AGE OF RESPONSIBILITY

RAISE OF AGE OF RESPONSIBILITY

PRO		CON
→ children are too young to understand the full consequent of their actions
→ children be treated differently than adults (in Germany: until 25 juvenile justice system → max. ten years)
→ unable to control impulses → kids aren´t aware of the consequences of their doing		→ children can differentiate between bad behavior and serious wrongdoing → it`s important that the criminal law underlines the difference between right and wrong by punishing children who commit crimes → children today are physically and intellectual more advanced → puberty reached earlier → know earlier what they do
→ children are too young to face trial → enormous pressure		→ it´s necessary to show criminal children that their actions were wrong → must be punished so that they learn the true costs of their actions
→ Most countries of the world: 14 (European Union, Russia and even China), 14+ (Philippines, Czech Republic, the Baltics, Portugal) and some even 18 (Argentina, Brazil, Belgium, and Kongo)		→ if criminal sanctions were not available, children would be more likely to be used to assist older criminals → older brothers or friends would be more likely to to force children to carry weapons → punishment makes it harder for children to be involved in crimes
→ reparation and rehabilitation should be the aim; not punishment!
→ hard sentence does not have any effect (75% of delinquents in offenders institutions will commit a crime a again → movie “Spiel auf Bewährung”)		→ determent: they are less likely to commit further crimes in the future if they know that they will receive a punishment, in addition other children are less likely to commit crimes of they know a punishment will follow → education training in prison/ young offender institution gives them a chance to come back into the society one day – according to a study, 43,5 % of criminal children that were treated in a youth offender institution didn`t commit crimes again afterwards
→ Institution of youth offenders: bad conditions (violence, bullying, sexual abuse, drugs, etc...)
→ needs of children are more important than the victims feeling		→ use of therapeutic measures
→ situation in society: → kids are allowed to drink hard alcohol from the age of 18, are allowed to drive from the age of 18, can watch special movies from the age of 18, some kids in war, so why they should be punished with 12?
Mother/Father of a criminal	Social Worker	Dad of a victim	Politician

DEATH PENALTY

DEATH PENALTY

PRO		CON
→ guaranty, that there is no repetition of crime → after execution: no danger for society any more!		→ ethically not correct, because with death penalty, the state becomes a murder, too → no chance for the delinquent to show mercy
→ cheaper than imprisonment		→ not really cheaper, because between the condemnation and the execution, there are several hearings and trials → the whole process is 6 times more expensive → California: 137 million Dollar/year just for 20-30 executions
→ religious aspect: “eye for an eye”		→ Bible shows, that we shouldn´t play god → show mercy like Jesus did → separation of religion and state → step back in to the Medival, we live in a modern society
→ racist information: 57% of people on “death list” are white		→ 66% of any case, involving a black or hispanic killing a white, led to death penalty → blacks are 5 times more likely to get punished with death penalty
→ really really small number of people who were killed wrongfully		→ 25 people have been wrongfully executed since 2000 → Errors are unacceptable because the death penalty is irreversible
→ death penalty deters people from committing a crime		→ contradiction: when someone kills somebody wrong, but the state can kill people without being punished (no role model) → there is no declining number of delicts since the introduction of death penalty because dangerous crimes are committed in the heat of the moment → delinquent doesn´t reflect about death penalty
→ after a crime, we shouldn´t care about the delinquent, we should care about the victim → we just count the murderers, not the victims → murderers live a safety and confident life in crime while the relatives of the victims are full of sadness and grief		→ there´s no rehabilitation, no repair, restoration or redemption → no learning process or educative effect → we live in a solidarity → the public isn´t informed correctly and as a result, the people´s opinion concerning prison isn´t right → by killing somebody, we are responsible for another sad family
→ 15,000 murders/year at court, but in 30 years, there were only 1000 executions → victims have to be protected better		California: 137 million Dollar/year for 20-30 executions, but no effect → should spend the money to prevent crime and support the youth, especially to prevent gang fights → prevent murders instead killing murders who are already in prison
Father of a victim → daughter has been raped and killed → just want revenge and justice for kid → worried about kids: death penalty guaranties safety	Governor → convinced that death penalty is only way to prevent crime → in my state: no crime because death penalty deters → in a democracy, the state has to do, what the people want and in many cases, that´s death penalty → the task of my government is to protect the society and death penalty is the best way to guaranty that	Advocate → public pressure and emotions often lead to judgment: death penalty → counsel for the defense appointed by the court is a bad precondition → revenge can´t be the base for a judgment → not revenge or determent should be the aim of the state, justice is the maxim	Human rights activist → the dignity of a human has to be protected → with death penalty, we all become murders (tax payers) → state should be a role model → by killing the delinquent, we can´t reanimate the victim → the right of living isn´t fixed with any conditions

ABORTION

PRO		CON
→ religion aren´t modern, we live in a modern world with modern medicine		→ religious aspects: nearly all religions refuse abortion → life is a present, given by god → we shouldn´t play god and decide about life and death
→ in some cases: parents can´t guaranty a good education because they don´t have enough money → parents too young: can´t educate a child because they are a child, too → excessive demands for young parents		→ there is financial support by the state
→ a child “destroys” a career (especially for women)		→ possibility of maternity leave (also for men) → taking a break of 1 or 2 years until the kid can visit a kindergarten
→ modern medicine offers a possibility we should use, if it´s necessary → routine procedure (no risk for women) → every year: 40 million abortions (20 million illegal) → 20 percent of pregnant women do abortions (14 percent in Germany)		→ surgeries are always risky (in many cases, the uterus has to be removed because of complications → woman can´t get pregnant any more) → brutal surgery → every year: 47.000 women dead because of abortion
→ in case of rape: child is always the remembrance of the trauma
→ in case of illness: the child would suffer too much under his disability		→ we shouldn´t play god → were does it lead when we start selecting the babies we want or don´t want (starts with healthy/ill and ends with brown/black hair)
→ a big burden for the whole family		→ not always a burden → it´s a enrichment for the whole family
→ it´s legal until week 12 → after week 12: just in case of abortion or risk for health → 2001: 135.000 abortion in Germany (3500 because of rape/health)		→ killing a human being, even though it isn´t born
		→ big problem: until when is a embryo a human being?
→ statistic: women, who abort are more self confident than women who give birth to their child, although they don´t really want it		→ psychological aspect (depression) → it isn´t easy to decide → after abortion: guilty conscience the whole life long → what would be, if I didn´t make this decision?
→ it isn´t a spontanous decision: you have to reflect at least 3 days before you can do a abortion		→ Abortion is a ultimate decision, no way back → possibility: adoption
		→ many illegal (back door) abortions (Mexiko → cheaper)
Boyfriend (17) of a pregnant girl → no money for kid → going to school and no time for child → burden for family: parents have to care for kid because I have to go to school	Doctor → absolutely no risk because it´s a routine procedure → in Germany: the health insurance pays the costs for the abortion, the patient only has to pay the medicine and the anesthesia (500 Euro)	Pregnant Teenager → can´t understand how someone could abort → from the first moment, there are feelings for the baby	Human rights activist → dignity of a human being is more important than someone´s career