Written by C.Connell   

I Believe in Survival of the Fittest, and in Certain Cases I Support the Death Penalty. I think we mighty humans often lose sight that we are animals. Animals evolve and make extinct that which does not work. How have we humans gotten so off the mark? It's not a religious issue for me- it's a cost benefit approach. Not all life IS equal. Period. As an animal I chose my life, that of my young, and that of my mate above all else. If you infringe upon those, then I do what I must to survive. And perhaps survive in your place.
There are people who I think are a drain to societies heath and moral survival- I am a social worker and I believe there ARE people who don't deserve to be alive. Perhaps that puts me at odds with my profession's policy position, but I do believe that the punishment should fit the crime and for certain crimes that IS death. If you have ever known a victim of a severe crime, then you understand that certain wounds don't quite heal. In my work with people, some have horrific stories and yet endure. While I believe that all people, as animals, have an innate resiliency- I do not believe that all people can be rehabilitated. I do not believe someone caught in the act of murdering or raping a child should be allowed to pose a continued risk to society. Those who are so morally deviant and destructive to society should be made examples of. There is no real rehabilitating from such perverse urges, which puts all of society at risk. We need to stamp such behaviors out as the worst types of crime by death. We need to ensure our moral survival and healing.
I have never really bought into "they should live the rest of their life with the guilt of ..." because I believe the point is healing and helping the community function again. Why waste resources rehabilitating what cannot be fixed? The truest psychopaths may never feel guilt as many would, and they are a societal drain unnecessarily.

How can this issue be a party issue? I don't know a civil person, criminal or not who does not despise child sex offenders. We can talk financial budgets all day long, but I am increasingly concerned by the lack of social budget our communities are working with. How can that be with so many leaders who want to protect our communities? I, along with so many community crime victims, want to believe our system has a chance; in our approach to crime we really need to look at the basic instincts we approach the concepts with, to start to remember the concepts of restorative justice, an eye for an eye, the golden rule.
No one can agree on the death penalty being imposed, but what about letting one chose it? I propose a new approach- let's survey people and see how many would seriously consider a right to die ... and that perhaps it is in the best interest of the community. As in this case in CT:

http://articles.courant.com/2012-10-13/news/hc-hayes-next-20121013_1_motions-and-federal-appeals-execution-date-steven-hayes


A mental health perspective on the death penalty and people with mental illness from Mental Health America (I also think one could make a mental health position FOR the death penalty for community healing):
http://www.nmha.org/go/position-statements/54


Shocking stuff, i know
http://asocialworkerbelieves.blogspot.com