Thurmond's dead - Page 5

The Templar · June 28, 2003, 23:06

Quote:

Originally posted by DinoDoc
Is that why he was the first Southern senator to hire blacks to his staff?

Because he saw which way the political winds were blowing. Better to get some tokens to pander to the moderates (while voting with the hardliners).

Dis · June 29, 2003, 04:05

you don't want to know what I think we should with peadophiles.

They are sick people that do not belong in our society.

'nuff said

Boris Godunov · June 29, 2003, 04:09

Quote:

Originally posted by Dissident
you don't want to know what I think we should with peadophiles.

What if they've never actually touched a kid?

Dis · June 29, 2003, 04:32

well then we have the same thing I just described above.

You can't really call someone evil if they haven't actually done anything. That is what I said about racists. They haven't actually done anything. They just have stupid thoughts in their head.

I think the same would apply to a peadophile who actually hasn't touched anyone (or viewed porn- as being a consumer of porn furnishes the abuse of children)

Provost Harrison · June 29, 2003, 06:36

I don't know who he is, but flicking through this thread he sounds like one of the very last of his generation, and by all accounts, that doesn't sound like a bad thing...

Boris Godunov · June 29, 2003, 11:12

Quote:

Originally posted by Dissident
well then we have the same thing I just described above.

You can't really call someone evil if they haven't actually done anything. That is what I said about racists. They haven't actually done anything. They just have stupid thoughts in their head.

I think the same would apply to a peadophile who actually hasn't touched anyone (or viewed porn- as being a consumer of porn furnishes the abuse of children)

Strom did many things in the name of racism, though.

You made a false implication that leftists tolerate paedophilia, and that's simply not true. And I fail to see how trying to understand why people become paedophiles is a bad thing, since that seems to me to be the best way of stopping it in the future.

Az · June 29, 2003, 11:42

Since "Treating Paedophiles fairly" means throwing them to jail, I see nothing wrong with that.

The Templar · June 29, 2003, 12:43

Quote:

Originally posted by Boris Godunov

You made a false implication that leftists tolerate paedophilia, and that's simply not true. And I fail to see how trying to understand why people become paedophiles is a bad thing, since that seems to me to be the best way of stopping it in the future.

It's a typical conservative trick. Accuse your opponent of pedophilia/communism/homosexuality/lack of patriotism/whatever. This is because the conservatives can't actually explain their socially darwinian economic system or puritanically Christian social agenda and still get elected.

Oh, and as for pedophilia ...

Pedophiles have their sexual interests directed at children. Imagine telling straight men not to have sex with adult women. Not going to happen, right? So what dissident is saying is that a class of people should be held criminally accountable for giving into the same urge that very few of us could resist.

Unlike heterosexuality and homosexuality between consenting adults, pedophilia is never consensual. Children cannot consent. This means pedophiles cannot be allowed to act on their desires. But what I fail to see in pedophilia is a calculated rational behavior we associate with criminality. This isn't killing someone for money, or robbing a bank. Moreover, pedophiles, once released will probably do it again. Why? For the same reason that if you imprisoned a straight guy, upon release he would go out and have sex. Sex is a strong biologically-based motivator.

What we need, simply, is a cure. A way to direct a pedophiles sexual interest towards adults. In the interim, however, we need a mental health system more attuned to providing service to self idenfied pedophiles before they go out and rape kids. That would help kids more that a tough-on-crime stance. You cannot, I repeat cannot, criminally deter sex for any length of time.

As for pedophiles who do rape kids, they should be in a mental health context, not a penal context. You cannot reform a pedophile, you cannot deter one. Moreover, the guiding idea in the criminal system is liability proportional to fault. That is, you get punished, then you get released. I'd just as soon lock up active pedophiles until they are cured. If the miracle cure is discovered tomorrow, let them out. If the miracle cure is discovered three centuries from tomorrow, then today's pedophiles will be institutionalized forever. The issue in pedophilia is not liability, the issue is keeping active pedophiles off the street for the kids and correcting the problem for the pedophile. These are not penological problems.

No doubt some blockhead on the OT is going to say "see, that lefty the Templar is soft on pedophilia." Wrong. I'm saying keep pedophiles institutionalized until a proven cure is found, even if that means for the entire life of the pedophile. This could result in confinement far beyond standard proportionate liability. But conservatives are so hung up on retribution and so bloodthirsty that they would prefer a 13 year prison sentence (i.e. punishment) to actually having a safe community.

Dis · June 29, 2003, 12:55

btw I'm not a conservative. I'd rather be dead

I just dislike the liberal philosophy with all of my heart (and soul)

The Templar · June 29, 2003, 13:01

Quote:

Originally posted by Dissident
btw I'm not a conservative. I'd rather be dead

I just dislike the liberal philosophy with all of my heart (and soul)

Then what are you, a libertarian? Libertarians are just gay-friendly conservatives.

And which liberal philosophy do you hate? There is quite a bit of diversity on the left in terms of politics.

Dis · June 29, 2003, 13:03

pretty much all of them

except the environment. But liberals really don't seem to be that much into the environment anyways. I'd rather vote green party- if they are still around.