Death Penalty Is Requisite

Death Penalty Is Requisite

No matter in the ancient or modern society, penalty is a means of punishment for violators and a threat to people who attempt to commit a crime. With punishment, the justice system maintains the public security and civil order. Among these penalties, death penalty is the most controversial one but it still exists. From a negative perspective, it protects security of society efficiently; from a positive one, it threateningly deters crimes. Also, it decreases social costs and manpower of prison.

Death penalty is the most serious punishment. It deprives criminals of their lives and has no space for miscarriage of justice. The court passes sentences upon convicts by their crimes so every punishment is under deliberation of law officials, especially death penalty. Because it is critical, the capital prisoners who are sentenced to death have done the most heinous crimes that are intolerable to human nature. For example, murder, rape and internal strife. Because of physical or moral disorder, the capital prisoners’ thoughts are excessively against conscience and even public order. Their existence is a threat to our society. To ensure social and even prison security, their death penalty should be executed. It is doubted that capital prisoners regret or their consciences still remain after they committed brutal crimes. The possibility of recidivation still happens and threatens innocent citizens. Moreover, the law is made to safeguard public security so the death penalty has its severely punitive effect to protect the public.

On the other hand, death is the last but vital threat in one’s life. It increases the cost of committing a crime so it deters future crimes, especially murder. However, opponents of death penalty suspect that with humanitarianism. They insist that life imprisonment can replace death penalty as the most severe punishment. The prisoners are totally deprived of their rights in a jail, except their lives because no one has the right to take the lives of others. Nevertheless, if the prison system is not mature and strict, the criminals are like taking a long vacation in the jail. Then, it has no intimidation to criminals and violates the purpose of legislation as well as penalty. The fear of death is in everyone’s deep mind. As a result, the law arouses our strongest fear to deter convicts. Besides that, execution is a demonstration to express horror and abhorrence to the most heinous crimes. It prevents others from committing a crime. Also, every criminal should take the responsibility if he or she violates civil order.

From the utilitarian prospect, taxpayers need to pay for the costs of prison system. If life imprisonment is substituted for death penalty, publics should pay more taxes for the manpower in prisons. With the population increasing in the jail, the expense like meals is also growing and the cells are not enough to meet the demand. The situation cannot slow down in a short time because it is a lifelong imprisonment. However, death penalty can relieve strains on over-populated prisons and decreases social costs of capital prisoners. Also, the proper ratio between prison guards and prisoners is required. If riots and disorders break out in the jail, it may become an uncontrollable rebellion. Moreover, some convicts who are sentenced to life imprisonment may often attempt to escape from the prison or hurt others because they think it is hopeless in the future and it cannot go worse than having another life imprisonment. Then, we need more jailers to guard and monitor their behaviors. It is a waste of manpower in the jail. Death penalty can avoid this kind of situation happening.

As time goes by, the society is becoming more civilized but we cannot ensure that everyone is educated and conscious enough. With death penalty, it is more strict and efficient to deter future crimes and safeguard security of the society. Therefore, death penalty still has its function to deter the most heinous crimes.

A New Slang, 宅

A New Slang, 宅

Recently, a slang “宅” has been used everywhere in Taiwan. You can hear the word in conversations, read it on the Internet or in newspapers. “宅” is used as a prefix and become a new slang. Speaking of “宅”, most people will associate it with the following image: People like to play online games and surf the Internet. They are obsessed with animations, comic books and video games. They spend the whole day immersing themselves totally in their favorite digital world so they seldom step out of their homes. If they need to go out, that is the day on which some new comic books, video games or animation DVDs are released, or they have to update their computers’ hardware and buy some new software to make the computers run faster and more smoothly. They are often sloppy with oversize T-shirt and dark sweatpants even slippers, and then rush direct to a computer shopping mall to get “spiritual food”. Because of their terrible clothing, people think that they are very untidy. Also, they rarely interact with others so they do not have good relationship. We call them 宅男, 宅女, 阿宅 or 宅宅. They always sit before a screen, click a mouse button and type words to indulge in their interests.


Generally speaking, the word “宅” is transformed from the Japanese word “御宅,”(おたく, otaku) which is derived from a Japanese term for “another’s house or family”. Also, otaku is used as an honorific second-person pronoun. In Japan, otaku’s original meaning is a term used to refer to people with fanatical interests. For example, 軍事おたく(military geeks), 鉄道おたく(railfans). They are avid fans of any particular theme, topic, or hobby. Then, the word otaku is change to describe people with interests especially in animations, comic books and video games. Of course, they know comic books’ plot and games’ tips very well. So far, otaku in Japanese is not what we consider in Chinese. It is much like the loan-word “マニア” (mania). They are really crazy about their interests. However, there is one kind of otaku called “アキバ系,”(akiba-kei) which is more similar to the meaning of 宅 in Taiwan. Akiba-kei originates from 秋葉原(Akihabara) in Tokyo. Akihabara is an area which is famous for its electronic, computers, animations, comic books and video games products supplement so it attracts many otaku. They are mainly obsessed with animations idols and games so their need to computer and peripheral is larger than others. Moreover, they do not care about how they look because their interests are the most important things in the world. The thought of sloppy clothes and needs to computers is same as 宅.

