Life v Death

What is the difference between what is classified as a civilised country and one that is not? The first priority has to be the way it regards its citizens. Does it offer them the right to be treated for free if they become ill? Or can it only provide cures and treatments for those who are wealthy enough to be able to afford payment? Does it offer free education to the young? Does it give payments to those who are unable to work for a living? Does it provide shelter for those without a home of their own? If a country cannot cherish its people then surely it cannot be regarded as civilised.

If a country cherishes its people then it cannot choose to cherish some more than others. All life must be regarded as important and equal. If there are people who break the law, then somewhere in their past that country has failed them. Whether it is through badly educated parents not knowing how to bring their children up correctly, lack of supervision during their adolescence or poor teaching during their schooling. Somewhere, along the line, someone hasn't done quite enough to make a human being act responsibly and within the boundaries of the law of the land. But what if, at some point, even when a country may have done all that it can to keep a person on the straight and narrow - they have deviated? They may have done something so despicable that it makes us all recoil in horror. What should a country and its people do then?

When I was very young people spoke about execution and hanging as the answer to those who committed murder or other heinous acts. People, in those times thought that it was the correct and only way to deal with those who committed dreadful crimes. It no longer is an option in my country. It still is regarded as normal practise in some. Though as you gain more knowledge in life, how can it be right to snuff out someone's life as payment for their crime? Surely then you too become the same as them. You certainly cannnot be regarded any better for by using any form of execution as a punishment you then become a murderer. Currently, peoples freedom is taken from them as a punishment. Sometimes, this is for the rest of their remaining life on earth and sometimes it is for just a few short years.