Death penalty

[Arthur Dent]

Oh crap, I voted for because I confused this tab with the weed legalization one. I concur with the wrongful execution argument. Although in the case of people who have committed horrendous crimes, I don't like the idea of having them living at the expense of tax payers for several years. I think they should be put to work without pay for the rest of their miserable lives as a form to retribution to the society they harmed, it sounds like slavery, and well, it would be that, I do think they deserve it. A good job would be to put them to dismantle landmines.

[Tinkerbell]

That is really a tough philosophical question, would you really know unless something happened to you or yours personally? My friend had her 85 yr old mother murdered and robbed for $400. They hit her in the head with a tire iron, shoved her in the trunk of her own car and set it on fire - supposedly to destroy evidence. It took weeks to identify her positively and then it was determined that she was still alive when set on fire, had smoke damage in her trachea. Your first reaction would be death. We don't have the death penalty here so it is ultimately moot, but the family would not want the death penalty. It will not bring their mother back, they feel that living the rest of their life in a place where you are told what, when, and how to live your day is a greater hell. So this is a long answer to say basically, my gut reaction might be eye for an eye, I ultimately am opposed to the death penalty.

[WineKitty]

As always, I am 100% against the death penalty and have held that stance for the majority of my life.

[slytherin]

Same. For several reasons.

1) There are too many variables and mistakes that can be made. There are heaps of people that have been sentenced to death only to find out that person was innocent after they're already dead.
2) It's actually cheaper to imprison someone for life than to give them the death penalty.
3) It's just cruel. Every human being has the right to life. If someone takes that right away from someone, how is it any better that we're taking away their life?
4) Imprisonment for life is far worse than being killed. If I committed a horrific crime, I'd much rather be given the death penalty than have to spend the rest of my life in jail.

So there are several ways of looking at it depending on which perspective you come from.

I was literally just about to post these exact same points. I agree completely!

[Evo1114]

I'm for it for certain individuals. Serial killers caught in the act (caught with the evidence/corpses in their possession) for example. Or those who kill, serve out their sentence, then kill again. No trial or imprisonment needed...just kill em. I don't care about the method, leave that up to the individuals affected. Although there should be a wider variety of methods offered. I guess if they feel life in prison is worse, that's fine too. Vengeance belongs to the people, not to the "Lord".

This is where I stand as well. People who are NO DOUBT guilty. The Jeffrey Dahmers and Ted Bundys of the world. I feel it is unjust for people to pay their hard earned money to keep scum like this alive. Or let the victims family decide.

[albrecht]

I'm against capital punishment. Ideally justice should be based on repairing harm done. Also, the question of capital punishment is a question of who or what institutions should have the power to distribute death at their own will. The death penalty is a means of both punishment and intimidation. Legitimate power isn't based on intimidation. Punishment doesn't operate on the principle of repairing harm done.

[Chantellabella]

I'm going to regret this conversation big time because my view is not a popular one. I am 100% for the death penalty.

When I counseled, I did so in the Juvenile Delinquency field. My field of study was criminal psychology, rate of recidivism, personality disorders, etc. I truly believe there are people who no matter what cannot be rehabilitated. If their crime was murder especially, I believe the best thing for both them and the victim's survivors is to take away the very thing they took away from some innocent person.

Yes, the murderer was once an innocent child, but something happened in their life to turn them to this action. If it was a "mistake" or crime of passion, I'm sorry, I still believe they should receive the highest penalty.

Years ago DNA testing and other forensic evidence was not possible. There were more chances to make a mistake. I was more lenient then. But now, I feel the court systems tend to protect the criminals rather than protect the victims. I have absolutely no faith in the court systems who I believe allow criminals to get away more often than they should. Personally I believe if anyone sets out to deliberately hurt another human being to the extent of murder, rape, or any other type of physical injury, that they should suffer in the same way. Also the rate of recidivism among people who have criminal mindsets are amazingly high. There's only about 10% who are status offenders who can be rehabilitated. The true criminals will commit a crime again.

Furthermore, I believe white collar crime should also have a capital punishment sentence. These guys hurt more people than one lone guy hurting one lone victim.

Do you know why there is little crime in many countries? Because the sentences for most offenses is death, dismemberment and other horrible forms of punishment. But you know.................a true criminal will only stop if he or she knows the consequence is worse than the reward of the crime.

Ok. You guys may commence throwing stones.

[whiteman]

^So do you think the united states should execute children then.

[life]

im against the death penalty, for a few reasons
1) human rights should never be removed from people by a government, the biggest human right, is the right to life
2) mistakes happen, usually to poor and ethnic minorities, DNA is not infallible, it can be contaminated, have unknown identical siblings and its possible that a totally unrelated person can have the same genome
3) corrupt police and officials

chantellabella evidence from around the world shows less harsh penal systems and more rehabilitation cut crime, but societies with less crime are those that have a smaller gap between rich and poor, imho the problem with the USA is that social mobility is so low, if born poor you usually get a rubbish education, health care etc even work does not pay, as the minimum wage is not enough to live on, benefits are not enough to live on so what logical choice will some people make. Instead of making systemic changes, its easier to blame the poor, the poor need extreme punishment, i sometimes think its easier to look down on people, maybe if people empathised with the intolerable situations poor people are born into,then changes could be made, but its easier to put them into prison and to throw away the key, if punishment worked there would be no crime in America, poverty of oppurtunities and rights is the biggest crime, imagine all the potential that is wasted

[Chantellabella]

Should the U.S. execute children?

