Janszoon

I'm opposed to capital punishment as a general principle. So I'm opposed to it in this case as well. Massachusetts doesn't have the death penalty, and even though this is a federal case, it would be nice if the federal courts honored the laws of state in which the crimes were committed.

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Newkie

I'm pretty much against the death penalty, but I feel imprisonment should be a harsher punishment than death in the instance of people like him. Would the families be more at peace if he eventually appologised? Perhaps that is a good reason for keeping him alive. But I wouldn't allow him to live on the principle that he might "realise" what he had done and somehow come to terms with it. Does it matter if he is a changed man if he dies behind bars anyway? There's a time and a place for rehabilitation..

Surell

As everyone else has said, I don't think anyone is taught anything by death; not the executed, not other criminals, not the public. Besides, people who sit on death row stay there for years in many cases, on those same tax dollars.

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Exo

Dude, it isn't Christmas anymore.

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Surell

I'm jolly all year round, as you can tell by my discussing prisoner death.

Hey wait that isn't even relevant.

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TheBig3

I love people who can't wait to bash others for talking about how tragic something is, because they should be more outraged about some other tragedy which they believe to be more tragic.

"How can you even say this is bad? 3 times the amount of people died in something else that happened!"

The expectation that we should have an emotional response to everything is as unreasonable as it is stupid. The quantifying of tragedy is both insensitive and obnoxious. Not everything is a competition, especially senseless violence and people comparing them and attempting to place values on them should be ashamed of themselves.

Finally, I should mention that regarding the Boston Marathon, theres a great deal of symbolism associated with it. If people are giving more media coverage to it, its not because we think that the lives in Boston are worth more. Its not because a fertilizer plant means less. And I think people know why Boston is getting more media coverage but would rather appear to be more knowledgeable and "correct" about things more than they would prefer to appear to have some sense of class and (yeah, I'm writing it) tact.

I say this a lot here, but people on the internet love to pretend they're smarter and more informed than everyone else. Apparently its a badge of honor but you'd be better served trying to figure out how to conduct yourself like a civilized person, rather than Googling things and trying to be the smartest person in the world. Being smart is a nice thing, knowing how to use that intelligence is better, and knowing when your intelligence is irrelevant (like in the face of a tragedy) in best.

I want to write so much more, but its going to end up off topic. Intelligence is like strength; there a many different ways to measure it, and in the end its how you use what you have. Countless people, who raised a lot of money for charities of all kinds were bombed in Boston. Children, seniors, and by-standers were bombed in Boston. Those bombs went off well after the elite runners finished. They weren't aiming for the best, they were aiming for the most. My roommate had finished. She had a **** time. 3:05:19. She was already done. The people who came in after her got maimed - and those people helped raise money for charities and memorial funds, and kids who are dying of terminal illnesses in hospitals who came to Boston to either get through it, or die in comfort. The measure of the tragedy last week is beyond our comprehension and its sprawls beyond just some people running a race.

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Freebase Dali

Well, it looks like they're going to try him as a U.S. Citizen, with all the rights that comes with, so good luck getting anything out of him. He won't be required to incriminate himself or anyone else outside of what would be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

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Engine

As far as I know, nobody here (on MB) has said that the Texas explosion is more outrageous or more tragic than the Boston bombing.

Obviously the bombing has more media attention because it was a deliberate act of violent religious terrorism committed in the US. Other than that, I really don't know what you mean about symbolism, knowledge, correctness, classiness, or tact.

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TheBig3

Well he should be tried as a U.S. citizen - he is one.

Also, the overwhelming evidence stacked against him is going to most likely finish things off anyway. His brother seems to be the brains of the operation, and one former FBI Director already said this is more like Columbine than 9/11.

He's an idiot kid who got wrapped up in some idiotic ideology (like every other 19 year old does, including the ones that post here) and he hasn't got the wherewithall to be as savvy as I think you're suggesting he will be.

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Paul Smeenus

Agreed. I believe in due process, it's not always convenient but that's the entire point. It's the same laws that keep law enforcement from deciding they don't like you for some reason and battering down your door and hauling you away.


I agree with this too.