Thread: Morrinsville Shooting

Originally Posted by Nickoli

@Cordite: we are back to outsourcing our corrections to Saudi/China etc.
I have no problem thinking of people like this as animals where they have proven to be dangerous to society, incapable of living within society and incapable of working with others productively. This piece of shit can be let out to hurt others as you seem to advocate (bit of a stretch, but based on his history and trajectory - completely fair) or can be removed from society with a first class (trade deal approved and certified) ticket to Saudi/China justice....hell - we could even pay a token living cost for this a$$hole - regardless of whether the subcontracting jurisdiction keeps the prick alive or not...
I don't see a downside?
Please tell me you have an alternative argument...

@Nickoli

I'm totally with you on his trajectory. And I reckon you will of course agree with me that after a score years in prison, if he does make it out, he will be older and probably not that healthy either (probably didn't care much about his cardiovascular risk factors during life on the outside). Problem largely sorted of his own doing.

If Heke had been shot dead or sent into a wheelchair by a cop bullet, there would be no end of whingeing from various brown-skinned racist groups, inquiries, stress on the cop(s) for having shot a person (predictable mental stress) as well as Police internal investigations which will cause no end of mental wear on good men / women. Every so often a journo would dig up another angle on that "Morrinsville Maori Shooting". No end ever in sight... and you can't speak too badly about someone sitting in a weelchair, never mind someone deceased. In short, good outcome it played out as it did with everyone alive and the matter being able to be dealt with efficiently through the courts. Saying that, if anything like this happens in future I guess our cops may have quicker access to guns and the perpetrator will not be able to be brought before the courts.

In terms of alternative argument, the question you asked is whether to treat other humans like animals. If you treat another human as an animal, you have downgraded your own human status to that exact same worth. You're of the same race as Heke, so how you treat him paints a similar invitation on your own back. Straight logic.

As for a solution, fairness IMHO means proportionality of punishment. Judicial capital punishment for murder is proportional. Vindictive punishment, like the stocks or cutting off thieves' hands is animal behaviour. Mohammedan societies do not go for the proportionality concept enshrined in "an eye for an eye" and if you ask for a downside it would be pandering to such barbaric societies, by ever holding them up as good examples to follow!