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Constitutional Amendments...might we at sportsline do better? I'll present the Amendments in no particular order, or...more to the point...in whatever order arbitrarily suits me. Thusly:

Amendment 3 - Cruel and Unusual Punishment:

Excessive bail shall not be required, not excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

I will start by saying that I understand...and agree with...prohibitions against cruel punishments. If we have not yet managed to move firmly to whatever moral high ground prohibits "burning at the stake" or "flaying alive" then we clearly lack the wherewithal to make the fine distinctions required for full appreciation of this amendment.

But what about "unusual" punishment? Should we be confined in those ways? Why prohibit punitive measures distinguished only by their ingenuity? Do any of you have uncommon suggestions which would avoid the "cruelty" concerns...while still allowing some degree of creativity?

Please...try to take this seriously. If you can't manage that...do try to be entertaining.

araker Reputation: 99 Level: Superstar Since: Feb 19, 2007	Posted on: April 7, 2008 6:51 pm Score: 97 Amendments I would suggest being forced to play football for Vanderbilt, but i think that qualifies as cruel as well. Dang it. [ Reply to Comment ]
momluvsfootball Reputation: 98 Level: Superstar Since: Sep 9, 2006	Posted on: April 7, 2008 7:01 pm Score: 95 Amendments I wonder how cruel it would be to subject a convicted child abuser to have to do mandatory volunteer work in a pediatrics oncology ward? [ Reply to Comment ]
corvidgirl Reputation: 97 Level: Superstar Since: Aug 1, 2007	Posted on: April 7, 2008 7:10 pm Score: 91 Amendments Araker, My hubby is a Vandy grad and subjects himself to the same "hope springs eternal" mentality...whatever the sport. I love it whenever a school has scholastic requirements of their atheletes...and have become a fan by association. I will, sadly, have to disallow your suggestion. We are looking for "unusual", not "cruel", punishment here. But I appreciate your contribution. [ Reply to Comment ]
corvidgirl Reputation: 97 Level: Superstar Since: Aug 1, 2007	Posted on: April 7, 2008 7:13 pm Score: 83 Amendments Wow...momluvs...that's deep...really. What would you qualify as an "abuser"? Neglect? Sexual exploitation? [ Reply to Comment ]
araker Reputation: 99 Level: Superstar Since: Feb 19, 2007	Posted on: April 7, 2008 7:14 pm Score: 95 Amendments Yeah, I really have nothing better to offer than self-depreciating humor. . . [ Reply to Comment ]
momluvsfootball Reputation: 98 Level: Superstar Since: Sep 9, 2006	Posted on: April 7, 2008 7:15 pm Score: 95 Amendments Definitely not sexual exploitation. Neglect, the beaters, the one's who send their kids to the emergency room with broken arms and multiple bruises. [ Reply to Comment ]
BufordBiffer Reputation: 99 Level: Superstar Since: Mar 1, 2007	Posted on: April 7, 2008 7:16 pm Score: 97 Amendments How about convicted sex offenders (pedophiles) being imprisoned, locked down inside a structure 24/7 (jailed) within clear site of a playground. [ Reply to Comment ]
corvidgirl Reputation: 97 Level: Superstar Since: Aug 1, 2007	Posted on: April 7, 2008 7:35 pm Score: 89 Amendments Definitely not sexual exploitation. Neglect, the beaters, the one's who send their kids to the emergency room with broken arms and multiple bruises. I'm very taken with your general proposal. Force those who have harmed others to spend their days helping the group that they'd previously victimized. By suggesting "oncology", you've specified a conspicuously vulnerable population. For the right offenders, this could precipitate a new worldview and, more importantly, a rethinking of his/her self-image. Really moms...amazing. I'd, naturally, want an especially demanding assessment of potential offenders...before they could enter the program. [ Reply to Comment ]
araker Reputation: 99 Level: Superstar Since: Feb 19, 2007	Posted on: April 7, 2008 7:50 pm Score: 97 Amendments I know of some work along similar lines done by some religious groups, as well as the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa. The criminal has to come face to face with her or his victims. It seems to work well for all parties involved, from what I've read. [ Reply to Comment ]
corvidgirl Reputation: 97 Level: Superstar Since: Aug 1, 2007	Posted on: April 7, 2008 7:53 pm Score: 91 Amendments Biff, I'm honestly flummoxed when it comes to pedophiles. By their own admission, their predilections are incurable. Plus, I'm pretty sure that most neighborhoods would look askance at having them imprisoned within "clear site of a playground". Would it even be a good idea to give them access to videos of children...let alone allowing them to view actual children at play? In Florida, I can go online to see which sexual predators are currently housed nearby. I recently saw a guy at my local grocery...he really was "lurking"...and was watching me intently. I thought he looked familiar and it wasn't until I got home that I realized where I'd seen him. He was a convicted rapist. Realizing this later put me in a bad place...mentally and spiritually. Do men have anything remotely comparable in their lives? [ Reply to Comment ]

corvidgirl

Leaving the good ole US of A

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