Quote:
Originally Posted by tanguay'sstillgood
Ok, replace the word 'murder' with 'intentionally kill'. Regardless, I believe my point still stands...if you kill people you should be punished for it.
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I don't know if that addresses his point.
Why should you be punished for it if you were not in your right mind when you did it?
If someone suffers from paranoid schizophrenia, and truly and honestly believes his neighbour's wife is pregnant with the antichrist and the world will end if it is born, and he intentionally stabs her in the stomach believing this is the only way to protect us all, should he be punished? Why? What does it achieve?
It won't deter other crazy people, who aren't capable of the rational thought necessary for deterrence to work. And it won't deter the individual, who can't understand what he has done wrong or, worse, doesn't remember doing it and can't possibly feel genuine responsibility for it.
I don't think there's a distinction between "murder" and "intentional killing." One defines the other.
Unless, perhaps, I've misunderstood your post.