A video that captured the brutal arrest of a Black college student pulled from his car and beaten by officers in Florida has led to an investigation and calls for motorists to consider protecting themselves by placing a camera inside their vehicles.
The footage shows that William McNeil Jr., 22, was sitting in the driver’s seat, asking to speak to the Jacksonville deputies’ supervisor, when authorities broke his window, punched him in the face, pulled him from the vehicle, punched him again and threw him to the ground.
Whatever you believe the worst punishment we should give people is, be it death or life in prison, is what it should be.
That’s what it comes down to. It’s not that I’m particularly pro-death penalty. Generally I’m not. But if you’re going to have the death penalty for anything, flagrantly violating someone’s civil rights should be right up there with murder in the list of eligible offenses.
Hell, of anything, using one’s position as a sworn elected or appointed government official to “flagrantly [violate] someone’s civil rights” should be further up that list than murder. Again I say, tattoo their badge to their forehead and throw them in with GenPop.
While I strongly agree that they should be held to a higher standard, I’m opposed to the government dealing out the death penalty for any infraction. And to using the prison population as a deterrent as well, satisfying as that would be - that reinforces the idea of prisoners as other than human, I feel.
But I want to emphasize again, we agree they should absolutely be held accountable - we just differ on what the punishment should be!
I’m not convinced you’re asking yourselves the right question. Do you want revenge and punishment, or do you want a better society?
Don’t get me wrong, the USA are so fucked up currently it’s hard not to want to get back at those causing so much damage. I share that feeling.
But we know from evidence that prison as punishment just generates more violence and horror and doesn’t create a better society. Prison as rehabilitation does a lot better towards that goal.
Literally the same thing as the other person, whatever you believe the highest punishment should be, that’s the punishment this deserves. If you’re morally opposed to life in prison then whatever you think the longest amount of time should be.