had to type fast again...

if we are to show mercy to others, you say, we will be shown mercy (ready?) my question is from whom?

What's really sad is that a prisoner would get that help over a middle class woman with out insurance. Though it also says something that a significant segment of our society would deprive others who are not prisoners or bad people of simple basic health.

What does it say about us if we do not give those we incarcerate the basics in health care if only for selfish reasons. Do we really want prisons like those in other countries? Do we want those that will eventually become citizens again to be completely nutty and violent when they regain their freedom? I certainly don't.

I tend to think of many things when a topic is discussed, not just the immediate obvious things. Maybe I am too curious.

Free the non-violent offenders. Shut down the for-profit private prisons. Over half those people didnt even get fair trials anyways.

If she and her co hearts had killed some working types she would of been released 30 years ago . when the goverment starts locking up people this long over killing me i,d be all for keeping her locked up this long but thats not the case is it .. free all of them til justice is equal for all . I don,t beleave my kids would of had it easier without my income and of course the dogs who would trying to do my widow and suck up the money i might of been able to leave my family ...GE SERIOUS

Right now I am just talking about the moral thing. Not religion either, just how we want to be as human beings. I can only wonder for myself if I have what it takes to show mercy to someone I might otherwise despise. I of course agree that if it's good enough for her it's good enough for all.... I think.... I still get stuck when I envision what some people have actually done and it strikes that part of me that has no capacity to extend mercy, the side of me that would rather see them suffer because it's so much easier than contemplating the morality of it.

The only thing I meant by the prisons having their own specific ways or determining who is up for parole or any other considerations. This topic was specifically about her not all those who did similar things.

As you hopefully can see I am very conflicted, between my base instincts and my intellect, and my heart on this. I would not want to live in a place where we lived only by our base instincts. Am I just digging a bigger hole here? LOL

rather assumptive, fact she was tried, fact she was found guilty, fact she was sentenced to the death penalty, fact her sentence was commuted to life in prison, not due to her notoriety but for the heinous nature of the crime. She should fulfill her imposed sentence, life in prison - not let's release her because she's dying, hell we are all one step closer to death and get closer every day.

jmo

we'll soon be in China

I hear you, respect your opinion

What does her decision to not show mercy have to do with your decision now to show her no mercy? Are you saying that because she showed no mercy you are now not required to follow your own beliefs? If your statement does apply to all, then her decision has nothing to do with your decision to dismiss your own statement.

If from what you are saying now, you think she should be put to death, then it would have been more appropriate to say:

Those that show no mercy are not to be shown mercy. That's the funny thing about statements that can be taken two or more ways.

Now if we mean those that show no mercy are not to be shown mercy, then we have yet another delema. Like when a child commits murder, what then?

I agree these are difficult ideas, but ones I would not want to be faced with on a daily basis.

Yupper, I think I can see China... grin!

So when do we draw the line on letting terminally ill inmates go before the sentence is up? Some people can live a long time with a terminal illness.

Do we say only certain illness? Do we say only certain types of crimes. Sounds like recidivism waiting to happen.

Now that I looked her up to get more info on her, I'm going to amend that "no" to a "Hell, F-a-duck NO"! Letting a Manson Family member out just because she has cancer is a joke.

There is no compassion in such an action anyway. As a pre-existing condition, she won't be able to get insurance.

If you really have compassion, leave her in jail. She will get basic treatment for her cancer. Either in prison or on medicare/medicade, it will still be taxpayers footing the bill.

In fact, it is more likely that she would die sooner if she was released because she would never be able to get a job to help pay for the health insurance if she could even get approved for it. Who is going to hire a Manson girl who spent nearly her entire life in jail?

OMG I can't BE any clearer.

She showed no mercy so she gets no mercy and because she showed no mercy she is not entitled to any mercy from any of us....(I think) she is saying...jmo

Well ultimately I gathered that even though your first statement said one thing you believed another.

You actually believe that because she showed no mercy, you have none for her. If you had said it that way in the beginning I could not have questioned the idea that those who show mercy will be shown mercy. But I will let it go, it's not that big a deal, just a curiosity for me..

I knew by her second post what she meant ultimately. It just didn't fit with her first post, and that made me curious. But I think I am beating a dead horse at this point so I'll quit...

yep. I have stated how I feel and I'm out numbered, I'm not going to argue about it...

Well I was hoping for an interesting discussion rather than an argument. Maybe if it hadn't been her and her crime not so ugly the discussion could have included my curiosity. Still. No big deal, moving on.

don't think the crime would matter..... all want mercy for themselves and those they love... not for anyone else.

I looked up mercy to make sure I had the right definition http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/mercy

1. Compassionate treatment, especially of those under one's power; clemency.
2. A disposition to be kind and forgiving: a heart full of mercy.
3. Something for which to be thankful; a blessing: It was a mercy that no one was hurt.
4. Alleviation of distress; relief: Taking in the refugees was an act of mercy.

While I disagree that we only show mercy for those we love and ourselves, we can all agree to disagree. I can show mercy, empathy for others and that includes people I may never meet nor know.

Do I think she should be shown mercy, truthfully no. She should not be shown any special treatment but this is only my opinion. Her crimes warrant no mercy from me.