[quote name='camoor']Calm down, I'm not talking "good christian folk" here.
Crack fiends. AKA criminals who have proven (through the act of giving birth to a crack baby) that they are going to make a human being with lifelong health problems/low mortality because they need welfare money and cannot resist "getting high".
I know you don't understand my world philosophy. It's about human rights for real people (as defined by a consensus of philosophers and NOT theologians / politicians) and reducing suffering in the world.
If you use wreckless judgement and in an illegal act of self-interest you kill or seriously brain-damage a man with a gun, you should lose the right to carry guns for the rest of your adult life.
I don't buy the "I was an addict" excuse. Noone came down and forced that crack in your pipe, or that heroin in your veins. As a society we've got to be concerned with the lives of our future citizens, and if the crack addict proves themself unable to avoid ruining the lives of others then they should be locked up to protect you and me, and if they give birth they should be sterilized to protect potential future victims.[/QUOTE]
Maybe if we actually improved treatment for drug addicts (we often refuse to treat those who actually want help), that may help with the drug problem. Maybe if we worked on improving schools, and after school programs, that may help with the drug problem. Maybe if we provided services so that single parents didn't have to leave their kids alone all day, that may help with the drug problem.
What do you do with drug addicted parents (whose kids are still within reach, maybe their parents have custody), who recover? Do you bar them from their kids, even though the kids know they're their parents? That would harm the child.
So you arrest a 19 year old heroine addict for robbing a bank, but for how long? And if they have lost the rights of "real people", what do you do when they're released? Or do you plan on arresting a 19 year old drug addict (maybe someday former drug addict) and keeping him/her behind bars her whole life for robbing a bank (not a crime that warrants, or recieves, life sentences)? If not, you locked away a person for x amount of years, only to release them with no work skills, no real world social skills, and a criminal record. Even if they kicked their habit, they can't do much with their life and are much more likely to go back to their drug of choice. If you got someone who has become violent or dangerous due to their drug, then put them in a place that can help them, and give them the skills to function effectively in society. You don't want to make it impossible for them to improve themselves upon their release.
Drug addicts don't sit there and say "hey, heroines a cool drug, I think I'm gonna get addicted and spend my life savings on it". Almost all drugs are originally used for social purposes, more often then not people are fine, but sometimes it gets out of hand. You can blame the person for getting to that point, but to say I don't buy the "I was an addict excuse" shows a complete lack of understanding of what an addiction to powerful substances can do. These aren't people who sit there an think through what they do. A person could becomes paranoid and think they're friend is going to kill them, so they kill them in self defense (at least in the addicts eyes). One of my friends works in a psych ward every other semester (for college), there was one kid there who used to deliver drugs when he was young teenager. One time this kid went to an apartment, knocked a few times and no one answered. He started to walk away, and a few seconds later the guy started shooting through his door. The guy was on drugs. His intent was not to plan out a murder, but to defend himself from the people he believed were trying to harm him (sadly though, some addicts end up being killed by people, If I remember correctly, more die from violence then the actual drug, since most know when a drug is too strong and balance it out. Most overdoses are by inexperienced users). If you plan on ever releasing a guy like that, you better damn well be sure he has recovered and can move on with his life. And I don't see how you could twist the law to lock up that man for the rest of life.
And what about alcohol? Why not lock up and sterilize all the alcoholics as well? We could start with the homeless people in your nearest city, who cares if they weren't alcoholics until they lost their homes, who actually wants to take the time to help them?
This definition of "real people" confuses me. If you want a just society, everyone must be treated as "real people", including those who are in prison and will be released back into that society. Locking them up as punishment really won't accomplish much in the big picture (obviously anything thing you do will have a few successes), and will do nothing to improve society. I'd argue that those who will never be released should also be treated as "real people" for two reasons, one they could be wrongly convicted and, two, that's how a just society is run. But you definately have to focus on rehabilition, not punishment, with those who will be released. To do otherwise is simply wishfull thinking and short sighted.
Also, this term "real people", if I remember correctly, you seem to have a problem with things such as guantanamo bay and other detention centers we run. The prisoners there are essentially viewed as, in practice not officially, as subhuman. That's exactly what you're doing, except you're just picking out a different group.
Damn, that started off as a short, 2 sentence response.