why is the death penalty so bad?

[bandXtrb]

If I did something really bad, I'd rather get the death penalty than life in prison. Even if I was completly innocent, I still think I'd take a quick, painless death over a miserable existence in a prison cell waiting and hoping somehow for my name to be cleared. Only issue might be the time people spend on death row. Must be horrible waiting for years with the execution thing hanging over your head.

But to me, capital punishment looks like a humane alternative. So what's the problem with these little European countries, booing Pres Bush? Am I missing something? Why don't they should take their own advice and end their executions of thousands of farm animals?

 

[zod]

Well, most people don't think of killing someone more humane than imprisoning them. Especially in the cases of wrongful convictions.

Capital Punishment = bad.

It isn't a crime deterrent, it isn't cheaper, it typically serves no purpose other than vengeance. Thats not justice.

 

[erikiksaz]

It's not cheaper? I always thought it would cheaper to run a few thousand volts through a criminal in a few seconds, than to allow him to live for the next umpteen+ years.

 

[Kadarin]

<< It isn't a crime deterrent, it isn't cheaper, it typically serves no purpose other than vengeance. Thats not justice. >>



It's not intended to be a deterrent, nor vengeance. In my opinion, anyway... It's intended to make a statement to the effect that there are certain behaviors and actions which will not be tolerated by society, and that committing these actions will result in the ultimate penalty. Timothy McVeigh, for example, is an excellent example of someone that deserved to be executed.

 

[Jzero]

<<

<< It isn't a crime deterrent, it isn't cheaper, it typically serves no purpose other than vengeance. Thats not justice. >>



It's not intended to be a deterrent, nor vengeance. In my opinion, anyway... It's intended to make a statement to the effect that there are certain behaviors and actions which will not be tolerated by society, and that committing these actions will result in the ultimate penalty. Timothy McVeigh, for example, is an excellent example of someone that deserved to be executed. >>


In other words a deterrent.

 

[Kenazo]

<< Am I missing something? Why don't they should take their own advice and end their executions of thousands of farm animals? >>

Hello PETA!

i don't like the death penalty. It really doesn't seem to help much anyway. I'm not 100% on this, but it seems to me that the countries that use the deat penalty also have far higher crime rates, thus it probably does not work as a deterrant.

 

[gopunk]

i see nothing wrong with using the death penalty to give the victims' families a little closure.

 

[bandXtrb]

So far in this thread, the worst thing about capital punishment is that it is not a great deterrent in practice. Still, I don't see why those folks are so self-righteous that they would be so vehemently opposed to it.

I'm not with PETA, but I was just wondering why their logic doesn't apply to farm animals.

 

[Harvey]

<< If I did something really bad, I'd rather get the death penalty than life in prison. >>

In which case, if the idea was to punish you, life in prison would be better. The biggest problem is, it's pretty hard to reverse the proceedure if you find out, later, that the person was innocent.

<< I always thought it would cheaper to run a few thousand volts through a criminal in a few seconds, than to allow him to live for the next umpteen+ years. >>

Nope. Almost all death sentences carry an automatic appeal. They can go on for years, so your feeding and housing the convict, anyhow, while the battle continues in various courts.

 

[woodie1]

I don't care if the death penalty reduces crime or not. I don't think we should pay room and board for some killer for the rest of his life. The death penalty reduces the costs if we quit paying lawyers for all these outlandish appeals.

 

[salman327]

I'm all for the death penalty. Some people's actions like Osama Bin Laden deserve to be executed for the things they have done. Domesticaly we as a society cannot let certain crimes go untouched. A prison penalty is helpful, but ultimately someone who does something like murder w/ intent to deserves no redemption.

 

[Russ]

<< It isn't a crime deterrent >>



Sure it is. Fry the perp, and his recidivism rate drops to zero.



<< it isn't cheaper >>



It would be if we didn't have a ridiculous appeals system that keeps these scumbags alive for decades, even when they've admitted committing the crime.



<< it typically serves no purpose other than vengeance. Thats not justice. >>



Yes it is. Just ask the families of the victims. While you sit in comfort, judging the system, it is they who suffer the unbearable pain of losing a loved one.



<< if you find out, later, that the person was innocent. >>



Which has never happened. To date, there hasn't been even a single case of an executed slimeball later being proven innocent.

