Couple of questions about Japan

[Ewok85]

One other item of note I remember is how the trapdoor is opened. There is 3 or 4 (3 i think) buttons that open the trapdoor, 2 of them do nothing and one opens it. Basically 3 guards press their respective button at the same time and noone knows whose button really did the deed.

 

[TimF]

History is written by the victors, and they tend to leave the nasty bits out

People who want happy endings have to write their own.

 

[sbv0001]

>> ....Europe which hasn't been extremely influenced with American law studies.

Hiroshi, would you be so kind to explain how the non-existence of death penalty in Europe is related to American Law studies?
It is not clear to me, what you mean with this sentence.

 

[Ewok85]

You would have thought American law had come from Europe.....

 

[sbv0001]

Initially: Yes.
But that does not have any relevancy. Development during the centuries of existence change the law in many ways - and therefore it is not that important, where the sources were located... ;-)

But that is not the point.
Hiroshi wrote: "its like that in much of Europe which hasn't been extremely influenced with American law studies"
I understand this as follows: "Many countries in Europe don't have the death penalty, because they were not (extremely) influenced with American law studies."
I simply can't get the relation between American law studies and the death penalty. Germany is for sure influenced by America and its culture - but we don't have death penalty.....

 

[Ewok85]

But many European countries have HAD a death penalty at some time, far far before America did.

 

[sbv0001]

>> But many European countries have HAD a death penalty at some time...

That does apply to every country around the world. Death penalty was a pretty common thing around the world some decades ago. And having none seems to be seen as a sign for a developed society .

>> ....far far before America did
Do I understand you right?
You mean that America initially had no death penalty and then - later on - switched to having death penalty? (I know, that not every US State has death penalty...)

But that too doesn't hit the point of my question.
How and why American law studies did (or did not) influence the decision of wether having death penalty in Europe or not?

 

[PaulTB]

>>>> ....far far before America did
Do I understand you right?
You mean that America initially had no death penalty and then - later on - switched to having death penalty? (I know, that not every US State has death penalty...)

Many European countries existed far far before America did.
They can therefore blame anything at all wrong with America on Europe, while laying claim to all the good bits as 'Made in America'.

 

[Mike Cash]

But that too doesn't hit the point of my question.
How and why American law studies did (or did not) influence the decision of wether having death penalty in Europe or not?

Try to remember that the statement came from a 13 year old who hasn't yet had the chance to fully educate himself on things like this. I'm not trying to criticize him by saying that, by the way.

 

[PaulTB]

Try to remember that the statement came from a 13 year old who hasn't yet had the chance to fully educate himself on things like this.

Good point. Didn't spot that.

/me Just avoids making some Dubbya comment ;-)

 

[sbv0001]

@PaulTB
I feel you got me wrong..... :-(
I'm not here for criticise nor for looking whats good or whats bad.

>> They can therefore blame anything at all wrong with America on Europe, while laying claim to all the good bits as 'Made in America'.

Tell me, please: When did I do anything like this?


@mike
.... that the statement came from a 13 year old ....

Really good point. I did miss that.
It wasn't my intention to criticise - I only wanted to know.....

Now, let's stop this - now.
Due to my bad knowledge of english language I can't precisely express myself - therefore continuing this most likely leads to some more misunderstandings ....

I apologize to everybody whom I stepped too close.
Micha

 

[Mike Cash]

Nothing wrong with your English. You understood what he said just fine, and interpreted it just fine. The problem was that his observation about American law and European practice when it comes to the death penalty was totally uninformed and invalid. But since the observation came from someone so young, all we can do is try to help educate him. I think he must be a nice fellow, and I admire his effort in discussing serious matters.

 

[Inuyasha-the-kid]

rurouni kenshin 窶板ｬﾋ弉窶堙嫁陳｣ﾂ身

 

[Grandpa Frank]

Have You....

rurouni kenshin 窶板ｬﾋ弉窶堙嫁陳｣ﾂ身

had too much sugar & caffeine today??? You seem a little more hyper then usual!!

Frank

:? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :?

 

[TwistedMac]

I wonder if that inu-kid is just some guy making a joke acting all weird..

 

[byp]

I wonder if that inu-kid is just some guy making a joke acting all weird..

of course he is, just want to feel he is 5 or 6 years old again... after all that time.
watch for him , pretty soon he'll make bubbles with his mouth...

 

[Hiroshi66]

I meant that European nations and America do not have the same laws when it comes to the death penalty. Culture and Laws are two very different things. I might be too offended by your statements, but I know that most people at my age are immature and in their own world. Thank you for calling me a nice person, but I was still a bit offended by your comment about my age. That could be done via PM.

 

[Mike Cash]

One's age isn't something that one should get offended about. You're a very bright guy (or do a good imitation of one) and have expressed yourself far better than the majority of the other teen posters here. You actually know how to spell, hit the shift key, and throw in punctuation. Unfortunately this causes the more decrepit among us to think you're more up around our ages and we forget to take into account that, albeit bright, articulate, and serious-minded, you just haven't yet had the time to pick up everything there is to be picked up.

Age is one of those things we have no control over. I'm sure if somebody had bothered to tell you it was a race you would have tried to get on the earth sooner <smiley goes here>.

 

[Hiroshi66]

Thanks. ^_^

That was nice of you to explain everything so nicely so that nobody has a sore feeling once we have shut off the computer. Thanks for the explanation. =)

 

[Mike Cash]

You're quite welcome. I have no compunctions about saying things that ruffle people's feathers, but I don't like to see feathers ruffled when that wasn't the intent.

 

[Hiroshi66]

I know. I am a very sensitive person, I get offended when people don't mean it a certain way. I have to learn how to grow a thicker skin, especially over the internet. Sorry again.

 

[chikazukiyasui]

the way they cram people into the rush hour commuter trains, blood would flow if they were carring swords!!
The after work drinking bouts could get real messy and getting in & out of those small taxis would be a slow process. It would not be to practical to lug something so akward.

Frank

:?

Oh, I don't know. If you go to a Scottish wedding, you'll find that all those drunk men in kilts are carrying traditional daggers (skean dubh) in their socks. They never seem to use them, though, even though the Scottish capacity for booze is legendary. Sikhs also traditionally carry a dagger (kirpan) on them all the time. That doesn't often seem to lead to much violence or accidental injury, either.

Then again, there've been a couple of murder cases in Britain in recent years that involved Samurai swords.

About prisons and the death penalty in Japan. I really don't understand those who insist that the punishment of crime ought to be nice. In some countries, there are habitual criminals who treat jail like a holiday home.

 

[Hiroshi66]

Finally, back to the topic.

Well, I guess it is a cultural thing. If the British, Indian, or Japanese government banned swords, in the case of Japan it would be banning something cultural, and in Britain and India/Nepa/Bangladesh/Pakistan, it would be discrimination against a minority (Sikhs/Asians).

 

[chikazukiyasui]

I think it is cultural, but not quite in the way you say. Scottish people still carry skean dubh in Scotland (where they aren't a minority) because nobody feels threatened by the tradition -- and the same goes for Sikhs in Gujarat (as well as Birmingham) -- but people were very much threatened by the Samurai, I imagine, and the removal of that threat was an important step in the dismantling of the feudal system.

 

[Hiroshi66]

Well, if you look at Great Britain (and not at the country Scotland, but the UK as a whole) Scots are a minority. If a Scot goes to London wearing regional clothes and a skean dubh he will, if not scolded or reported, at least looked at or perhaps even laughed at.