Capitol Punishment

[Crusader05]

The 1,000 prisoner will soon be executed in the US since the reinstatement of the death penalty.

-What is your opinion on the morality or the death penalty?
-Are we any safer with it?
-Is it a deterant?
-With our modern prisons do we need to execute murders to protect the general population?
-Is the death penalty racist because minorities are vastly over-represented on death row?

 

[LittleNipper]

I believe that the death penality, if applied correctly, always prevents the convicted murderer from committing any other crime of any sort anywhere. I also feel that the death penality if carried out swiftly will save the community millions. The only candidates for the death penality should be those who were witnessed in the act by two or more people. If these witnesses are found to be lying, they themselves should be executed.

 

[Mr. QWERTY]

Capital punishment is wrong.

We have a choice with our criminal justice system. Should it be punitive, rehabilitative, preventative or a deterrent.

Deterrent. If this is the case, it would be best if we simply quietly framed people and threw them in jail. That way we have proof that if you do something wrong, you will be punished. It does not actually matter if the correct person is being punished, only that the population being deterred thinks that the correct person is being punished. Deterrence is therefore wrong.

Preventative. Remember innocent until proven guilty. Lets not lock up people for crimes that they have not yet committed.

Rehabilitative. This gets into a couple of tricky ethical situations, as as what if the criminal does not want to be rehabilitated. Are you interfering unduly with his life choices? In any case, if this is the style you want for your crim system, it doesn't work if you kill the criminal.

Punitive. I can't argue that killing somebody is not a punishment. But is it a just punishment? I would say no. It is applied unfairly, as cited by the OP. It can simply be wrong, as in the people who were convicted (with witnesses) but are now being overturned by DNA testing. It is applied unfairly based upon the skill of the defence lawyer. It is certainly not humane.

 

[elman]

The 1,000 prisoner will soon be executed in the US since the reinstatement of the death penalty.

-What is your opinion on the morality or the death penalty?
-Are we any safer with it?
-Is it a deterant?
-With our modern prisons do we need to execute murders to protect the general population?
-Is the death penalty racist because minorities are vastly over-represented on death row?

Yes, yes, yes, yes, no.

 

[hernyaccent]

In my opinion it is immoral. It was always drilled in my head that two wrongs don't make a right. I dont find the justice in the justice system convicting an individual for a crime and then punishing them by commiting the same crime again that individual. Death penalty isn't a deterant for soemone who has their mind set on murderign someone. We don't need to execute for any reason. It's been proven time and time again that minorities are treated differently in the justice system athen non-minorities--so what makes death row any different?

 

[Lynden1000]

The 1,000 prisoner will soon be executed in the US since the reinstatement of the death penalty.

-What is your opinion on the morality or the death penalty?
-Are we any safer with it?
-Is it a deterant?
-With our modern prisons do we need to execute murders to protect the general population?
-Is the death penalty racist because minorities are vastly over-represented on death row?

Are we safer with it? I doubt it.
Is it a deterrent? I don't think it is in the least.
Do we need to execute them for the safety of the general population? Probably not.
Can I make a case in support of the death penalty? No
Do I find it extremely emotionally satisfying, particularly when a crime is unusually heinous? Absolutely

So I can't really say if I think it's moral or immoral, or pratical or impractical, but I have to admit it makes me feel good.

 

[Phred]

-What is your opinion on the morality or the death penalty?

I think we're better off without some people.

-Are we any safer with it?

No, we're not.

-Is it a deterant?

Most crimes that would warrant the death penalty are committed by people who think they'll get away with it. Of those who might ponder the consequences, can you imagine the guy stabbing his wife in an argument deciding not to do it because he might get the death penalty. I also can't imagine Andrea Yates stopping the murder of her sons because she suddenly realizes she might be killed herself. So no, it's not a deterrent at all.

-With our modern prisons do we need to execute murders to protect the general population?

No. We don't need to execute criminals for our protection. However, when you see a man sentenced to life in prison being released after seven years it makes you wonder just how functional those prisons are. Is this an argument for the death penalty? I don't think so.

-Is the death penalty racist because minorities are vastly over-represented on death row?

Could be. Then again, it also could be that the vast majority of violent crimes are committed by minorities... I don't know the answer to this.

In my opinion it's not worth killing all the scum in the world if you kill one innocent man by mistake. The only thing the death penalty can say that no other punishment can claim is that it's irrevocable. You can let an innocent man out of prison, you can't raise them from the dead. Speeding up the process only ensures we'll get it wrong quicker.

