Death Penalty? Puh-leeze!

So, in this country, the punishment for crimes is a term in prison, supposedly scaled to the severity of your offense. A thief gets a few years in prison. A rapist could get a lifetime. A murder could get life, or if he's really malicious (oh, sorry, beyond rehabilitation), he could be sentenced to death. Now, death is kinda scary, I guess. I mean, generally people want to live. And a life without freedom is somewhat a deterrant, although 3 square meals a day and a bed to sleep in doesn't sound too bad to someone on the streets. I don't think this is deterrant enough, though, to curb crime in this nation. You know what's scarier than death or prison? Pain!

That's right, I think people should be punished with an amount of pain and suffering equal to their offense.

Think about it. When you were a kid, what did you fear more? Did you fear time out or being sent to your room? Or did you fear the spanking? Hellz yeah. Your parents could threaten to lock you in your room all day and all night, and you, being the little shit you are, would keep talking right back to them. But once they even threatened to"pull this car over right now and give you the spanking of a lifetime," you shut up pretty quick.

Being as most people do not reach a maturity level past that of a 3 year old, and that most people operate on the risk/reward system of decision making, I think a punishment in pain would seriously make people think twice before robbing poor Mrs. Robinson as she walks down the street to the local market.

But, the punishment should be proportional to the crime. We can't go chopping off everyone's hand for petty offenses. If you are caught stealing a purse, break a finger. If you are caught stealing millions, put them in a boxing ring with the current Heavyweight Champion of the World for 10 rounds. Someone caught trafficking drugs? Give them an STD. I guarantee you people will think twice about breaking the law when faced with a lifetime of burning when you pee. That would get old really really quick. Rapists? Castrate them. 1) They won't ever do it again, guaranteed. 2) It'll make you think twice. I would be willing to bet that most men would be far less likely to rape a girl if they were faced with a future without their pecker. We can still kill murderers, but maybe that's the easy way out.... What if we made them go to prison, but maimed them before sending them. Talk about pain. A life with pain is much harder than a life without, and thus, I think would be a great deterrant to crime.

Now, you may think what I say here is sick, or deranged, or whatever. But if you think about it, I'm confident that many of you already agree with me. Life in prison is somewhat of a deterrant, but pain is much scarier. And if you commit a crime, you should have to be punished in a way that is frightening. How else will we deter anyone from a life of crime unless they are scared shitless of the consequenses? The death penalty? That's the easy way out. You don't have to live with yourself anymore after that. But a constant, painful reminder of what you have done? That's punishment.