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Monday, November 21, 2005

Death penalty for cop killers

WPC Sharon Beshenivsky was murdered last week during an armed siege of a travel agents. It's been 31 years since a female police officer was killed on duty.

Understandably there's been a fuss, but the reaction has led me to wonder why it seems a police officers life is valued so much more highly than other members of the population. For example the police force have errected boards cordoning off the entire street in which the shooting took place. This is unusual.

As a direct result of Sharon's murder there are calls to reinstate the death penalty for people who kill police officers. I am against the death penalty for many reasons, but I am left wondering, if the death penalty then why just for cop killers?

Surely the murder of a person, no matter what their profession, is horror and should be punished.

4 comments:

terrette said...

Good point. There is no reason to support the death penalty for anyone. Cops are useful, yes, but killing those who kill them will serve the public not a wit and appease no angry god or goddess known or unknown, I feel sure of it.

Anonymous said...

I just put something similar on my blog. It saddens me that hardliners use tragic events such as this to try and push forward draconian measures for controlling society.

http://blogs.warwick.ac.uk/crossdale/entry/one_by_one/

Joel said...

Well, I don't believe in the death penalty, period. Here in the USA, it is applied against the poor and the mentally ill. That's hardly equality.

TP said...

I think the dealth penalty can never be justified, because there can always be errors made in the arrest, trial and conviction of someone thought to be a criminal.

If this mistake is discovered, it's not much damn good if they're dead.

Kevin Spacey was in a good movie about this issue, the life of david gale. Made me cry as I remember, but I cry at pretty much the drop of a hat.