Hello everyone.
I'm Linda from England (my friends call me Lin or Big Lin.)
I know Pumpkinpie from another board and I also know Mo-Dawg from several.
I am a passionate advocate of inmate's rights and alternatives to prison where possible and am a member of Prison Talk Online which to some is about as yukky as you can get.
My interest in prison reform began when two friends of mine were sentenced unjustly to terms in jail and were brutally raped and beaten by both inmates and guards. They tried to commit suicided but fortunately failed.
Unfortunately (and this is where I get catcalls of hypocrisy from both sides) I'm also pro death penalty.
I'm probably the most reluctant and attenuated pro you could find and I would only execute around 10% of murderers but that still makes me the devil incarnate to some antis (just as my support of prisoners makes me to some pros.)
I'm a liberal, compassionate and humane person whose attitude to the death penalty was profoundly affected by the brutal murder at 16 of a dear friend of mine.
If there's the slightest doubt I'd oppose execution.
Even if not, it has to be a really horrific murder for me to support it.
I expect I'll either get banned after this outburst or else have showers of bricks thrown at me by both sides.
Never mind.
I say what I mean and I mean what I say and I am VERY aware of the need for tact and sensitivity.
Do you think I'd be allowed to stay on PTO if I wasn't like that?