Introduction[]
Individuals should be free to make choices for themselves, and to accept responsibility for the consequences of the choices they make. Religious morality and stupidity cannot, and should not, be legislated. A social morality can, and is legislated. Although there may be differences in opinion when it comes to morality, certian things are accepted as immoral, due to social norms. These things may include murder, rape, battery, assault, and theft. Laws do not exist just to protect it's citizens from anti-social behavior, but also to protect citizens, the government, and businesses in their jurisdiction.
If it is needed, please create sub-sections for country-specific information.
"Whenever Man violates either the equal rights of others or the above-mentioned just laws, he thereby forfeits his immunity in this regard; by his misconduct, he destroys the moral and legal basis for his immunity and opens the door to just reprisal against himself, by government. This means that any person, as such offender, may justly be punished by the people's proper instrumentality--the government, including the courts--under a sound system of equal justice under equal laws; that is, under Rule-by-Law (basically the people's fundamental law, the Constitution). Such punishment is justified morally because of the duty of all Individuals--in keeping with Individual Liberty-Responsibility--to cooperate, through their instrumentality, government, for the mutual protection of the unalienable rights of all Individuals. The offender is also justly answerable to the aggrieved Individual, acting properly through duly-established machinery of government, including courts, designed for the protection of the equal rights of all Individuals." - The American Ideal of 1776
Suppressing Crime[]
The appropriate way to suppress crime is through consistent and impartial enforcement of laws that protect individual rights.
Punishment and Rehabilitation[]
Rehabilitation[]
- Many people who commit particularly repugnant unlawful acts do so without understanding the full consequences of the action, particularly the effect their actions have on other people. In some cases they can be educated to understand why their actions were wrong, and be allowed back into normal society with the possibility of positively effecting society.
- Criminals should be granted access to educational materials such as books and news services, which may be necessary in order to reintegrate into society.
- Incarceration should not provide an environment to make better criminals.
Punishment[]
- Punishment should be exactly that. Lack of television, computer access, exercise equipment, pornography, and conjugal visits is not cruel and inhuman, as many live this way in free society. There should be no right to entertainment. Similarly, hard labour is not cruel and inhuman and should be considered when sentencing.
- There are those who have no value for the rights, even the lives, of other people. By their actions they have shown they cannot, and should not, be allowed to remain in free society. Life imprisonment should mean just that, imprisoned for the duration of their life.
- The death penalty can be discussed under Capital Punishment.
A proposal[]
Rehabilitation and punishment are mutually exclusive goals. Therefore, incarceration sentences should provide for a set term of punishment followed by a set term of rehabilitation.