I was going to go through point-by-point and argue, but you know what? You're right. This is a needless dredging-up of old arguments.

If that's what you think, that's what you think. It would serve no purpose for me to continue this conversation, and would probably do nothing but reinforce those bad habits of mine you allude to.

But, just for the sake of saying it again, this wasn't about who's right and who's wrong. It's about whether one side has the right to judge the other side's character, moral upbringing, brain size, or whatever. Particularly when it is a grave situation.

There's other stuff, like the difference between "punishment" and "rehabilitation", like who first mentioned tax dollars and in what context, like the point of the sick-to-one's-stomach thing (which was really only that if cases connected with one POV disgust you, so do cases connected with your own POV; that doesn't mean they form the basis for any kind of argument), etc., but on reflection it wouldn't do much good to anybody to post them here. Especially since you already said you find my posts difficult to read (and I never claimed to be a great debater; I only tried to start posting in the first place because it seemed like a major side of the issue wasn't being covered). I didn't intend to pick a fight with you; I just took exception to that one thing you said, or, rather, the way you said it. I half-thought it would be a bad idea to write that post as I was writing it, and now I know I should've gone with that thought.

In the end, though, it is your forum. In the interest of preserving server space for AGL, I guess I'll end my post, and hopefully this thread, on that note.

Ar"still thinks this thread was worthwhile, in that it taught him something about knowing when not to speak up"thur