I feel for the child, but I happen to have seen a situation on both sides. A kid was being bullied. His uncle gave him a gun and told him to shoot the kid. The kid shot the boy dead in the driveway of another kid. Do I think the murderer was traumatized over this? Yes. Do I think the kid should get off scott free? No. He should be punished for the mistake. The way I see it, his life is over because if he was taught to deal with his problem by killing someone else, he's doomed to a life of [BEEP] anyway. His uncle should get the death penalty also.

Why do I think he should be punished? Because it just so happened that kid shot his victim in front of other kids. As fate would have it, one of those kids who witnessed the crime was the son of someone who became friends with me. I didn't know her at the time of the murder. For decades I watched her and her son suffer on that trauma of watching someone be shot down in cold blood. The mother was there when he got shot and the child died in her arms. I saw what one stupid idiot's mistake and "way to cope" ruined many people's lives, including the child who pulled the trigger. Had that teen gotten off with a slap saying "don't do that," his stupid uncle and all the other stupid people running around who have no clue how to deal with life would be a potential mentor in solving another situation. I truly believe if we don't crack down on utter stupidity and utter disregard for consequences, we will continue to say it's alright to do things like that. It's not ok to deliberately hurt another. I guarantee if a kid committed murder some stupid adult was urging him on somewhere. Whether it be that the kid was victimized and is angry, or whether he or she is being told to do it. I'm sorry it's not a popular opinion, but yes, I believe kids and the people who contributed to that kid hurting someone should go to the chair.

And before someone says, "what about the special needs kids?" This has been a trend for decades. Get the special needs kids to commit the crime. Mark me heartless, but yes, I believe the same consequence. Why? Because if the idiots who set out to hurt others, think they can use special needs kids, they will continue to do it. One or two examples that it doesn't work anymore would stop them from doing it. Oh, but the ones who put him or her up to it, should die in the electric chair first.

Lastly, I don't equate poverty to murder. I was raised dirt poor. I had nothing. Then I ran away with a backpack and that's what I owned. I stole occasionally and prostituted occasionally. I did not say theft of bread is a capital offense. In fact, I believe white collar crimes where the rich steal from the poor should hold a death penalty.

But if a poor person kills someone or rapes someone "because they are poor" why do they get a "get out of jail free" card? People can be poor and desperate and not kill or rape another. It has nothing to do with economics. It has to do with decency of a human being.

I am not in the category of looking down on people in poverty. I simply don't think anyone should be allowed to get away with killing, raping, or hurting another person.

As for human rights. My belief is if you take away someone's human rights, your human rights should be taken away. I have no qualms with the government doing it. Somebody has to. We could go back to medieval times and just cut the guy down or have a public hanging. But a victim should get the satisfaction of seeing the person who hurt them, taken down.

[life]

chantellabella, evidence from around the world clearly shows the exact opposite works, meaning a more just society has less crime and thus victims. chantellabella can you please answer this question, if children should be punished the same as adults, why do they require extra protection under law as they are not emotionally and mentally not capable of making decisions eg age of consent, contract law, drinking etc, your argument is illogical. You come from texas, which is a tough society, maybe for some balance research other countries societies and penal systems especially European countries, you state 'I don't equate poverty to murder. I was raised dirt poor. I had nothing. Then I ran away with a backpack and that's what I owned. I stole occasionally and prostituted occasionally. I did not say theft of bread is a capital offense. In fact, I believe white collar crimes where the rich steal from the poor should hold a death penalty. But if a poor person kills someone or rapes someone "because they are poor" why do they get a "get out of jail free" card?' evidence shows cruel and unjust societies, create cruel and unjust people, ill state again if punishment worked, there would be no need for prisons as they would work as a deterent

[Chantellabella]

chantellabella can you please answer this question, if children should be punished the same as adults, why do they require extra protection under law as they are not emotionally and mentally not capable of making decisions eg age of consent, contract law, drinking etc, your argument is illogical.

Actually I think I'll pass on answering that question. My opinion was asked on capital punishment and I gave it. I'm bowing out of the whole child age tangent.

But thanks Coffee for bringing up the subject. It's been interesting to see the views of everyone on such a tough debate. I'm a firm believer that people's opinions are formed by their life experiences and therefore everyone has a right to speak what they think and feel, no matter what others think. That's why I broached the subject. It's something I have strong beliefs about.

Hey, I warned you guys it wouldn't be a popular vote. I am often in the devil's advocate position when it comes to tough choices. Let's just say I went to the school of hard knocks.

[life]

chantellabella please research other societies and penal systems, you may just change your mind

[Chantellabella]

chantellabella please research other societies and penal systems, you may just change your mind

Actually don't need to. I'm pretty set in my ways and like what I think.

Oh and just because I live in Texas doesn't mean I believe what another Texan believes. Heck! I can't stand barbecue.

Funny how I can live in a state and not believe as the whole state believes. I'm just the biggest radical, huh?

But thanks for the offer of enlightenment.

[life]

you state 'people's opinions are formed by their life experiences' living in a right wing society (USA) may have affected your opinions, that is all