Russ, NCNE

 

[ArbitrarilyInsane]

<< To date, there hasn't been even a single case of an executed slimeball later being proven innocent. >>


Which planet are you living on? With a perfect justice system like that I'd like to live there too.

The thing is all these procedures have the human effect. They all contain mistakes, no matter how thorough they are. Also, what worries me is that there isn't a single Law enforcement, legal and justice system in this world that is totally free from institutional racism. The colour of the skin matters in the process far too often, more than any body would like to admit and more than some people will admit. With things going on like that, I wouldn't like for one human being to take the life of another into his hands.

 

[Russ]

<< Which planet are you living on? >>



ArbitrarilyInsane,

I'm living on planet reality. I repeat: There has never been even a single case of an executed person later being proven innocent; not one, none, ever, ZERO.

Russ, NCNE

 

[AdamDuritz99]

UUHh, Russ ever since i've been here, i've always respected you, and thought of you as a resonable man. But you last statement is just whack. I'm for the death penalty in extreme cases like timothy mcveigh or OBL, so i'm not trying to fight against having it, but there have been innoccent people executed before.here's a link of 23 innocent people. Search google for more info

peace
sean

 

[Russ]

AdamDuritz99,

I've seen that list before. In every case, none of the ACLU allegations have been proven. Until they are, it is nothing more then speculation from the number one opponent to capital punishment. Let's see some DNA evidence. It is the only thing that cannot be refuted.

Russ, NCNE

 

[Random Variable]

I would rather be executed than spend the rest of my life in prison, but I guess that's just me.

 

[AdamDuritz99]

You can stick with you statement about if it has been "proven" which is fine, b/c i don't know if anyone has been proven innocent, but don't be so naive.


peace
sean

 

[Russ]

AdamDuritz99,

I'm not naive at all. It wouldn't surprise me a bit to find that somewhere in the 225 year history of this country we have executed an innocent, (of that crime, anyway), person. I'm just not going to let the fallacious "all these innocent people killed " anti-death penalty argument slide without challenge.

Russ, NCNE

 

[syzygy]

i don't think it works because it isn't and cannot be used often enough to be effective. we should be executing
people at a much faster rate for it to serve as a undisputed deterrent. since we cannot do so, for a myriad of
reasons, we should abolish the death penalty because it isn't effective.

the top 6 states with the worse violent crime rates (n.y., delaware, florida, new mexico, louisiana, and south
carolina) all have the death penalty and of those 6 ALL saw their violent crime rates worsen during the 1990s.
linky

if the death penalty is a deterrent, then why didn't these states who employ the death penalty see any decline
in their violent crime rates ? in fact, as the statistics prove, their rates either stayed the same or worsened, each
and every one of them. hmmm.

 

[Gonad the Barbarian]

<< ArbitrarilyInsane,

I'm living on planet reality. I repeat: There has never been even a single case of an executed person later being proven innocent; not one, none, ever, ZERO.

Russ, NCNE >>



That is propaganda if I've ever heard it. I thought you were above that Russ.

 

[Russ]

<< I thought you were above that Russ. >>



I'm never above stating the facts. Again, let's see some proof. Speculation about 70 year old cases isn't proof.

Russ, NCNE

 

[MustPost]

<<I'm living on planet reality. I repeat: There has never been even a <B>single</B> case of an executed person later being proven innocent; not one, none, ever, ZERO.>>

Who wants to investegate after they die.

<<I don't care if the death penalty reduces crime or not. I don't think we should pay room and board for some killer for the rest of his life. The death penalty reduces the costs if we quit paying lawyers for all these outlandish appeals. >>

So basically they should cut off his head the day he is convicted.?

 

[Atrail]

Well down here in Texas it cost the tax payers much more to kill them, then to keep them.
The figures to keep them are 100K's, the figures to kill them can reach a million fairly easily.
There are 7 cases in Texas in which the death penalty can be given.
There would be no debate if these people would not kill. Is it too much to ask when we say "You do not have the right to take anothers life"? Regardless of the law, if you take someone's life maliciously, you forfeit your right to live.

 

[nirgis]

If I recall, one is innocent until proven guilty. If there is doubt on his guilt then he is innocent