I like conversations that are ethically and morally charged. Then I thought about Gladiators, Rome's ancient combatants of death. I discussed this among some of my friends, and then thought this would be good fodder for the WEPR.
So the basic premise, is to send people already condemned to die (there are plenty of these), into gladiatorial matches, similar to Rome's model, albeit a little more modern. Quick, painful deaths, for all to watch and enjoy, or vomit, as the case may be. These wouldn't be anyone, and as I said, they would already be condemned to die for the crimes they've committed. Hand to hand, die in honor and bravery kind of bloodbaths. It would be great entertainment, for those who feel such requirement to watch them. For everyone else, there is always a corner to protest vainly on.
To put a note on it, they wouldn't have to fight. If they didn't want to fight, there is always a gurney ready for them.
So my question is this: Would it be a good idea, or bad? The ethics and morality are clearly missing from such a brutal sport, but these men are condemned. What difference does it make?
Hm.. Well, what I have to say is that it would probably generate some pretty good income, rather than being a drain on the economy like prisons that aren't run as sweatshops.
Make it legal, those who fight and win can get luxuries when they go back to death row, like TV or whatever, before they die. And like someone said, good income for the prisons.
Why don't we go for a 'Running Man' style TV show?
Also, allow companies to sponsor each prisoner who's gonna be competing. This would A. Be good advertising and B. bring more money into the prison service and allow better facilities and pay for prison guards and improve prisons as a whole.
Nahh, just put subtitles under the guy with the sponsor name included or get some dude to announce that said prisoner is sponsored by whatever company.
Are there even innocents on death row? I'm pretty certain you can't be sentenced to death without evidence... Innocent until proven guilty, right?
Yes there have been people on death row how were later found innocent. Sometimes (hopefully most times) they catch the mistake before sentence is carried out.
I'm not really seeing how this method would work. Why would anyone volunteer for such a match if they had nothing to gain from it afterwords? If you need a spectacle of an execution we could bring back hangings or beheadings. If we need a cheaper more humane method of execution then we could simply inject the condemned with a lethal dose of morphine.
My primary answer to this question is pretty boring: Capital punishment is wrong, therefore this variant of capital punishment is also wrong. I may also contend that the enjoyment of such an event is undesirable.
Look at this way, why do tax payers have to pay for the care these criminals receive when with their crimes, they gave up their rights to live in a free society?
Presumably because the tax payers are the ones who want them imprisoned, making their care the responsibility of the tax payers. /offtopic
