Burned Alive During 18th Birthday

[repeating integers]

Well, as you might expect, Stormfront have gotten in on this story and it's not pretty [http://www.fstdt.com/QuoteComment.aspx?QID=93398].

 

[Bertylicious]

Man, in my day we just used to punch the bloke in the arm a few times.

3.5 years seems about right for a load of drunken tomfoolery that resulted in a lads death.

 

[Geo Da Sponge]

Give a single good reason to put him away.

Here's an oldie but goodie "deterence".

Sorry, I just wanted to pick out this bit... Deterrence? From what, accidents? You can't deter people from accidents, on account of them being accidental! No one drives around thinking "Well, it doesn't matter if I crash my car, wrecking it and potentially killing someone, because I won't got to prison! No Sir, never mind the huge amounts of guilt and material loss I may go through, so long as I'm not punished severely by the law I'm fine!"

And even if they did think like that, then they can be sued for negligence anyway, since by being careless they would have broken the duty of care that is implicitly part of driving on public roads. The three possible reasons for punishing an individual are rehabilitation, deterrence, and containment. None of these can possibly effect something that happend by accident; you can't rehabilitate them from it, since they never meant to do it in the first place. You can't deter them from it because, again, they never meant to do it. And containing them is meaningless, because if it was genuinely an accident then any other random citizen is just as likely (probably more likely following the accident, in fact) to make the same mistake themselves.

 

[wulf3n]

Sorry, I just wanted to pick out this bit... Deterrence? From what, accidents? You can't deter people from accidents, on account of them being accidental!

Really? so why do we have laws against speeding? and Fines/Imprisonment for breaking said laws?

None of these can possibly effect something that happend by accident;

Accidents are rarely no ones fault, someone was doing something stupid. Now you're right some people are going to be stupid no matter what, but I like to have a little faith [very little] and think that some people do recognise the risks of certain stupid acts and avoid them because they don't want to go to prison.

you can't rehabilitate them from it, since they never meant to do it in the first place.

You can rehabilitate stupidity hopefully.

You can't deter them from it because, again, they never meant to do it.

You're not deterring them, you're deterring others who are likely to do the same.

And containing them is meaningless,

True, but I've never said containment is the best option, it's just the option we have at the moment.

because if it was genuinely an accident then any other random citizen is just as likely (probably more likely following the accident, in fact) to make the same mistake themselves.

I certainly hope not, that's a pretty low view of humanity you have there.