From: N
Sent: Monday, February 15, 2016 9:22 PM
To: walter block
Subject: punishment
Say the average person lives 75 years, and person A of age 50 kills person B of age 70.
Shouldn’t we punish A for a theft of life of 5 years, and therefore punish A by a prison sentence of 10 years instead of execution?
On the other hand if A kills another 50 year old he should not only be executed for the theft of 25 years, but he should also be tortured in order to double the severity of his punishment in relation to his crime. Thanks, N
Dear N:
We never know, for sure, how long anyone will live, so this is hardly feasible. I don’t think it is just, either. I think killing a baby, aged, 1, is just as much a rights violation as killing his father, aged 35, and equally a rights violation killing his grandfather, aged 70. Call me an egalitarian, for at least on this issue I am indeed one. Thanks for posing an interesting question.
Best regards,
Walter
1:41 am on January 18, 2019
