What does it mean to be a person? How sacred is human life?

Great Debates
21

Actually, there have been some prisons that actually make money for the state. Granted, it is due to a Federal contract but it has happened. In any case, a convicted criminal is almost invariably expected to work 40 hours a week - if it is useful labor they are doing then they probably more than offset the cost of their housing and feeding.

22

And if a prisoner refuses to work, what do they do? Throw him in jail?

23

Tracer, I may be wrong, but in prison, there are worse things than prison.

If a person or a clone (another person) are braindead, couldn’t we [callous] use them for spare parts? I mean, they’re there for the taking, the bodies won’t need them any more, hell, they’re braindead, ain’t comin back, right?[/callous]

Um, I recall the study that put monetary value on human life. Or I recall a study. It was a study of how much value nations put on a human life. I think that the U.S. was at the top with something over a million US dollars. This was based on lawsuits and the like, I believe. And I believe it was done by worldbank.

As to the list, kill the 40 year old mass murderer/rapist. 20/21 are the same thing, and as far as I can tell, they’re already dead. The body may live, but the person is gone. 22, what gives? It’s a person, right?

The terminally ill should only die if they want to. There’s a chance, but they also have to deal with pain. Anyway, it’s their choice, not mine.

The woman what’ll die if she gives birth, I’m assuming that C-secion is out. As tis, I’d get rid of, sadly enough, the baby.

As for the rest, why kill any of them?

I sold my soul to Satan for a dollar. I got it in the mail.

24

Slate discussed the valuation of human life in an article a while back about seat belts on school buses.

They say that the US DOT has arrived at a figure of $2.7 million for a human life, while other economic studies have placed the amount between $3 million and $7 million. They determine this by estimating the wage that people accept to take high-risk jobs.

You can read it here: http://slate.msn.com/code/Explainer/Explainer.asp?Show=5/11/99&idMessage=2761

Dr. J