Japan’s Minister of Justice has developed a novel argument against the death penalty – criminals die anyway, so why kill them?
In public comments Satsuki Eda, a former lawyer and Japan’s current Justice Minister, described his innovative new argument against the death penalty:
The death penalty has many flaws.
Humans eventually die. Why should we rush to execute them?
He went on to indicate he would be “studying” the future application of the death penalty.
The death penalty in Japan is generally only sought against serial killers, and the executions themselves (conducted by hanging) must be personally authorised by the minister, with an average of 5 executions a year and a 7 year wait on death row.
Online his arguments were ridiculed:
“If people die anyway, what’s the problem with murdering them?”
“Murder’s hardly a crime if they’re just going die sometime, isn’t it?”
“A schoolboy-level opinion…”
“The victim’s bereaved families can hardly rest in peace if they die before the killer.”
“Death from natural causes and the death penalty are completely different things. What an idiot.”
“If people are just going to die anyway we might as well execute them now!”
“I’d expect this sort of talk from one of those guys with mohicans in Fist of the North Star, not from our Minister of Justice…”
“What’s the point of a law abiding country if everyone is just going to die anyway?”
“How can he say something like this? What he thinks is his own business, but surely he can realise what the reaction will be if he says this sort of thing in that office?”
“If you oppose the death penalty, change the law already.”
“I oppose the death penalty, but I can’t agree with his statement. In fact, I wish he’d shut up as his infantile statements are actually damaging the position of abolitionists.”
“Robber: ‘It’ll be used anyway, so I might as well steal it.'”
“Irrespective of whether the death penalty is just or not, for an idiot who can only think of these pathetically shallow objections to become Japan’s Minister of Justic is truly despair inducing.”
Hmmmm death penalty sucks .
Murders should work in mines or something like that .
EVERYONE….
LETS START THE KILLING SPREE…
DONT WORRY…
YOU ALL WILL NEVER GET DEATH PENALTY..
WKAKAKAAKAKAKAKKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAAKKAKAKAKAKAK………..
WTF..
japanese law so stupid….
if you say so damn hell yeah..
i will kill lots of people starting today…
i will not sentence to death penalty..
i like it..
This is fairly deep, albeit surreal, social commentary. Those that dismiss it should take a long look at their shameful selves.
“The victims won’t rest if they die first…”
Do they have the fantasy that people don’t die, if they aren’t killed? No. They die anyways. His statement rebuffs this, and many other shallow reasons for the death penalty.
The death penalty is not necessary and misses that a LOT of people who murder and mass murder especially ARE mentally ill when they do their crimes.
I’d much rather have them get proper mental health treatment and be released back into society (yes, if they are not a danger anymore, released back into society) at a later date, so they can contribute to society.
Yeah, people die eventually so what’s a shotgun rampage or two? It’s not like I’ll get jail time for it cuz they were already gonna die. My defense is airtight!