So, let me ask you: Do you support KILLING people who could be unaware that their bag has 16grams of heroin at custom checkpoint?

If you support mandatory death penalty, don’t regret that the capital punishment could fall onto your friends or family, who could have been conned/framed/deceived/blackmailed/mistaken identity/unintellectual. If you support mandatory death penalty, you also like the idea of having the power to murder someone simply by implanting 16grams of heroin inside anybody’s bag.

Now, do you, as a human being, support mandatory death penalty?

http://thecrunchtime.blogspot.com/2010/01/do-you-support-mandatory-death-penalty.html

I wonder if this mistake will be any more reversible?

The justification given for this non-violent crime is that if a person smuggle in drugs to singapore in the amounts ranging from 15g to 1.2 kg, it would “destroy” 1000 lives in singapore which makes him worser than a murderer . Its kind of like the movie ‘collateral’ ,but without psychics to be able to foresee the future. This is UNACCEPTABLE. The burden of proof is with the court for not being able to prove that the illegal drugs brought by the drug traffickers WILL, with absolute certainty, that it will destroy/kill a person in the future. Even if the drugs do destroy a person’s life as proven by a supernatural psychic ,drug traffickers would not be responsible for the death/addiction of a person but rather the person himself for taking drugs. Does it make sense for alcohol or cigarette traders to be responsible to the death/addiction of the people who consume it? Education is the key to completely eradicate the drug problem, not death to drug traffickers.

Latest scientific study by ‘The Lancet’ had shown that Cigarettes and alcohol do more harm than many illegal drugs like cannabis, LSD, ketamine & estasy. Yet we are murdering people who smuggled these drugs while the import of cigarettes and alcohol is perfectly acceptable . The laws that we have now with regards to drugs are criminally outdated.

http://biopsychiatry.com/tobacco/risks.html

The other justification is that it deters drug trafficking. There are plenty of countries that doesn’t punish drug traffickers by death yet are able to maintain a low drug crime rates (Turkey,greece,france).
Furthermore, there are plenty of studies that show no corellation between the death penalty and murder rates. Don’t get me wrong, i’m not against the death denalty for murder and that the accused has been proven to be guilty. Just ask yourself, who in their right minds would smuggle in drugs to singapore while knowing that he/she could be punished by death if caught?

1) Dumb people who were exploited by a drug lord to smuggle drugs, either aware or unaware that he is smuggling drugs

( It is sad how people are duped into becoming drug mules and thus had to die due to the criminal judicial countries that penalized drug trafficking by death. There are singaporean women on death row in countries like china right now for such cases. Unfortunately the government has made no intention of protesting against it : (

2) Desperate people who are coerced to smuggle drugs in order to pay off debts to a violent loan shark, or a drug lord
3) People who are in desperate need of money and was influenced by the drug lord’s sweet talk

That’s all i have to say ,

Peace

All the speakers shared with us their opinions, coming from different perspectives and I am sure that everyone who were there, whether or not they support the death penalty, have learned alot from what was shared.

For those who were not there/ couldn’t make it, please stay tuned for our video. As we have our day jobs as well, kindly give us some time to edit and release the video. :)

Oh then will you sign a petition to put the Singapore government on international trial for colluding with drug trafficking mafia lords as well? http://www.singapore-window.org/1020naus.htm

post #139 on October 9th, 2009 4.19 pm

//// Some have argued that trafficking deserves death because of the trail of destruction it brings along with it. Which crime does not bring a trail of destruction?

What about the user. His is a case of addiction. He needs help more than persecution. Do we end it for him thinking it is the easy way out for him and his addiction? I think not.////

very well said.

////When a punishment is not ideal, the more we should not consider punishment by death.////

agree, but this petition is using just 1 narrow wxample to champion a cause with wider implications, which i think its not the right way forward. why not champion it on a law by law basis? say no to death penalty for specific cause/s…?

being more specific may garner more support & also be easier to push forth?

