctor doesn't have the willpower to end someone life. People who believe in different things can view these topic however they want, but in the end they will all end the same, the patient will eventually pass away, and it could be due to old age, active euthanasia/assisted suicide or the disease takes them. No matter which I believe the final decision should always be from the individual who is suffering.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Why are They Different From Us?
Animals around the world are being treated cruelly, wether it be because it is the easiest or cheapest way to do it, or because people are just cruel. Factory farms are an inhumane way to raise animals, they put the animals in cages where they never see the sun, can hardly move, and are never cleaned or given any medical attention. Unfortunately factory farms are the most efficient and cheapest way to mass produce animal products. They do this to thousands of animals at a time, thousands of farm animals all crammed together in cages, can hardly move, all breathing the same air, and all suffering the same lifestyle. Most people don't know where their beef or chicken comes from, but most of the time their meats have come from factory farms where the animal was forced to live a terrible life just to be slaughtered and eaten. The meat that is from the healthy animals is hard to find, unless you look for it at grocery stores, but free range eggs or meat are from animals raised on a farm where they are free to wander and lay down in the sunlight. The people who run the factory farms are doing things that slightly increase productivity but are extremely cruel, such as in some factory farms the chicks get debeaked so that they won't try and fight other chickens due to frustration.
These methods of raising animals started during the eighteenth century, this change was known as the agricultural revolution. These allowed farmers much greater profits, so over time many places around the world adopted this new technique of raising animals. This lead to the mass production of animal products. People discovered this worked because now they could use vitamin supplements to get nutrition instead of giving them a variety of food. Now with antibiotics and vaccines it was possible to raise livestock in larger numbers without a much smaller chance for disease transmission. And with chemicals created during World War II they were able to make pesticides to grow enough food for even more animals to eat. By 1990 thirty percent of meat production was due to factory farming, and by 2005 it was forty percent.
Different organizations have opened up to try and reduce how cruel the animals are treated and to make sure all the animal waste is properly used and the desease rates drop. The FAWC (Farm Animal Welfare Council) try to give animal freedom from hunger, thirst, discomfort, pain, from injury or disease, fear, distress, and to express normal behavior. The factory farms aren't becoming humane anytime soon, but that doesn't mean their efforts have been wasted, in certain places the animals have been treated with more respect. In the U.S. the CDC has been actively lowering disease between humans and animals, this stops humans from getting diseases, but in many cases the best way to stop the farmers from getting sick is by stopping the animals from getting sick. Even though the animals are the ones that are suffering the most, organizations tend to mostly help the people who own the farm from getting sick, but relatively few humans are dying from disease compared to the amount of animals dying because of humans. In some facilities, people are removing pigs teeth and tails to stop them from fighting, but often the pigs die from shock because often there is no anesthetic present during the operation, that means the pig is completely conscious and aware of the pain. Although in some places the owners realize that the animals deserve some respect, they actually care about them and make sure they are content and this has been proven to make the product better, less stress hormones, cleaner skin and meat, and healthier mear as well.
Whether we like it or not Factory farming is here to stay, it may get much better and humane, but it's not going away. The tide will not be held back by humanitarian, ethics, the animal lovers, or by organizations that work towards the well being of animals. In a few years factory farming will most likely grow, people won't care where their meat came from, and the amount of happy livestock that are allowed to walk freely in fields, will become scarce.
These methods of raising animals started during the eighteenth century, this change was known as the agricultural revolution. These allowed farmers much greater profits, so over time many places around the world adopted this new technique of raising animals. This lead to the mass production of animal products. People discovered this worked because now they could use vitamin supplements to get nutrition instead of giving them a variety of food. Now with antibiotics and vaccines it was possible to raise livestock in larger numbers without a much smaller chance for disease transmission. And with chemicals created during World War II they were able to make pesticides to grow enough food for even more animals to eat. By 1990 thirty percent of meat production was due to factory farming, and by 2005 it was forty percent.
Different organizations have opened up to try and reduce how cruel the animals are treated and to make sure all the animal waste is properly used and the desease rates drop. The FAWC (Farm Animal Welfare Council) try to give animal freedom from hunger, thirst, discomfort, pain, from injury or disease, fear, distress, and to express normal behavior. The factory farms aren't becoming humane anytime soon, but that doesn't mean their efforts have been wasted, in certain places the animals have been treated with more respect. In the U.S. the CDC has been actively lowering disease between humans and animals, this stops humans from getting diseases, but in many cases the best way to stop the farmers from getting sick is by stopping the animals from getting sick. Even though the animals are the ones that are suffering the most, organizations tend to mostly help the people who own the farm from getting sick, but relatively few humans are dying from disease compared to the amount of animals dying because of humans. In some facilities, people are removing pigs teeth and tails to stop them from fighting, but often the pigs die from shock because often there is no anesthetic present during the operation, that means the pig is completely conscious and aware of the pain. Although in some places the owners realize that the animals deserve some respect, they actually care about them and make sure they are content and this has been proven to make the product better, less stress hormones, cleaner skin and meat, and healthier mear as well.
Whether we like it or not Factory farming is here to stay, it may get much better and humane, but it's not going away. The tide will not be held back by humanitarian, ethics, the animal lovers, or by organizations that work towards the well being of animals. In a few years factory farming will most likely grow, people won't care where their meat came from, and the amount of happy livestock that are allowed to walk freely in fields, will become scarce.