Execution of Child Rapist = Cruel and Unusual Punishment?

Today must be a full moon, because this is the second story today that has ruffled my feathers. The Supreme Court today, has rules that child rapists cannot be executed, because among other things, it would be cruel and unusual. Now, I would love to hear why this is cruel or unusual.

The case at hand involved a stepfather, Patrick Kennedy, who raped his 8-year-old stepdaughter. There are way too many sources to list, but I think we can all agree that the gill will never be the same. Outside of the physical of injuries could may heal, this man has essentially killed the girl's innocence, childhood, and trust. But the Court's majority has decided that killing this man would be excessive, because executions should only be limited to cases where the criminal committed intentional first-degree murder. There is no doubt that this man's actions were intentional. As an aside, if this girl is now unable to bear children, would the court find castration an acceptable punishment or is that cruel and unusual too?

The Court stated that criminal punishment is limited to only the worst of crimes, I have to wonder how much worse is murder to child rape? I am by no means arguing that capital punishment is appropriate in all rape cases (although I am against rape is all fashions). I do believe that it should be on the table for prosecutors to utilize in the cases which they feel it is necessary, such as this one. The fact that people are arguing that if the death penalty was applicable to rapists, then they would be more inclined to kill their victims is ludicrous. Studies have shown that most criminals do not limit their actions based on the repercussions, and that is especially true in the case of a violent or deviant perpetrators. And even if this was true, then is it possible that by increasing the penalty, more people would be deterred from raping a child? The argument could clearly swing both ways. Rarely am I so critical of a Supreme Court decision, but I do have say, WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE THEY THINKING?

One of the Greatest Comedians Has Passed On

So I enjoyed my break from blogging and was waiting for the right moment to come back and sadly it has come. For those that have not heard, George Carlin has passed away yesterday in Santa Monica, California. For those of you that do not know who George Carlin is, I am not sure where to begin. (Click here to see all YouTube videos that involve George Carlin.) Carlin is most famous for his "Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television" routine that he released in 1972, and subsequently released a similar version called "Filthy Word" in 1973. For education purposes only, I will list them below. This routine was aired publicly without censorship and ultimately led to a Supreme Court case, which ruled that the FCC could establish indecency regulations in American broadcasting.

Carlin had been viewed as one of the greatest stand-up comedians of all time, as he constantly changed his routine and usually focused on the flaws in modern-day America. Like all major celebrities, Carlin did have an arrest record. He was arrested for performing his Seven Words routine in Milwaukee. In addition to being a stand-up comedian, Carlin had written a popular book, Brain Droppings, and appeared on numerous television shows and talk shows.

Mere words cannot express how big of a loss this is to a society how needs to learn how to laugh more. Carlin was a mastermind at finding humor in even the most serious situations. George, you will be missed!

Below are a few quotes from Carlin:

When cheese gets it's picture taken, what does it say?

If lawyers are disbarred and clergymen defrocked, doesn't it follow that electricians can be delighted, musicians denoted?

Is a vegetarian permitted to eat animal crackers?

Before they invented drawing boards, what did they go back to?

I have as much authority as the Pope, I just don't have as many people who believe it.

If the #2 pencil is the most popular, why is it still #2?

If all the world is a stage, where is the audience sitting?

Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.

I think it's the duty of the comedian to find out where the line is drawn and cross it deliberately.

As promised, here are the seven words. If you do not want to see them, STOP reading.

1. Shit
2. Piss
3. Fuck
4. Cunt
5. Cocksucker
6. Motherfucker
7. Tits

Just for completeness, I should note that Carlin later added three more:
8. Fart
9. Turd
10. Twat