darkSpyro

Idk why but this subject has always caught my interest for no reason whatsoever. Having a meal of your choice being the last thing you put in your mouth is such a weird concept to me. I think we should allow last meals because of how scary it is. Think how scary it would be to bite a piece of steak knowing that once you finish it that it will be the last flavor your tounge will ever get to experience. Every bite leads you closer to death but every bite is also a reminder of how you got to this point in life. Maybe you grew up with a mother who loved making fried chicken and every bite reminded you of innocence. This is great because it allows criminals to feel human again and not like animals being locked behind bars for the rest of their lives. I don't really like how some states have last meals be prison food because it just doesn't feel as sincere as a childhood favorite food.
Arguments against lasts meals are that it wastes tax money which kinda sucks but where else is the food gonna come from? Another complaint I see is less logical and that it rewards criminals with their favorite food. Not really because again once they finish their favorite meal death is at the corner.

Criminals are animals. Death row is a sentence for murder, and murder is animosity at its finest. They gave up their lives when they took someone else's so they don't deserve the comfort of life and freedom

I share both mindsets. On the one hand, whatever you ate would be your last meal and this goes for the victim of whatever crime puts the perpetrator on death row. Being conscious of it being one's last meal might bring satisfaction in life, and the criminal can go to die in peace. On the other hand, people will debate if that person should die peacefully when their victim didn't choose death.

As LegendOfZelda says these people are in the wrong, but do we in turn lose our humanity when we deny others theirs? Should we be the better person, or do we accept that we must leave our emotions at the door to do a job like we would any other? I'd like to know the chefs' perspectives most of all - how do they feel knowing that the meal they're preparing is going to be the last, their taste buds stimulated by the adrenaline? To know their work is only appreciated out of fear?

It's a messy subject, and as I'm not a citizen of any country that utilises the death penalty I'm not the most qualified to talk about it. Were I raised in one of these places, or traumatised by events that led to someone being there, my perspective would likely be a lot less calm.

Having said all this, people who take the Mickey with their last meal should be forced to play Crash Bash until they get their hair-raising experience.

EDIT: Made a correction; the UK abolished the death penalty in 1998. I thought we still had it for treason.

a form of fake politeness to make what they're doing a little more humane

Okay, I'm just imagining this conversation

"Okay so this guy murdered a guy, is a registered sex offender, and has robbed 5 banks."

"Yep"

"What's his favorite food"

"Ice Cream"

"What Flavor"

"cookies and Crean"

"Give it to him before we shoot him"

Quote: King-Pen Krazy

Okay, I'm just imagining this conversation

"Okay so this guy murdered a guy, is a registered sex offender, and has robbed 5 banks."

"Yep"

"What's his favorite food"

"Ice Cream"

"What Flavor"

"cookies and Crean"

"Give it to him before we shoot him"

I will definitely guestbook this post when I get to a computer.

not a fan of the death penatly unless its absolutely necessary, and i guess im a little on the fence abt last meals. bc its a pleasant thing to do but its exactly what carmelita said it is, but criminals are still people (awful people but u get what im saying) and anybody could really be in their place if they took a some wrong steps so i think its an okay thing to do

I take up the same personal opinions Sesshomaru has myself. He elaborates all of the same points that I feel personally myself, almost perfectly to a T if I were to put my own opinion. It helps because at the moment I'd have a hard time thinking of what to say on this subject, so I don't need to say much more besides I share his opinion and it's much as the same as mine in near same words.

I personally don't agree with the death penalty. Sure, they killed someone and don't deserve life, but killing them really makes the justice system no better. They deserve to be locked up in solitary confinement and given the bare minimum to survive, not what they actually get in prison, which sadly is way more than they deserve. Most people who are on death row are on it for years, I actually recently was looking it up out of boredom and a few of them were on it for more than 30 years; average being anywhere from 15 - 20 years, and a few being only a few years. As I stated, this is my opinion, I don't agree with murder or execution in general, because I think they get off to easy that way, I think they should rot in a cell and spend the rest of their lives hopefully regretting what they did. And to answer your last question, I don't think they really deserve a last meal as it's kind of a waste of food, but I guess it'll be the last thing they ever enjoy, not that deserve it.

As someone who wants to go into criminal justice, I thoroughly believe that without the death penalty, crime would be a lot higher. You see, the death penalty keeps people in check. The common people see or hear that someone did a horrendous crime and they were put on death row. Now, this person might think to themselves "My life is worth far more than this crime" and decide not to commit it. My Criminal Justice teacher explained it better than I do, but still. While this is just theory, it's something to think about.

1. I'm against the death penalty period. The idea of the government having the authority to kill you is....macabre, at best. And before anyone brings up the "hurr durr taxpayer's money" argument, it actually costs more for the state to execute someone than it does to house them. Sess explained it pretty well above.

2. I agree with the concept of last meals because I can't think of a reason to disagree. Really, who the hell cares what's in their stomachs? It's not like they're going to digest it. Americans waste perfectly good food every day while the world starves around us, but we suddenly take a moral high ground when it's going to be fed to someone who just happens to be a criminal.

The only problem I have with the death penalty is that it is fallible. In an instance where it's possible to know with 100% certainty that a person committed a crime, such as if someone is caught in the act of mass murder, I have no issue with it. Usually though it is impossible to know for sure, so I would normally not favor the death penalty.

I do not believe human lives have unconditional or intrinsic value. Value is based on choice. We choose to assign value to human lives and we choose the conditions by which we assign human lives value. If you believe that the life of a serial killer has value, that is your choice. Personally, I choose not to value such a life.

As for last meals, they sound like a waste of time.

I'm for it. They are getting justice for whatever despicable things they have done. It's still dignified to respect them as a human being.

I wouldn't say I believe in a "Last Meal", but I do believe there is some sort of final food waiting for us to eat it before we die.