Justice Kennedy, et al to the USA: "It's ok to rape a child, just don't be a spy, or else.....?"

The US Supreme Court's logically-illogical decision today to spare child rapists from the death penalty (because the child was not killed - hence it is not a "capital offense") ALL THE WHILE continuing to allow capital punishment for non-capital offenses like treason and espionage makes media-sense.... in the non-nonsensical world of Dr. Seuss meets Dr. Spock.

In a split decision of 5-4 the Justices based the crux of their decision on a 1977 Supreme Court case that overturned capital punishment against the rapist of an adult, who was not killed during the act.

Then, the Court majority went out of its way to ensure that the non-capital offenses of treason and espionage were perfectly permissible to warrant the death of an individual.

What? Look, either capital offenses demand capital punishment or they don't.

As you may know, federal case law often finds, coiled around its roots, near-ancient reasons for a particular punishment, as stated in Blackstone's Commentaries, et al. Familiar to these foundational supports of today's application of law is that convicted spies and traitors are subject to the death penalty. Those commentaries have something ALSO to say about rape. It's spelled D-E-A-T-H. (child or adult)

With the next President potentially appointing a number of Supreme Court Justices, this Type of Pennsylvania Ave Roadside Campaign Bomb may leave a HUGE crater in the national psyche of the voters, come November.

Watch and see...this decision may well be the 2008 Willie Horton Memorial Award given by the GOP to the Dems.

Comments

[Believer]

Man does not have the right to execute man, even for offenses that are entitled under man-made laws. Period...End of story... My basis for that statement is found in the story of the adulterous woman. Jesus made it very clear in that story that "he who is without sin may cast the first stone." I understand the controvery surrounding the origins of the story and whether or not the situation actually occurred, but if we believe the Bible is God's word (which I do) and believe that everything included basically has God's stamp of approval (which I do)and believe that the scenario completely follows all of Jesus's other teachings (which I do), then the death penalty has no Biblical basis in modern Christianity (or even ancient Christianity). The death penalty is vengence, pure and simple. And vengenence is not ours. It is the Lord's. We do not have the right to take away someone's opportunity for eternal salvation by ending their life, any more than they had the right to end someone else's life. But that issue is between them and God. And I agree that the rape of a child is a horrendous act (being that I was sexually molested as a child not to mention raped as a teen and an adult, I have some very personal experiences to back my position), I also believe that it is something that does not have to be the defining event in a person's life. What happened to forgiveness? Does Jesus say that we must forgive transgressions against us, except...? No, He says we must forgive transgressions. No exceptions or clarifications. And the measure with which we forgive is the measure with which we will be forgiven. So if for no other reason, use the selfish motive.

And on the vengence front...Do you honestly believe that God needs man's help to extract vengence? Hmmm, I don't think so. He created the heavens and the earth, parted the Red Sea, burned a bush that wasn't consumed by the flames (now that is a neat trick, let's all try that at home and see how far we get), and millions of other miracles that didn't require our help. But the Guy is so magnanamous that He sometimes lets us in on the miracle and uses us as His arm. But He doesn't have to. And I don't believe that the God of love who has given us the Holy Spirit to guide us would ever tell us to kill for Him. If that were the case, why didn't Jesus kill? The new covenant says that we are to turn the other cheek, not harpoon the offender. I guess it is time for all Christians to have a gut check and let the Holy Spirit guide them rather than the spirit of vengence and hatred and man's idea of justice (which is so unbelievably flawed as to be the cause of a great deal of bitterness and hatred itself.)