The popular expression of the slang, 宅 in Taiwan is originated from the television series “電車男”(Densha Otoko). The story is about an akiba-kei otaku pursues a pretty office lady. Many people talked over the plot on PPT BBS and clipped 御宅 into 宅(taku) to describe the leading man’s behavior. Later, to adjust to Taiwanese culture, taku has developed several different meanings. Here are two words that displays Taiwanese transformation of taku: soft taku(軟宅) and hard taku(硬宅). “Soft taku” means people who indulge in animations, comic books and video games and “hard taku” in computer hardware and skills. Moreover, taku implies people with Internet addiction disorder (IAD). They put too much time and energy into the digital world. They can be ascetic monks when they are playing games, keep worshiping the computer without rest, eating, sleeping and even urinating. The development and coinage of taku in Taiwanese has been different from otaku in Japanese.

Besides that, in Chinese, the synonym of 宅(chai) is 家(home or house). Then, it is another different meaning from otaku. “I chai at home all the day,” “I am so chai.” They both mean that I did not go out and just stayed at home surfing the Internet, watching television or doing things all the day. Chai no longer contains IDA and obsession with interests but matches Chinese meaning of chai, home. It is similar to “homebody” because of some reasons, like laziness, chai people do not like to go out. Their home can supply all their needs so it is needless to go out. Moreover, with the high development of the Internet, it is easy to get much information, especially shopping, and you can buy everything from underwear to food on online shopping websites. The sellers will deliver the goods to your house so purchasing online at home is very convenient. It does decrease the times they step out of home and increase the time they spend at home and enjoy themselves.

From the origin in Japanese to the reinvention in the Taiwanese language, 宅 is given two new meanings-- people with IAD and homebodies. In Taiwan, 宅 is an outcome of the Internet mania. Nevertheless, with the popularity of the Internet, 宅 is ready to influence people in the whole world.

06/12 Journal

My neighbor keeps three medium Beagles (米格魯). I often see them hanging around outside or lying on the ground to tan. They always take action and play together. My mother says that they are smart because they can pass the street, walk to the park and pee. Then, they walk home by themselves. I really envy my neighbor has those three clever dogs. In fact, my younger brother, sisters and I are lazy to take Dodo for a walk to pee. We often shirk the errand and order one of us to do it. One reason is our laziness. Another one is that Dodo often spends much time peeing. The other one is that we need to bring his droppings home.

Dogs divide their own territories by their urine and Dodo is not an exception. As a result, he has to pee in different targets at park to secure his territory, such as trees, handrails or streetlights. The waiting is endless because he happily runs everywhere. However, it is his nature and physical needs so you cannot ask him to stop. What you only need to do is wait. I often read newspapers which are going for wrapping Dodo’s droppings.

06/05 Journal

Once, after taking Dodo for a walk at park, I let him walk home alone. However, he just rushed to my neighbor’s house. I immediately grabbed him out off the house. Fortunately, my neighbor didn’t see Dodo’s and my invasion or it would be very embarrassing.
I recalled that my mother had told me that Dodo is smart because he knows which house is ours and he will enter the right one. However, until this time, I realized that Dodo isn’t smart but stupid. The reason was that we always open the front door but, my neighbor seldom opens the door. This time, they opened the door so Dodo just saw the open door and then, ran into it. He really cannot recognize our house. As a result, I cannot let Dodo walk to the park alone because he will get lost though I will not be too sad. Not to mention Dodo can cross the street so I always need to hugged him to the park.

05/28 Journal

Although I think Dodo was trained a little bit by his ex-keeper, he is still stupid. For example, he can sit down and lie on his stomach by his own but we cannot order him to do so. He does not understand the instruction and we are lazy to train him because of his dullness. Not to mention that Dodo cannot shake hands and catch the ball we throw out. I think the only trick he can amuse us is dance, but it isn’t exactly what we think about “dance”. Dodo will lie on his stomach, stretch his back legs, swish his tail happily and tap the ground with front legs to and fro. However, we cannot order him to do the trick before our guests so it is useless to show Dodo’s unique. Frankly speaking, Dodo doesn’t have many things to say but his folly.