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Today's hate mail

Posted by Oliver Wright
  • Wednesday, 4 November 2009 at 11:25 am

Here is a brief – and terrifying - glimpse into the world of those people who spend time commentating on the Daily Mail’s website.

 

This morning the paper posted a story about a paedophile who is to be beheaded and then crucified in Saudi Arabia under the country’s Sharia law (not normally a Mail favourite).

 

So far the story has attracted nearly 300 comments. To gauge the tone of the debate we decided to look at the top rated comments and then the worst rated.

Very instructive.

Here they are:

TOP RATED

A good punishment for a sick peado. Why can''t we hand out this very appropriate sentence to UK offenders? Put it this way, he won't re-offend, or cost the taxpayer anything in the future.

 

well that is certainly a punishment that fits the crime, pity we can't have a few in our courts.

fair punishment for a terrible crime against children ... should be the other way round crcify him, castrate him too for good measure and then behead him just before he dies.

Let's see what the do gooders say about this decision.

 

Now That's what I call music.

Sounds reasonable to me.


WORST RATED

Good grief. Are we living in the 21st century?


 

I thought we had moved on from crucifixion 2000 years ago. I cannot believe the comments on here supporting sharia law. These posters wouldn't be happy about it if they were flogged for having a drink.

It was only a matter of time before the throwbacks came out of the woodwork referring to "do gooders" and baying for a return to medieval values and a white mans sharia.
Congratulations, you are all you hate.

We have a lot of shortcomings with sentencing in this country, but letting emotion (anger) effect policy like this is evolution in reverse.

When people constantly speak of a lack of faith in politicians, the courts or the police, I am amazed that they'd trust the power of death in their hands.
The cost of banging someone up for a PROPER sentence is the cost of protecting OUR rights, not those of the criminal. Geddit?

"Pity we can't have a few in our courts...."

Sounds like the Mail's readership is just about ready for Sharia law in the UK....wonders never cease.

Seriously - this man committed some awful awful crimes; but whether or not the death penalty is justified (a separate debate...), it is beyond belief that any jurisdiction in the 21st Century still uses such medieval methods.

I doubt any Westerners who witnessed a Saudi public execution would still consider this acceptable.

On the one hand, YES, these are horrific crimes and the decapitation and crucifixion of the criminal should be a warning to others.
On the other hand, did this young 22 year old man, whose raging hormones drove him to the edge of insanity, have anywhere to turn for help in such a strictly fundamentalist country?
I notice with interest that despite the strict sharia laws of that country, 56 executions have been carried out there already this year, proving that strictness alone cannot be relied upon to help people to control themselves. Everyone is different.
Starving animals and humans WILL kill for food. Dammed up steam WILL cause an explosion. Pent up drives WILL cause insane behaviour.
To cross the river of Life and reach Paradise you have to pay the Ferryman. Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and give to God what belongs to God.
At the extremes are two polarities and between them is a dynamism called LIFE.
The CENTRAL WAY is the narrow gate that leads to Life.


It's a variation on an old joke. How do you confuse a Daily Mail reader: tell him a paedophile is to be put to death under Sharia law.