Do you think?

[Klaus]

This is going to be good. I smell good discussion here.

"Hunting down Nazis and put them to trial".

Is it justified?

Is it neccesary?

Should they be put in prison?

Should a Death sentence be carried out?

What is your opinion?

[sniper1shot]

Is it justified? Yes. Criminal acts need to be punished. This incl all nations and acts...both Allied and Axis. Will they be........most likely not.

Is it neccesary?Yes, because genocide and war crimes are still being done....Rwanda, Yugoslavia, Sierra Leone etc etc etc

Should they be put in prison? Yes. The "World Prison" in The Hague would be a great place, though the US has stated that no US citizen will be tried there.

Should a Death sentence be carried out? Tough call on this one. Depends on what the crime was.......Kind of hard to put an 89yr old grandfather to death knowing he will die before sentence is carried out.

[Jim O]

Is it justified? Yes

Is it neccesary? Yes

Should they be put in prison? Yes

Should a Death sentence be carried out? No

I have mixed emotions on this subject. As for justification, on one hand the war ended over 60 years ago, but on the other hand there should be no statute of limitations on genocide and "crimes against humanity". As for necessity, yes, it should never be forgotten what has happened. As for prison, yes, if they have committed crimes and been free for 60+ years it's time now for them to serve their time. Their age is not an "excuse". The death penalty is a dicey issue always. Assuming the very youngest of these people was only 20 years old at war's end, they are now into their 80's. I believe that any prison term is likely to be a life sentence anyway, as they are not likely to survive it. I personally sit on the fence on the death penalty for "common" criminals but would not have opposed it for leaders of Nazi Germany. However, executing men (or women) in their 80's and 90's seems to me, on a gut level to simply be wrong. But that's a debate for another day and probably another site.

[515]

Is it justified? Yes. people need to be brought to justice

Is it neccesary? in most cases yes.

Should they be put in prison? if the crimes are severe enough

Should a Death sentence be carried out? Im with Jim O on this one. Mixed emotions. Most of them will be dead in a few years but they still need to serve their sentence. I dont think execution is nessicary but life sentences would do.

theres my two cents

[Klaus]

So we agree on the first three points. As I expected the "Death-sentence" is the issue.

I don't think it makes sense to execute an 80 year old geezer. As someone mentioned: they'll be probably dead before the sentence can be carried out.

In a few years there will be no discussion about this subject anyway. nobody will be left to be tried.

[temujin77]

Originally Posted by Klaus

I don't think it makes sense to execute an 80 year old geezer. As someone mentioned: they'll be probably dead before the sentence can be carried out.

I think they should still be executed if they are found to be guilty and found to be deserving of that punishment. It is the principle of the matter. I don't want the next generations asking us "grandpa, how come you guys let a terrible criminal like _______ get away with it?"

[Jim O]

Originally Posted by temujin77

I think they should still be executed if they are found to be guilty and found to be deserving of that punishment. It is the principle of the matter. I don't want the next generations asking us "grandpa, how come you guys let a terrible criminal like _______ get away with it?"

I thoroughly respect your opinion, Pete. Perhaps it's my personal discomfort with the death penalty in general that's speaking, but the image of getting an 85-90 year old man out of his wheelchair, carrying him up the gallows steps, and holding him up while the noose is tightened around his neck and the trapdoor is sprung seems rather distasteful to me on a gut level. Of course I recognize that is a thoroughly emotional response on my part, and that's why it's best that I have never been a "policy maker".

[Lancer44]

Originally Posted by Jim O

I thoroughly respect your opinion, Pete. Perhaps it's my personal discomfort with the death penalty in general that's speaking, but the image of getting an 85-90 year old man out of his wheelchair, carrying him up the gallows steps, and holding him up while the noose is tightened around his neck and the trapdoor is sprung seems rather distasteful to me on a gut level. Of course I recognize that is a thoroughly emotional response on my part, and that's why it's best that I have never been a "policy maker".

I agree with both of you... strange, but one part of me keep saying that justice may be not quick - BUT MUST BE DONE.
And another is visualising nursing home, drooling elderly bloke led to the gallows...
I'm against death penalty in any time, country and form.
The main principle of "state revange", which death penalty essentially is, would be that executed criminal must be fully conscious and healthy.

I know, all of us read about the cases, when convicted to death penalty criminal was undergoing complicated operation costing taxpayers a fortune, just to walk him in a good shape onto the gallows.
I think that 90 years old bloke just doesn't give a f...k.(please forgive me this expression).

I would just lock him in a cell and show him 12 hours a day documentaries from Belsen Bergen, Mauthausen after liberation and so on.
This would be more appropriate penalty.


Lancer44

[temujin77]

I know, the thought of putting a noose around the neck of an elderly man, or more likely strapping him on an injection table/chair nowadays, is not exactly a comforting thought for me either. But justice needs to served fairly. The man may be a serene grandfather of ten now, hiding out in some South American village tending to his garden and raising a few cattle or whatnot. Nevertheless, if the man is to be found guilty for heinous war crimes, than justice must be served. Death is not an easy thing to think about for anybody, including myself, but a part of me says that time does not erase the crime committed.

I suppose we can put it this way... had Hitler survived the war by going into hiding, and is just found today at the fragile age of 110. Does that make his crimes any more tolerable? I say no.

[Klaus]

Death penalty hits the nerve of anybody. Just like euthanasia (merci-killing). There are pros and cons. Everyone can say something valid. I for my part dislike death penalty. It is cheaper to have him rott in a cell for the rest of his live than putting him on the deathrow.