There is a huge, huge difference between attacking someone that is a member of a protected class and attack on some generic person in the majority. Sure, I would feel less safe if a neighbor was mugged in our neighborhood, but the few Blacks in our neighborhood would feel very much more under threat [edit:] if it happened to them. And rightly so.
It's no real imposition on the majority to be extra careful about violence and discrimination and maltreatment of minorities. At some point, most of us are vulnerable (infants, elderly, sick, injured). We should ask ourselves how we would feel if we were in their shoes and act accordingly.
On whether the punishment should be vastly different if someone in a protected class is attacked vs generic majority person, well, it depends I think. The devil's in the details.
I don't think the death penalty can be administered in an unbiased manner, and I don't think it serves as a deterrent for someone thinking about committing a crime (it might "help" in the plea bargaining stage, but holding up death as a possible punishment gives prosecutors a huge amount of power that can and has been abused.).
I didn't watch the press conference about it - maybe I'll have more to say about this later.
My $0.02.
Cheers,
Scott.
It's no real imposition on the majority to be extra careful about violence and discrimination and maltreatment of minorities. At some point, most of us are vulnerable (infants, elderly, sick, injured). We should ask ourselves how we would feel if we were in their shoes and act accordingly.
On whether the punishment should be vastly different if someone in a protected class is attacked vs generic majority person, well, it depends I think. The devil's in the details.
I don't think the death penalty can be administered in an unbiased manner, and I don't think it serves as a deterrent for someone thinking about committing a crime (it might "help" in the plea bargaining stage, but holding up death as a possible punishment gives prosecutors a huge amount of power that can and has been abused.).
I didn't watch the press conference about it - maybe I'll have more to say about this later.
My $0.02.
Cheers,
Scott.