Local Weather Forecast
Today: Current:94	Saturday: 97/72	Sunday: 95/74
Complete Forecast for  Jul 18 2008

Editor's Note: This week's discussion topic: Do you think the threat of a death penalty, even when the victim isn't killed, would deter offenders from committing repeat child sex assault?

Whether the "threat" of the death penalty will deter sex offenders or not should not be the question. It should be "would the death penalty" deter them? And the answer to that is yes. It would punish them for the most heinous crime thinkable, and it would deter that particular offender, wouldn't it? If they're dead that can't hurt another child.

Anyone that would inflict such unspeakable acts upon a child should die. They do not deserve to live among human beings. It's just that simple, at least if I had my way. And wouldn't it be wonderful if there were no years and years of appeals? But, of course, that won't happen.

But, let's give them "death" and maybe they'll be in prison long enough to be treated as they treated the child/children they brutalized. Prison justice, maybe.

And in this same crime field, are the sleaze bags that promote and/or sell images of crimes against children.

In the case of the disc jockey from New York (Sat, April 19th, paper) that was caught with one child rape video, along with a "how to" video, it says, "If he's convicted he could face up to seven years in prison." Wow. No telling how many children will be ruined and/or killed from just his videos. And, he "may" get seven years. Not spend seven years in prison, but "get" seven years. There's no justice in that.

So, let's give them death whether or not they kill the child. Just abuse them and see what it gets you. Maybe the other offenders (or would-be offenders) will get the message. Hopefully.

Barbara Emerson
Tyler

The death penalty will deter the person executed.

The sex drive is "hard-wired" into the brain of males, at least, to continue the race. When the natural drive is contaminated by a sexual interest in children, it becomes fixed and permanent in most. Those who say therapy will bring about a cure of child molesters can just as likely cure the sex drive.

It's true that some robbers kill the clerk to avoid witnesses, so I'm sure this argument would be true in the case of sex offenders risking the death penalty. They do seem to have a proclivity to intimidate victims with threats to maintain secrecy.

Anyone who has worked with victims of sex crimes knows that they are dead, as far as their ability to live a normal life and have normal relationships are concerned. So maybe the death penalty is appropriate.

While we're on the subject, I hear that the F.L.D.S. group in El Dorado, Texas, includes a group of males which has been impregnating young girls as soon as they reach menarche. One worker said he'd never seen so many "late-term pregnant 13-year-olds." I thought this was a felony. We know where the perpetrators are. We have their DNA. Yet, none have been arrested. Why?

Stephen Westmoreland
Tyler

Fifty years ago, this wouldn't even have come up for debate. Protecting society, our children and law abiding citizens has become clouded by politically correct softness.

In the State of Washington in the 1980s, three teens broke into a petting zoo, they cut the ears and tail off of a donkey, then beat it to death with baseball bats. When caught, they said they did it because they were bored. They wanted to see what it felt like to kill something. They did say it wasn't as much fun as they thought it would be. Folks in the area wanted to give them the death penalty. They were fined (it created uproar).

I have mixed thoughts on the matter of death for sexual predators (I am pro-death) and YES. You can believe the way you wish, that's what this nation is all about. Personally I'd say yes, because it has been proven time and again that these animals can't control themselves and won't stay on their meds, and the list goes on. Protecting the innocent among us is a top priority for a civilized country. Protecting society's citizens is mentioned in our constitution (in case you didn't know). There are animals among us, parading around as human beings. We hear and read about them in our schools, on our streets, in our places of business. To have any of these dregs in society abuse the rights of the innocent, law abiding and educated among us deserves no less than being taken out of society.

We need to think long and hard about what we have turned our society into. We need to also know, we are our own worst enemy when it comes to doing what is right for the future we must live in. But you and I know we are a knee jerk society, and always go over board on the simples things, and can never make the really hard decisions when it is required.

Clarence G. Brown
Mineola

"Threat" and "death penalty" should not be used in the same sentence. To begin with, who has ever really been deterred by a threat? I was threatened by Mama as in "Boy, if you don't quit that right now, I'm fixin' to tan your hide." That threat just didn't get 'er done. She had to administer the punishment. Punishment works. God bless her, she didn't let evil slide.

The death penalty is not a deterrent nor should it be used as a threat. The death penalty is punishment; nothing more, nothing less. Kill a child? Death penalty. Rape a child? Death penalty. See how easy that was? No fuss, no muss. That child-killer or child-rapist won't be committing those crimes again. Come to think of it, he won't be committing any other crime either. Win-win situation.

R.W. Moore
Tyler

Question: Do you think the threat of a death penalty, even when the victim isn't killed, would deter offenders from committing repeat child sex assault?

The answer to that gut-wrenching question is "damned if you do, damned if you don't." Clearly, child sexual assault has become an epidemic. And clearly, a giant leap ahead of this horrific problem needs to take place. But "how, what & when" and all of the "what if's" come into question. Bottom line - what would the consequences be? Death of a child predator, death of the child victim or both?

Children who are sexually assaulted are, at times, also killed by the predator, just as adult rape victims are often killed.

The difference - a child is even more so defenseless. And whether a child is killed physically following an assault, a big part of them dies in the offense itself.

We need not forget that fact. So, would the death penalty deter an offender? I believe it would, but it's really a roll of the dice.

A gamble if the death penalty is enforced, and a gamble if it's not.

There will still be predators on the hunt and children who become victims. But maybe, just maybe, if those child predators out there in the world knew they would unquestionably face death if caught committing such a crime and realize they wouldn't be able to manipulate the legal system, they'd think twice about their perverted inclinations. And maybe we'd have more innocent, precious children able to live out those brief sunshine years called "childhood."

Gina Magee
Chandler

I do think the threat of a death penalty, even when the victim is not killed, would deter offenders from committing repeat child sexual assaults.

The state legislatures should not take the possibility of the death sentence off the legal table for even one heinous child sexual assault. (You might add castration as another penalty, if he courts would allow it?) Many sexual assaults of a child seem to be by adults who are in close proximity or even related to the child.

I can't get inside the head of these sadistic molesters, but one could deduce that they think threats alone will pressure the vulnerable child into keeping quiet.

Would it lead this primal-predator to kill the victim? I think not, unless the predator had pre-planned to kidnap and murder the innocent victim elsewhere.

Even if the molested child is not killed, there must be severe consequences to include the possibility of the death penalty depending on the circumstances and severity of the molestation. Why? Because whether the child is killed or not, the innocence of "trusting-love" is probably de-stroyed for life, and fear and anxiety will remain.

As Jesus says in Matthew 18:6: "It would be better for that person to have a large millstone tied around his neck and be drowned in the deep sea." Even if capital punishment does not deter such unspeakable assaults on the innocent child, it is justice, and it must be served. Also, the death of the guilty perpetrator will help the healing process of the family and the child as well.

Norman G. Wallace
Flint