Leaving the good ole US of A

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.

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My concern would be that it might be hard to ensure that sentencing is consistently applied to all convicted if judges are just dreaming up creative sentences.

A legitimate concern JD...and one I share.

I worry that we will have people branded for all kinds of "Immoral" acts in the eyes of fundamentalists.

Yes. In formulating a system of punishment, we should be cognizant of the fact that what seems a good idea...when applied to someone else...might strike us very differently if applied to us.

I agree with the attorney that our system is too flawed to be handing out punishments that cannot be reversed--such as branding or tattoos.

Or the death penalty.

poetz Reputation: 99 Level: Superstar Since: Feb 25, 2007	Posted on: April 8, 2008 1:03 pm Score: 95 Amendments Cor, There's a judge in my area who's well-know for his creative sentencings, e.g., someone who stole a donation cannister for a homeless shelter was sentenced to spend a night on the street during wintertime. [ Reply to Comment ]
corvidgirl Reputation: 88 Level: All-Star Since: Aug 1, 2007	Posted on: April 8, 2008 1:16 pm Score: 93 Amendments My concern would be that it might be hard to ensure that sentencing is consistently applied to all convicted if judges are just dreaming up creative sentences. A legitimate concern JD...and one I share. I worry that we will have people branded for all kinds of "Immoral" acts in the eyes of fundamentalists. Yes. In formulating a system of punishment, we should be cognizant of the fact that what seems a good idea...when applied to someone else...might strike us very differently if applied to us. I agree with the attorney that our system is too flawed to be handing out punishments that cannot be reversed--such as branding or tattoos. Or the death penalty. [ Reply to Comment ]
corvidgirl

corvidgirl

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