I believe if the U.S. public was totally educated on all the issues...

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How would education affect opinions on penalties?


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If people were totally educated they would have complete knowledge. I believe if they had complete knowledge, they would react accordingly.

As an example of incomplete knowledge, I will use theft. I don't think any one of us could calculate what thieves cost us in terms of money, time, inconvenience, loss of liberty, etc. I think if we tried to calculate it, and make a list, it would be many thousands of items long next week and we would still be adding to it ... if we had knowledge of what it was, we would never tolerate it.

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... you deserve nothing less than to spend your entire natural life behind bars.

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Not necessarily behind bars. Just separated from civilized society.