Death Penalty Data

I'm against the death penalty. Entirely.

I've been working with youth from impoverished communities in one capacity or another for about six years now. In the last three years I've felt a conviction that I ought to live in the communities I serve. That's been interesting. I haven't even been a direct victim or perpetrator of violent crime or drugs since starting this thing but I am becoming desentitized to suffering. You can only spend so much time feeling outraged or depressed, I guess, before you just turn it off.

For me it takes an actual effort to continue seeing both victims and the perpetrators as human beings.

I guess what I ask myself is, "Would I be willing to electrocute that guy who killed my student's brother (or whoever the bad guy of the week is)?" and that answer has to keep being no. I'm not a killer. And if that answer is no, then I can't expect the state, which represents me, to do it either.

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I understand what you are saying and respect it. The converse to it is you probably don't haul your own trash, fight your own fires, contain the burglar that stole from you in a prison or protect your property. These are all functions that we need and the government has assumed. While most of us would not want to or even be willing to do these things, they must be done.

Well, I have had to haul my own trash and fight my own fires, and protect my own property - I grew up out in the middle of nowhere. But I see your point...and I also see a clear distinction. I might not want to be a trash collector or a prison guard - the jobs don't appeal to me - but they wouldn't be morally objectionable to me either. I just don't want to do those jobs because they wouldn't be fulfilling to me. Whereas I would morally object to being an executioner. It's not just that the job is distasteful, it's that it's killing people.

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This one should now work for the second one. I'll edit the first post so it is there too.

Working Paper: The Impact of Incentives on Human Behavior: Can We Make It Disappear? The Case of the Death Penalty [2006] NBER Working Paper No. 12631 extending the findings of Naci H. Mocan & R. Kaj Gittings (link)

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If pregnancy presents a challenge, do we as a society rise to the challenge by dispensing with the child? And when a pregnancy comes at a difficult time, what is the worthier response? Do we surround mother and child with protection and love, or do we hold out to her the cold comfort of a trip to an abortionist? Where is our true character as a nation to be seen - let's ask ourselves this question: Where is our true character to be seen, in an adoptive home, or in an abortion clinic? Who are we? Who are we America? That question deserves an answer.
Bob Casey Sr.

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This is another topic related to recent threads. Some similar threads have included polls which thusfar in my study reveal a majority against the death penalty.

So nice to read a death penalty thread where just about all the posters agree with me!

And not quite as ancient a bump, but close...

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Also, most of the posters seem awesome.

Link for the Working paper in post #54 was broken so I fixed it.

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If pregnancy presents a challenge, do we as a society rise to the challenge by dispensing with the child? And when a pregnancy comes at a difficult time, what is the worthier response? Do we surround mother and child with protection and love, or do we hold out to her the cold comfort of a trip to an abortionist? Where is our true character as a nation to be seen - let's ask ourselves this question: Where is our true character to be seen, in an adoptive home, or in an abortion clinic? Who are we? Who are we America? That question deserves an answer.
Bob Casey Sr.

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And sane!

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This is excellent reasoning to keep sound Christian doctrine, yet still remain at the ready for disputation.