Like the CARROT, the EGG, OR the COFFEE BEAN?

Think of this: Which are you?

three pots with water. In the first pot, placed carrots, in the second placed eggs and the last placed coffee beans. let them sit and boil

the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity, but become soft and lose strength?

the egg that changes with the heat? the shell look the same, but on the inside, bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and a hardened heart?

Or, are you like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you become better and change the situation around you.

When the hours are the darkest and trials are their greatest do you elevate to another level?

If one can be like coffee, you will change the addict to a better person rather be influnce by him/her.

It is the rights of people to lead and live a drug-free life, and anyone who violates the rights of others in this aspect should be punished!

Will TOC take the lead in organizing a “World Day Against Drug Trafficking”?

I guess the common ground we can come to an agreement is that nothing good comes out of drug abuse.

The message to all will be how circumstances drives us, stay out of drugs. and that is what i will educate my kids

I do understand your reasoning and will concede to you on the account that one has the right to protect his own and to live in a drug-free environment.

Unfortunately, we have to accept what is real and what is not. Society is never going to be rid of drugs and the trafficking of it. It has been around for hundreds of years and nothing has been able to eradicate it.

Many are taken in by drugs and its many influences. We have to understand why. For the traffickers, it is the lure of money. For the user, it is the addiction.

We mete out the death penalty based on the drug quantity one possesses when caught – whether you are the trafficker or the user. Some have argued that trafficking deserves death because of the trail of destruction it brings along with it. Which crime does not bring a trail of destruction?

What about the user. His is a case of addiction. He needs help more than persecution. Do we end it for him thinking it is the easy way out for him and his addiction? I think not.

You’ve answered it yourself. When a punishment is not ideal, the more we should not consider punishment by death. We are civilized enough to work something out. We need the intelligence of human beings, not animals.

As for the young man who will soon remain so, forever, having the surname Yong tells me that he is a Hakka. That’s too bad. In Hakkaland, the top Hakka dog have no qualms about making use of another lump of Hakka dirt to serve as example to those who dare go against his Heavenly Mandate! If fact the very act is a gesture of ruthlessness that is meant as a warning to the miserable masses.

i have got tons of thing to comment on her !!

Well, i guess that is essentially the same as human rights…

I have no problem with the concept of human rights and tully respect the notion of treating human with dignity and respect (afterall, that’s what makes us different from animals). My problem is when people use human rights to justify a crime or something that is wrong. Often the adovcates of human rights fail to recognise that the very people whom they are championing are the same people who violated the rights of others in the first place.

My children have every right to live in a drug-free society. I have every right to live in a neighbourhood that is safe from the perils of drug addiction. You have the right to justice, free speech, etc, etc.

That said, i do agree that capital punishment is a blunt tool and is not an ideal solution to fighting drugs and crime. Education, religion, family, economy, etc are some that should be advocated as well.

Turth be said, I am not really a big fan of what singapore government does. But in the aspect of capital punishment for drug trafficking, i am quite supportive of it.

you know

… in wars, it is better to maim and hurt than to kill. It adds burden for the opposing army as well as having a demoralizing effect.

… when you really want to hurt someone, you don’t kill. You make him 生不如死。i.e make him/her wish s/he was dead.

Well, drugs have the same effect… it not only make a person wishing s/he was dead, but it also add burden to others around him/her. Death penalty is letting him/her off easy.

I am still not convinced. What about the law of humanity?

(btw, how come there’s porn in TOC … Maria Ozawa would be stoned to death in some neighbouring states).

Possession of drugs is punishable with death penalty?! OMG!

Only drugs man! Not a single intent to kill/murder and still get death penalty?!!

Commoners do not have body guards and tight security like VIPs enjoy. Many commoners could be easily framed or exploited by the real criminals. Many innocent lives would be lost with this law, without unfolding the truths!

Please abolish the law.

Love
Maria

Your proposal seconded.

Yep.