Replying to LO 20821:
I, too, do not want to get into a discussion on the ethics of death
sentences. And I agree that the feelings of the victim do not justify the
execution of the convicted killer. Further, I agree wholeheartedly that
forgiveness is critically important (by forgiveness I mean to decide that
one will not be driven by resentment - it does not mean to forget).
For me, the issue of capital punishment is about the government's
responsibility to the populace. A misanthropic serial killer or terrorist
makes a decision to operate outside the bounds of civilized society. Does
society have a duty to protect and preserve the life of someone who is
dedicated to taking lives? I see the death penalty as a logical outcome
of an egregious criminal's decision to operate outside the protections of
society. I think it would be interesting to see banishment to an
inhospitable place (without the right to police protection) as an
alternative to execution, as happened to Cain in the Genesis myth.
This is part of a centuries-old conversation about individual rights vs.
the common good. I think some of the dysfunction we see in organizations
(including states) stems from lack of courage - we are sometimes unwilling
to hold people accountable for their actions and would rather prop them up
than let them fall. I'm thinking about the fact that it is nearly
impossible to fire an employee who works for the State of Wisconsin or
most other governments operating under civil service rules.
At what point does the individual forfeit certain rights or privileges?
It seems to me that this kind of question is relevant to the learning
organization.
Dave
------------------------
* David E. Birren
Project Manager and Consultant,
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
(608) 267-2442
"Teach your tongue to say 'I do not know' and you will progress."
-- Maimonides
--Learning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <rkarash@karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>