Am I awful to think this about humans?

Question

Ok, I am all for free expression, but I don't want to hear about how cruel I am or how people's rights matter. Be reminded of Mark Twain's quote, "Of all the creatures that were made, man is the most detestable. Of the entire brood he is the only one--the solitary one--that possesses malice. That is the basest of all instincts, passions, vices--the most hateful. He is the only creature that has pain for sport, knowing it to be pain. Also--in all the list he is the only creature that has a nasty mind." and tell me he isn't right. Don't get me wrong, I like certain people, just not our species in general. In the end, we are all animals so my questions is this...

If people can take an animal that has been aggressive towards humans and shoot it without further incident, why can't we do that to people? You don't see anybody shooting the animal because it harmed something other than a human. If an animal attacked someone I was close to or even myself, I wouldn't want it put down.

It is instinct for the animal to protect itself when it feels threatened. Only humans do it out of malice (see Twain quote), not out of survival. I believe in eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth and you can believe that if anybody harms a close friend or family member, they will suffer.

Same goes with prisoner rights: I think that if you commit a crime, you give up all your rights to anything. In my jail, you get lousy food, books would be the only entertainment, and classes to better yourself if that's even possible. That's it. No tv, no basketball or fitness areas (you can do pushups in your cell), no conjugal visits. Why should jail be pleasant when the prisoner made someone else's life miserable.

So, mainly, I am putting this thought out there to see if anybody agrees at all. Again, I remind ya'll that I do not want criticism unless it's constructive.

Don't think I am ignorant either. I hold a B.S. and a M.S. in Geology and I've taken many sociology classes. I just have little empathy anymore.

Yes, I know my theories are a little extreme and impractical, how unfortunate. :-) I don't believe our judicial system is as just and fair as it claims to be. I agree that anyone who harms a child should get the chair. I want to know why people think lethal injection is inhumane. I, again, shake my head.

To the animal attacking comments, I understand. I'd like to think that I couldn't harm an animal because it is just being an animal. Protecting a child would be first, but I would think I would kick the animal first to make it run off or get in between the child and the animal. I wouldn't leave them alone to get my gun. If it were me being attacked, I wouldn't want someone to go after the animal. That's just me. I was so saddened that when people die from wild animal attacks (sharks, bears, stingrays [geez]), people went after all the creatures and kept killing not even sure they were killing the right ones. Just crazy. If I go into the water and I die, that's my fault. The ocean is not my domain.

Answer 1

I like you, hold great disdain for the human race as a whole. I continually have high hopes for us but they are usually dashed to pieces when I watch the news.

I agree with you on all of your comments (especially the Mark Twain quote) with one exception. I do believe an animal should be put down if it has killed or injured a person. If a child, for instance, is attacked by a dog or a bear or a whatever, that animal should be put down. Among other things, it has lost it's fear of people which can be a very dangerous thing, and it will most likely attack again given the chance. On the other hand, and you may agree with me on this part -- that same consideration should be shown to humans. Rather than sitting in jail indefinitely for crimes such as murder, child molestation and the like, the death penalty should be dispensed more freely than is currently being done in our legal system. For like the animals who attack humans, the criminals who commit such crimes as murder and child molestation are also most likely to do so again.

Answer 2

As for putting down animals only for attacking humans, you are incorrect. Farmers very often shoot wolves, snakes, and coyotes when they attack livestock.

You might also feel differently about putting down a pit bull that's in the process of chewing the face off of your three year old daughter.

That said, you seem, well, hypercritical. Plenty of people agree with your viewpoints about prison, but it's pretty impractical in the end because it creates people who are intensely bitter and hateful of society by the time they get out. It's more likely to turn a bad person worse than better.

Shooting people who shoot other people (or otherwise commit murder, rape, and other serious physical attacks) is something we currently do. Today, police are indeed authorized to shoot someone who is attacking another person with deadly force.

So, why not afterwards? Well, given than mankind possesses "malice", we at least have big enough brains to know that we need the rule of law to restrain ourselves. With a fair and impartial judicial system, evil people do get brought to justice, even if it's not as swiftly as you would apparently wish. Otherwise, you'd just have a lot of people shooting each other, a "system" that doesn't work too well.

I'd say we're doing pretty well overall as a species.

Answer 3

Nope. But you have to consider that humans are the only animals capable of defining despicable. All the others are programmed in their behavior, and this should lead you to wonder if maybe we are, too. Yep. However, we can think about this in the abstract, and make judgements, and choose to be ethical. In short, to keep the social contract. All those with evil designs, can get away with them because most people keep the contract. That is the only reason evildoers are still alive. We keep the contract, because It is a major aspect of human survival.
Mert

Answer 4

You say you do not want criticism yet you ask are you awful to think that about humans? While Mark Twain was a great writer I do not hold much confidence in his analogy of the human race. While I do understand that the human race has its distasteful characteristics. However; for every thing negative about it I can find triple or more good qualities about the human race. I think it highly counterproductive to think of the human race in such a negative manner as Twain and others have depicted us. For when you say the human race you must know that you speak of yourself as well. : It says something about how you are feeling about yourself as well. Yes, they do some pretty awful things, however; if you do your research a bit further you will find lots of negatives in all species. GB and GL

Answer 5

NO you are not awful it sounds like you are fed up with pantywaste judges letting rapist muderers and druggies on the street with liitle more than a slap on the wrist .i to feel the same way you're exactly right i watched tv the other night and convicts with life sentences were getting college degrees from prison for free wtf is up with that.

Answer 6

Not you'e not horrible. . . a little extreme maybe. Bt not horrible.

I feel the same on many things about humanity.

It's not just you.

Answer 7

Your view is understandable, but your proposals are unrealistic.