On May 13, 4:31=A0pm, "jerry_fried...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
"
<jerry_fried...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> On May 13, 1:42 am, the Omrud <usenet.om...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>
> > Dan Leifker wrote:
> > > the Omrud wrote:
> > >> Was it Heinlein who wrote of a society where you could volunteer
for
> > >> the punishment for any specific crime, after which you had a credit
> > >> for that crime and could commit it when you wanted? =A0The
punishment=
> > >> for murder was so severe (something like 20 years on a harsh mining
> > >> planet where most prisoners died during the sentence) that only one
> > >> person ever went through the voluntary sentence. =A0 He was then
grea=
tly
> > >> feared because he had the right to murder one person without
further
> > >> punishment.
Funny thing is, I remember a story like this as well. Only two men
return from the prison planet. The first one goes to find out the
person he went to prison to kill is already dead, and when the second
contacts his 'victim', he doesn't have the heart to follow through and
commit the crime. When latter challenged by a police officer for a
minor offence (don't feed the pigeons/walk on the grass kind of thing)
the men show him their certficates and tear off a small corner, "This
should cover our 'debt to society'."
Hope this helps someone.
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