RA's Classes 2010

Running out of oil folks!! Read this!

A life for a life, this is a common saying when prisoners are hanged. I think that the death penalty will instill fear into other people and deters them from carrying out the crime. There is no point imprisoning them because at the end of the day, more resources are needed to house the convict

It is quite clear that not all the facts and arguments in this debate are relevant to our society. Firstly, Singapore only allows one appeal in the Court of Appeal after conviction and sentencing in the High Court. That means that we would not have problems with cost as in other countries where death row inmates can wait for up to 20 years before they get killed and this can cost a lot of money in paperwork, trials and feeding them. Instead we hang them in less than 3 years for most of the time. Moreover if we had worried about cost, we would have privatised prisons to cut cost and to achieve effciency but we did not. Thus capital punishment is not really about saving cost by killing the criminals instead of jailing them but is about deterring other potential criminals by scaring them and to provide some form of mental compensation to the victims' loved ones and family. Plus we practise hanging in capital punishment here so it is not very expensive and the pain caused is still acceptable. Therefore we are not violating any human rights regarding cruel treatment to other fellow humans but instead we are actually enforcing the human rights of others to be able to live safely in our society. Hence the death penalty should be retained in Singapore. And maybe the hangman can play the game "hangman" with the prisoner until he loses (you know what happens when he loses) so that capital punishment can be more exciting instead of being cruel.

The hangman suggestion is the best thing i've read today:(

Animal suffering and religion.

Spend some time exploring this site. Very very useful indeed. There is a search function on the right hand side.

Here's the other side

Here's on side of the debate.

For 2003 assignment

Take note of the reluctance for 'big Government'.