fandomhigh | Concepts of Justice and The Law [Period 4, Class #14, Apr 13]

Alex was not quite her usual self today, but she was making a valiant effort as she entered class and nodded at her students.

"This is our last regular class together," she said. "Next week, there's a final. So today's topic is going to be short, so we can get to any final review you guys might want to cover."

And also because Alex was drained, and most of her students didn't seem much better off.

"Today's topic is cruel and unusual punishment. When the law is punitive, when the state wants to make examples out of dissidents, sometimes the result is the most painful and tortuous hardship that can be handed out. Order the convict to do manual labor, or be whipped publicly. Execute him in such a gruesome fashion that you're sure everyone else watching is terrified of the same thing being applied to them."

Or just break them psychologically. It was like Alex's syllabus was working against her.

"As a result, as we move towards justice and away from vengeance, many systems place in restrictions against cruel and unusual punishment. This means excessive punishment for minor infractions -- say, executing someone who stole your lunch -- as well as outlawing certain acts entirely. At this point, capital punishment was changed with an eye towards humane killing, if there is such a thing. Instant, painless death, as much as could be guaranteed, instead of drawn-out public suffering. All the same, many detractors believe any state-sponsored killing violates this rule."

Alex ran one hand through her hair. "Guys, I'm sorry. I'm not on my game today. This topic deserves a better treatment than I'm giving it, but this will have to do for today. Let's talk about cruel and unusual punishment, and then cover any review questions you might have. If there's time left, we can ... talk about your kids."

Entirely professional, that. But somehow it seemed like cruel and unusual punishment to try to have a rigorous class today.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Wibbling over your missing kids. Or celebrating that they are gone and/or that you didn't have any.

Take notes. Wonder what's gotten into Alex. Be too busy missing your young'ns to care.

Should there be rules against cruel and unusual punishment? How should the state make an example in especially heinous crimes? Which punishments should be forbidden, and which allowed? Should execution be considered cruel and unusual punishment, in all cases?

Was the midterm too hard, too confusing, too easy, or too anything else? Would people like the same format for the final, or a different approach entirely? Are there concepts which you'd like to cover again, from the past few weeks, to be sure that you're familiar with them? (You can either ask specific questions to address matters you're unclear on, or ask for a mini-review of one of the past topics as a whole.) Is there anything you believe should or shouldn't be covered? All related matters go here.

Alex is not going to be sharing much -- if asked, she'll explain that she didn't have any AU kids, but beyond that, she's not elaborating further.

This thread is really just for all of you to dig out pictures and wibble and talk about how little Jennifer spent the weekend singing "I'm a Little Teapot" and here, look, you taped it and put it on YouTube.

No, seriously, if you need to commiserate (or celebrate, if you had a hellspawn that fled) with your fellow classmates, go to town.

If they are here. They might have nifty parental stories.

She's here if you want to talk.

My apologies for emo-class. Sometimes, you've gotta roll with it.

Jack Priest

Jack frowned slightly as he listened and took notes. He understood some people were upset by the visiting children (though, selfishly, he had to admit he was far more unsettled by what Felix had told him about his own future than he had been to send his children home the night before) but going to work as obviously off one's stride as Alex was struck him as unprofessional at best.

Perhaps, he thought, it was different if you were a woman, or if you were older. He shrugged off the train of inquiry and devoted himself to the study of justice.

Edited 2010-04-13 18:56 (UTC)

Nobody Owens

While Bod hadn't had any children, he could certainly understand quick attachments and the sadness that came when they were gone. He took a few notes but mostly just listened and tried to be respectful of those that had children leave.

Karla

"I think torture -- defined as pain for the sake of pain -- is cruel and unusual, not to be too obvious about it," Jack reported crisply, hoping it would goad the professor out of her -- whatever it was.

"My only quibbles with execution have to do with the sentencing inequities around it, not in the punishment itself. Hanging or even the electric chair make for kinder deaths than what most murderers gave to their victims."

[OOC: Bigtime him-not-me on this one, yeah. I feel like I should give to Amnesty every time he goes off like this.]

Karla was there, taking notes, where notes can be defined as 'doodles and scribbles relating to her daughters.' She wasn't sad, exactly. Just a bit melancholy. Truth be told, she'd never really thought about having children or a family, or even a Consort, really. Knowing that there were some versions of her that had those things was making her question herself about what she wanted and what her future might hold.

Tahiri Veila

Leia Organa

Karla was pretty sure this was one of the discussions where she should just stay pretty quiet about most of Kaeleer's penal codes. Shaving--the secondary definition of it anyway--would probably be very high on her classmate's lists of cruel and unusual punishments.

"For a people who have no laws against murder, outlawing state-ordered executions seems a silly thing," was all she said.

Kurt Wagner

Kurt was there, blinking at everything as if it was a bit new to him. Spending a weekend as an earthworm did that to a person.

"Civilized nations don't torture," Kurt insisted, as if it weren't up for discussion. "Especially not as a punishment. What happened to trying to rehabilitate criminals???"

Karla paused by Alex's desk as her classmates filed out. "Professor?" she asked, once everyone had left. "It isn't my place to ask, but...is everything all right?"

Ben Skywalker

"What we see as a horrifying desecration can be another culture's way of honoring someone," Ben said, remembering the lesson of Senator A'Kla, "so I think making a blanket statement across a galaxy-wide government about what is forbidden is a bit of a fool's errand."

Gwen Cooper

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Concepts of Justice and The Law [Period 4, Class #14, Apr 13]

Sign In - JST14

During the Lecture - JST14

Discussion: Cruel and Unusual Punishment - JST14

Discussion: Class Review - JST14

Discussion: Your AU Kids - JST14

Talk to the TAs - JST14

Talk to Alex - JST14

OOC - JST14

Re: Sign In - JST14

Re: During the Lecture - JST14

Re: Sign In - JST14

Re: During the Lecture - JST14

Re: Sign In - JST14

Re: Discussion: Cruel and Unusual Punishment - JST14

Re: Talk to the TAs - JST14

Re: Sign In - JST14

Re: Sign In - JST14

Re: Discussion: Cruel and Unusual Punishment - JST14

Re: Sign In - JST14

Re: Talk to the TAs - JST14

Re: Discussion: Cruel and Unusual Punishment - JST14

Re: Talk to Alex - JST14

Re: Sign In - JST14

Re: Discussion: Cruel and Unusual Punishment - JST14

Re: Sign In - JST14