Do you support the death penalty? Personally, I don't think the government should have the power to execute someone. Also, it is more expensive than life in prison and there is no doubt innocent people have been killed by it. The fact that many people have been exonerated on death row leads me to ask the question: how do we know we got them all? Even for heinous crimes, it just never seems like a rational choice. There's never a time were executing someone would be rational, it just seems more out of hatred and revenge. Nobody truly gains from it.
For the reasons you listed, I do not agree with the death penalty as it currently stands in the U.S. I would however, for the sake of humaneness, support an elective death "penalty" in which convicts serving lengthy sentences could petition to have themselves executed, but execution would not be forced on them by the state. Though I suppose this wouldn't actually be a death penalty per se.
You know, I'm sure many people would rather die than spend the rest of their lives in prison. The idea of just going out quickly rather than suffering for the rest of your life is definitely appealing. But this is giving criminals an easy way out.
I support the death penalty. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying kill everyone that goes to prison, but if someone gets caught as a serial killer or mass rapist or something, kill that worthless fuck. If someone kills a child they should get the death penalty immediately. But single homicides don't deserve the death penalty, you don't know the story of what happened.
Death row should be used in the case of serial killers or Mass Murderers like James Holmes immediately, if they are caught in the act. Don't waste our tax dollars on a single day of their incarceration. Even if mental illness were a factor,they are never going to be released, what is the point of keeping them alive? As for the current system, plenty of people are exonerated from death row. Some are executed and new evidence suggests wrongful killings.
The point of keeping them alive is...punishment? Death is the easy way out, anyways. What's the point of killing them? Just to feel a false sense of relief? The problem is the death is quick, and they escape the punishment they deserve. Serial killers/rapists don't really see the light of day...literally. They are confined alone, away from other prisoners and are prohibited from many parts of the prison. They definitely get the worst of prison, so where's the punishment in death? And what does caught in the act mean anyways? Witnesses lie all the time.
[quote name='"UU_ood"'] The point of keeping them alive is...punishment? Death is the easy way out, anyways. What's the point of killing them? Just to feel a false sense of relief? The problem is the death is quick, and they escape the punishment they deserve. Serial killers/rapists don't really see the light of day...literally. They are confined alone, away from other prisoners and are prohibited from many parts of the prison. They definitely get the worst of prison, so where's the punishment in death? And what does caught in the act mean anyways? Witnesses lie all the time.[/quote] The point of killing them is because a lot of prick lawyers like to make a quick dollar and work plea bargains and shit to get killers in, out, and back on the streets through parole ASAP. People are rather forgiving these days.
So why don't you just change the death penalty to life in prison without parole? No parole means you won't receive opportunities to get out. I don't see how this is an argument for the death penalty.
[quote name='"UU_ood"'] So why don't you just change the death penalty to life in prison without parole? No parole means you won't receive opportunities to get out. I don't see how this is an argument for the death penalty.[/quote] Honestly the reason I think it should be around is because it instills fear into people. There was less crime when there were public hangings (which may sound ridiculous) but it makes people a lot less likely to commit crimes. I think being aware of the death penalty would make people really think twice. Had a buddy that was a parole officer and you wouldn't fuckin believe how many murderer ex-cons are around. We've ran into them at restaurants, stores, all over the place. Its pretty fucked up man.
The evidence is inconclusive, though. Does the Death Penalty Deter Crime? Studies are Inconclusive - National Journal staff - NationalJournal.com Where do you live, btw? How do you just run into murderers?
I support the death penalty. There has been a few innocent people executed over the past 100 years, but this reason alone does not justify doing away with capital punishment.
[quote name='"UU_ood"'] The evidence is inconclusive, though. Does the Death Penalty Deter Crime? Studies are Inconclusive - National Journal staff - NationalJournal.com Where do you live, btw? How do you just run into murderers? [/quote] I think you'll get a kick out of this but I live in Texas, what about yourself? And I promise you it's not only here. Besides that I'd imagine results to be inconclusive, spikes in crime can vary for different reasons from weather to how the city's sports team is doing, there are many factors that would be impossible to calculate in accurately.
The only reason that death penalty is supposedly "more expensive than life sentence" is because they keep the prisoner alive another 30-40 years with the chance to repeal. If those who they know are guilty, without any reasonable doubt, because they were caught in the act were just executed without these extra years of life in prison, it would cost far less and keep prison space free for other violent criminals such as a child molester. Also, I feel strongly that the death penalty needs to be used in cases such as a police officer causing the wrongful death of citizens. The police are supposed to be an authority figure, but that doesn't mean that they are above the law, and in fact, they need to be held to a much higher standard than the average citizen to prove that they deserve the respect of their authority. If they aren't held to a higher standard then they deserve no respect at all. And a cop that abuses his power, thinking he is above the law and immune to prosecution for killing a citizen deserves no less than death for his actions.
I voted for most extreme circumstances. Reserved for people who murder while still in jail, inmates attacking inmates is an issue and it isn't fair for someone who is in for a non-violent or less-violent crime to be put next to killers who will do it again. Regardless of how they are treated (isolation) they can present a danger by attacking guards, and those types of people should be killed in my opinion. Possibly for people who commit the most heinous of crimes and to be done in a much cheaper method, I'm a fan of firing squad (to remove the3 human firing just use a robot fired gun) but again only for real serious cases, I honestly couldn't give 2 shits about rehabilitating or continuing the life of some people but then again some others may, and this is just my personal opinion due to how much I hate some criminals (for example, those who rape and kill children, or people who force/coerce women into sex slavery.) Only thing is, its easy to make shit up, its easy to be corrupt, so I would only support this if it was very strict. Information must be public regarding the case, proof must be substantiated by real evidence, not just a belief someone will attempt to murder while in jail, and not just circumstantial evidence.
I am against the death penalty as it stands now as I think we have a flawed justice system, how ever I do support the execution of certain types of people such as pedophiles, child molesters, and rapist. I don't want to spend a single tax dollar on keeping those kinds of people alive and well.
I live in Florida. From what I've heard, there was no change in crime incidence from 1972-1976 when the death penalty was suspended by the Supreme Court. And what does caught in the act mean? Witness recanting is one of the common factors of exonerating a person.
At best (in cases of homicide), it's an eye for an eye... At worst, it's killing an innocent man... Neither of which I'm really cool with.
[quote name='"garrison68"']I support the death penalty. There has been a few innocent people executed over the past 100 years, but this reason alone does not justify doing away with capital punishment.[/quote] Killing innocent people is acceptable in any regard?
Made me think of this: [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hyph_DZa_GQ&feature=youtube_gdata_player[/ame]
If they're murderers, rapists, pedophiles, and anything to that affect, then I say a bullet to the back of the head.. That'll save a dime or two.