Do you accept Death Penalty?

[cgannon64]

No. I recently did a project on it, the facts pile up against it. It doesn't, in most cases, prevent crime, its amazingly expensive (the trial alone was found to be 2x the price of a life sentence), and it kills too many innocent people.

Plus its just inhumane. Going back to "an eye for an eye".

 

[Adebisi]

Originally posted by JJP
Do you accept Death Penalty?

Here in Finland and in EU death penalty is no longer in use. I was just wondering do people in general accept death penalties.

I don't. If the convicted is found later innocent but is already dead then there's nothing to do.

No, the death penalty is not allowed under the European constitution.

I used to be opposed to it, but I realised that I didn't really know why, so now I more or less support it. That means, I support the idea of having death as a penalty - I do know that there are many problems associated with it. FL2 summed up a few.

 

[scotland_no1]

Originally posted by cgannon64
No. I recently did a project on it, the facts pile up against it. It doesn't, in most cases, prevent crime, its amazingly expensive (the trial alone was found to be 2x the price of a life sentence), and it kills too many innocent people.

Plus its just inhumane. Going back to "an eye for an eye".

ghandi "and eye for an eye will just make everyone blind"

 

[MrPresident]

Originally posted by scotland_no1
then ariel shiron(sp) shoudl be for the chop then

Originally posted by scotland_no1
i will never accept death penalty, who are we to decide to take someones life away.

Then by that logic, who are we to decide to take someone's freedom away? Who are we to do anything to someone else?

 

[Dark Ascendant]

I'm for.

Criminals fear the death sentence.(Who wants to die? ) Criminals are merely annoyed at being stuck in a jail cell with a reasonable amount of room, with 3 meals a day, and socialization with fellow prisoners. And perhaps some embarrasment of going to jail. Harsh penalties deter crime! How can law-breakers fear consequences prison seriously if consequences are so damn soft.

 

[Ancient Grudge]

Originally posted by Renata
Because we don't want the death of another human being on our conscience?

How could the death of a man or woman who raped or killed someone you hold to dear to your hearts. Yes it is reveange but maybe this would put more people off.

Originally posted by Renata
Because in many cases (although not in the one close to me), the identity of the attacker may not be 100% certain, even if legally 'proved'?

But if he is legally proven the crime should be punished in the only way to punish murders sex offenders is to kill them they are the lowest forms of criminals......

Originally posted by Renata
Because human life deserves respect, even in someone who doesn't respect the lives of others?

Human life yes not animals. Not scumb. Not pathetic creatures.

Originally posted by Renata
Because it's not our right to judge matters of life and death, but should be left to God?

Do you want to turn this in to another religious thread what has religion got to do with it.

Originally posted by Dralix
In addition to what Renata said, I will add that before you bring up the cost of imprisonment, you should realize that in general the death penalty is more expensive than life in prison.

Is it really 20-60 years of food costs more then a bullet to the head i find this hard to believe

Originally posted by FearlessLeader2
Then it was pointed out to me that the justice system is not perfect

Ofcourse it isnt perfect anything that envolves humans contains error. But youd really want sex offenders to walk out of prison after 20-30 years after being locked up with the worst memebers of our so called society

Originally posted by scotland_no1i say no to death penalty, we are the same species and we should stop killing one another,

Ok when murders stop murdering people and rapists stop raping people etc i will be against the death penalty but until then im for

 

[barron of ideas]

I do not accept the death penalty for me.

It might be ok for you, if you want it.

Couldn't it just be like the NFL and have 15 yards or half the distance to the goal?

 

[Boba Fett]

That would depend on the crime
but on the other hand I agree with ancient grudge

 

[onejayhawk]

I accept the death penalty. I do so with reservations. One thing that advocates the death penalty in at least some cases is the protection of the prison population. Since man is a social animal, I believe isolation is more inhumane than death, so any prisoner has a right to interaction with other inmates. If an inmate who is already serving a maximum sentance kills another inmate, then the death penalty is the only logical remainder. Self defense has always been a valid reason to use deadly force.

Once you have established that there is one sufficient cause, then it is not difficult to find others. If I was allowed to make one change, it would be to require at least two independant killings be proven before a court could be allowed to consider the ultimate penalty.

On religious grounds, I believe it crystal clear that the Bible, both Old and New Testements, supports the right of the State to take life. The irony in my mind is that the state shows greater concern for the rights of the condemned than the condemned did (usually) for his/her victim.

J

PS cgannon I would like to see evidence that the option of a death penalaty is costlier than supportting a person in prison for life. For one thing any serious felony has enormous costs associated with the trial. To say that capital cases have that much higher a cost than other murder cases seems excessive. A typical prisoner costs between $25,000 and $60,000 annually to keep incarcerated, depending on state and security level.

J

 

[Benderino]

Originally posted by onejayhawk
PS cgannon I would like to see evidence that the option of a death penalaty is costlier than supportting a person in prison for life. For one thing any serious felony has enormous costs associated with the trial. To say that capital cases have that much higher a cost than other murder cases seems excessive. A typical prisoner costs between $25,000 and $60,000 annually to keep incarcerated, depending on state and security level.

J

cgannon is right. I recently went to Washington DC for some kind of conference, and the numbers are something like in the millions to execute someone, mainly because of the mandatory and lengthy appeals process which costs states millions.

On top of that, I learned that the states that abolished the death penalty have seen NO rise in violent crimes...meanwhile, the states with it have NOT seen a decline in violent crimes. Personally, life in prison with no chance of bail is a billion times worse than the death penalty...which seems like the easy way out.

A lifetime of rape, assault, loneliness, darkness (and worst of all, poor food) keeps me from committing crimes, not a shot to the arm and eternal rest. I'm not saying death row is pleasant, but it is shorter than life in prison.

