[Vision2020] Life sentences for sociopaths (was: Sex Offender)

[Kenneth Marcy]

On Tuesday 08 March 2011 16:02:32 lfalen wrote:
> I agree that sociopaths should receive life sentences with no parol. 

Wow. How many politicians do we get to imprison with that rule?

> However Reggie is right, as Ron's post points out there are a lot of
> people in prison that could be better dealt with other than by prolonged
> periods of incarceration.

That's probably true, but there are some people who, through their recidivism, 
earn their place in long-term incarceration for the good of the rest of us.

> Child Protective services involve a lot of other things that sex offenses.

If one steps away from the list of services provided by a particular social 
service agency, and looks at the role of child protection as an interacting 
set of social responsibilities among parents and others, it's pretty clear 
that organizing society to attend to such problems would require levels of 
interactive efforts, not to mention private and public expenditures, at levels 
much higher than are current. Whether political or fiscal climates would allow 
those efforts or expenditures is doubtful.

> They also deal with physical and emotional abuse. This can be  rejecting,   
> isolation,ignoring, corrupting, exploiting, and terrorizing. Kids have been 
> starved, locked  in closets, denied health care, used as mules, ect.

Considering their impacts on society, isn't it reasonable that parenting be a 
licensed activity requiring continuing parental education and supervision? If 
society requires licenses for fishing, then certainly parenting licenses aren't 
unreasonable.

> I do not mean to imply that all physical acts toward children is abuse. I   
> have no problem with a spanking on the behind. I personally do not think a  
> child should be slapped, even though that may not be abuse. Anything that   
> leaves a bruise is. Roger

However contentious or entertaining or disgusting may be rules against 
interpersonal abuse or for interpersonal enhancement, the reality is that the 
scope of possible affecting interactions is beyond the power of individuals to 
understand or to control. We can only help out each other as best as we are 
able, and seek to limit the egregiously unable or aggressively uncooperative.


Ken