There's a pretty compelling article at NPR that explains how an often overlooked aspect of the death penalty is the psychological toll it often takes on those who have to implement, or be involved, in it.
There are quite a few people interviewed who explain how it caused them serious, ongoing, post traumatic stress. I can understand that - reading the article is enough to make me feel bad!
The only punishment fitting the crime of murder is the death penalty.
ReplyDeleteThose people were in the wrong job.
Even for those familiar with killing it can have serious psychological consequences. The blindfold for execution by firing squad was for the benefit of the soldiers not the victim. The mental institutions were full after WW2 in part because many found killing repugnant. A US general even argued that based on his analysis many soldiers were actually shooting over the enemies' heads. That has been contested. The vast majority of veterans do not express joy in killing human beings. Given the history of humanity it strikes me as paradoxical that killing can have such debilitating psychological consequences. Perhaps it was negative selection because in bygone days those who liked killing went off to war and were slowly weaned out of the gene pool.
ReplyDeleteI hadn't thought of the negative selection issue before.
ReplyDeleteDoes it explain Norwegians being nice people now? :)
I was watching the Netflix comedy series Norsemen last night (3rd and final series - featuring a large viking battle in the second last episode.) It makes much of how the old men wanted to die in battle as being their best chance of getting into Valhalla: much better than dying at in their comfortable home surrounded by loved ones, one of them says.
It's a very funny show, and didn't get talked about as much as it deserved, I reckon.
I hadn't thought of the negative selection issue before.
ReplyDeleteSteve you haven't heard of it because it is just an idea floating around in my head. That may have been a very long selection pressure time wise, although E O Wilson approaches the issue from a different perspective than myself.
"If hamadryas baboons had nuclear weapons they would destroy the world in a week."
From E O Wilson, On Human Nature, 104
I've watched Norsemen. Very funny. It deserves much more attention.
Unfortunately massively insufficient selection pressure in the GOP. ...
ReplyDeletehttps://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/nov/17/herschel-walker-republican-georgia-werewolf-vampire
I would add - about the only time I have ever felt a death penalty was deserved was for Martin Bryant - the Port Arthur shooter. That was because of the particular cruelty he displayed, and the obvious mental issues which would mean no hope of anything meaningful in terms of rehabilitation, or even his understanding of retribution. He has tried to kill himself in prison too, I think. This was the one case where I really felt that execution would almost be a mercy killing, to both him and the families, who might feel it gave better closure than him lingering in jail forever.
ReplyDeleteBut even then, I suppose you have to wonder if it might encourage other mentally ill people to try "suicide by police" (or by the state) by committing a random killing.