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shasarak · 09-29-2007, 08:43 AM

I've no doubt that murderers have violent thoughts before they actually commit murder too. The problem is, if you lock up everyone who has ever had violent thoughts, you'd have to lock up the entire population. The vast majority of people who have violent thoughts do not go on to commit murder, and to treat everyone who has ever had violent thoughts as a future murderer is not only stupid, it is profoundly wrong and unfair.

It also makes an absolute nonsense of the whole concept of individual responsibility. Have you ever looked at something in a shop that you couldn't afford and wished you had it? Would it make sense to lock you up for shop-lifting just because you've had those thoughts? Clearly not; wanting something and actually taking it are two completely different things. If you treat wanting something and stealing something as equally morally reprehensible, that means that actually stealing it is no worse than wanting it. Surely you don't believe that?

Similarly, virtually every human male on the planet has, at one time or another, had sexual thoughts about a person who is not, and could not ever be, attracted to them, and would therefore be upset if the male in question actually made sexual advances towards them. Most of those males have not gone on to actually commit rape. Again, it would simply be daft to lock up every single person who has ever had a sexual thought about someone who would be harmed if they acted on those thoughts; the difference between fantasising about someone and actually trying to rape them is rather an important one.

My suspicion is that an equally tiny minority of those who have sexual feelings towards children ever actually act on those feelings, and it is wrong to condemn someone as a future rapist, either of adults or of children, simply because they have fantasies. If they ever try to act on those fantasies and rape someone, fine: lock them up and throw away the key. But you're on a very slippery slope indeed if you start to lock up people because of their thoughts.

A person's thoughts are his own and no one else's; and should remain so.

09-29-2007, 08:43 AM	#91
shasarak Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Emily's Shop Posts: 60	Re: Sex & Violence I've no doubt that murderers have violent thoughts before they actually commit murder too. The problem is, if you lock up everyone who has ever had violent thoughts, you'd have to lock up the entire population. The vast majority of people who have violent thoughts do not go on to commit murder, and to treat everyone who has ever had violent thoughts as a future murderer is not only stupid, it is profoundly wrong and unfair. It also makes an absolute nonsense of the whole concept of individual responsibility. Have you ever looked at something in a shop that you couldn't afford and wished you had it? Would it make sense to lock you up for shop-lifting just because you've had those thoughts? Clearly not; wanting something and actually taking it are two completely different things. If you treat wanting something and stealing something as equally morally reprehensible, that means that actually stealing it is no worse than wanting it. Surely you don't believe that? Similarly, virtually every human male on the planet has, at one time or another, had sexual thoughts about a person who is not, and could not ever be, attracted to them, and would therefore be upset if the male in question actually made sexual advances towards them. Most of those males have not gone on to actually commit rape. Again, it would simply be daft to lock up every single person who has ever had a sexual thought about someone who would be harmed if they acted on those thoughts; the difference between fantasising about someone and actually trying to rape them is rather an important one. My suspicion is that an equally tiny minority of those who have sexual feelings towards children ever actually act on those feelings, and it is wrong to condemn someone as a future rapist, either of adults or of children, simply because they have fantasies. If they ever try to act on those fantasies and rape someone, fine: lock them up and throw away the key. But you're on a very slippery slope indeed if you start to lock up people because of their thoughts. A person's thoughts are his own and no one else's; and should remain so.