And think about all the innocents that are being put to death. Only a small minority of death row accusees can afford an attorney. Those that have them appointed find that the attorneys fall asleep during the trial, or that its their first case, or that they just aren't prepared for the severety of a capital case. It's a horribly flawed system at best, and I laud our former governor (of Illinois), George Ryan, for beginning a mritorium on it and putting those death row inmates into life inprisonment instead.

 

[onejayhawk]

Originally posted by Benderino
cgannon is right. I recently went to Washington DC for some kind of conference, and the numbers are something like in the millions to execute someone, mainly because of the mandatory and lengthy appeals process which costs states millions.

Still doesnt work. Life in prison costs millions. Still I would like to see the numbers. Liars use statistics, but I am sufficiently versed as to be able to tell the difference in cruder cases.

Originally posted by Benderino
A lifetime of rape, assault, loneliness, darkness (and worst of all, poor food) keeps me from committing crimes, not a shot to the arm and eternal rest. I'm not saying death row is pleasant, but it is shorter than life in prison.

I know something about prison food, at least in Texas. Most of the people in prison eat better on the insiode than on the out. There is also the structure, which some find comforting. Life on the outside can seem pretty crazy. Rape is the ugly underside. More men are raped every year than women.

Originally posted by Benderino
And think about all the innocents that are being put to death. Only a small minority of death row accusees can afford an attorney. Those that have them appointed find that the attorneys fall asleep during the trial, or that its their first case, or that they just aren't prepared for the severety of a capital case. It's a horribly flawed system at best, and I laud our former governor (of Illinois), George Ryan, for beginning a mritorium on it and putting those death row inmates into life inprisonment instead.

I see that as deriliction of duty. He was sworn to uphold the laws of the State, which he pointedly did not do. The best argument for the death penalty in some cases is to prevent additional crime, by removing the criminal, not that it always works.

Originally posted by Wolfe Tone Yes I am for it, as well as all the reasons mentioned, there is zero chance of re-offence after the punishment.

Not historically true. The odds are poor, but not zero.

J

PS More than one execution has been muffed. I dont mean to make this a religious discussion.

 

[G-Man]

Originally posted by Dralix
The point I was making, and will continue to make is that, in the current US system, life imprisonment is cheaper than the death penalty. This really is common knowledge. The reason is because death is final. I see no reason why abolishing the death penalty would result in an increase in the cost of life imprisonment.

The current US system is very complicated, it doesn't mean it needs to be so. And if death penalty is abolished then people who get life in prison will have nothing to lose and they'll too use every possible appeal just like people sentenced to death do.

Revenge and punishment are not the same in any case. It's purpose is not to punish. The purpose of revenge is to make someone feel better, to vent anger. If someone harms you or kills a loved one, then you might feel better by causing harm to them. It has nothing to do with punishment. It is a pure emotional response emerging from anger. There is no reasoning involved, no justice.

Again, revenge has no place in the justice system. That's why we have police, not vigilantes.

The human nature is based on feeling better or worst. The fact revenge uses these feelings doesn't mean it's its goal, just like sex makes people feel good but the feeling is just a tool to make humans reproduce. In the legal system revenge is tamed into a punishment.

 

[Akka]

Originally posted by onejayhawk
The irony in my mind is that the state shows greater concern for the rights of the condemned than the condemned did (usually) for his/her victim.

I always thought that the difference between a criminal and a moral person was precisely the respect of the rights of others.
Seems I was wrong, it was, in fact, just irony

 

[Stapel]

Originally posted by Dark Ascendant
I'm for.

Criminals fear the death sentence.(Who wants to die? ) Criminals are merely annoyed at being stuck in a jail cell with a reasonable amount of room, with 3 meals a day, and socialization with fellow prisoners. And perhaps some embarrasment of going to jail. Harsh penalties deter crime! How can law-breakers fear consequences prison seriously if consequences are so damn soft.

Several studies point out that not the punishment, but the odds of getting caught is what criminals fear.

The statement that harse penalties deter crime is hard to prove!

In Holland the average punishment for murder is 8,5 years. To most americans this will seem to be ridiculous, but I don't think the 'pussy punishment' we have here causes higher crime rates.

 

[carlosMM]

I have to admit that my brains say NO WAY!.


but when I heard about someone raping a child and offering videos of it on the net - then I wish he 'resists arrest'. And I would persoanlly be willing to cut him to pieces so that he dies as slowy and painfully as possible. Life ion prison (and here life usually emans life) is to good for such people.

 

[carlosMM]

Originally posted by MrPresident



Then by that logic, who are we to decide to take someone's freedom away? Who are we to do anything to someone else?

Society MUST eliminate risks to its members to function.

If the privs you must take away are freedom and the right to vote - OK. But the one that you cannot take is life - you cannot ever restore it!

 

[G-Man]

Originally posted by carlosMM
Society MUST eliminate risks to its members to function.

If the privs you must take away are freedom and the right to vote - OK. But the one that you cannot take is life - you cannot ever restore it!

If you put someone in prison for his entire life you're not giving him his freedom back as well... BTW I think prisoners can still vote.

 

[JJP]

According to Amnesty International, during 2002 more than 1 526 people were executed in 31 countries, and more than 3 248 people were sentenced to death in 67 countries.

 

[G-Man]

The debate is about accepting death penalty or not. What do these stats have to do with it?

 

[carlosMM]

Originally posted by G-Man


If you put someone in prison for his entire life you're not giving him his freedom back as well... BTW I think prisoners can still vote.

But you can let him out again if you find

a) you screwed up
or
b) he is no longer a risk to society and has been punish enough (e.g. crime of passion at age 20, behaves well and is really sorry - let him go at 35 or 40)....


bettering people instead of killing - a difficult goal - but what is humanity about?