Do I like the idea of a Gacy or Dahmer living safe and warm behind bars on my dime? No... but I'll accept it.

.
​

 

[Jacob4Jesus]

I think when it comes down to it, we forget one important thing about the death penalty. We assume that people will no longer commit crimes after this punishment has been applied, but we overlook something extremely obvious. By killing people, we give them more power.

Don't understand? Well, we need to look no further than Freddy Kruger for this example. Sure, I know what you're saying. You're saying that he was burned alive by a mob, not given the death penalty by a court of law. But I hardly think that matters. The fact is what happened after Mr. Kruger was put to death, is more than enough of an arguement against the death penalty.

 

[levi501]

death penalty = revenge.
Revenge when it serves no other purpose is immoral.

Life imprisonment in isolation is just as effective at protecting society and cheaper then the death penalty. Also, if we make a mistake we can set them free.

Now I could be in favor of a death penalty system. In it's current incarnation though it's most deffinitely wrong and immoral.



*edit - corrected irritating spelling error*

 

[McCracAttack]

Let’s assume that the American legal system has been 99% accurate in its death penalty convictions. (That is to say, only 1% of people executed were in fact innocent.) That would make it one of the most accurate and successful endeavors in human history. That still means 10 people would have been wrongly executed in the US since 1976.

Now let's imagine a more realistic number...

 

[Crusader05]

Many good points so far!

I am somewhat torn on this issue.

On one hand I see the justice in executing the truely evil murders like Dalhmer, Gacy etc.

But, I also see that two wrongs dont make a right, and that too many innocent people have been put to death.

I dont believe that it is a deterant at all and it does nothing to make us safer. With modern prisons it is possible to keep these people locked up so they dont hurt anyone.

I guess I'm in the middle on this issue, we should have it for that truely horrible individual who deserves the ultimate punishement, but it should be reserved for that extreme case only.

 

[elman]

Many good points so far!

I am somewhat torn on this issue.

On one hand I see the justice in executing the truely evil murders like Dalhmer, Gacy etc.

But, I also see that two wrongs dont make a right, and that too many innocent people have been put to death.

I dont believe that it is a deterant at all and it does nothing to make us safer. With modern prisons it is possible to keep these people locked up so they dont hurt anyone.

I guess I'm in the middle on this issue, we should have it for that truely horrible individual who deserves the ultimate punishement, but it should be reserved for that extreme case only.

Two wrongs not making a right is only applicable if you start by assuming capital punishment is wrong. It is certainly a deterant for repeat offences. I suspect the number of innocent people executed has been very few. We have people escaping from prison all the time- and being parolled when they are still a danger to society. I agree it should only be used in extreme cases.

 

[butterfoot]

Two wrongs not making a right is only applicable if you start by assuming capital punishment is wrong. It is certainly a deterant for repeat offences. I suspect the number of innocent people executed has been very few. We have people escaping from prison all the time- and being parolled when they are still a danger to society. I agree it should only be used in extreme cases.

Why must we execute to provide a deterent. People obviously aren't afraid of it because they still commit crimes. I am interested though what would happen though of instead of the death penalty we just put them in a cell with a cot. Feed them in this cell three times a day and they were never able to go outside. I think this would be more of a deterent because the person would actually suffer for their crime rather than just giving them the easy way out.


-cw

 

[Kroger99]

The 1,000 prisoner will soon be executed in the US since the reinstatement of the death penalty.

-What is your opinion on the morality or the death penalty?
-Are we any safer with it?
-Is it a deterant?
-With our modern prisons do we need to execute murders to protect the general population?
-Is the death penalty racist because minorities are vastly over-represented on death row?

Moral? Yes!
"Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man. Genesis 9:6

Safer? Yes!
This person will never do this crime again to anyone.

Deterant? Yes!
This person will never do this crime again to anyone.

Racist? No!
I only support the Death Penalty for those who are found guilty of Capitol Crimes regardless of race.

 

[levi501]

Why must we execute to provide a deterent. People obviously aren't afraid of it because they still commit crimes. I am interested though what would happen though of instead of the death penalty we just put them in a cell with a cot. Feed them in this cell three times a day and they were never able to go outside. I think this would be more of a deterent because the person would actually suffer for their crime rather than just giving them the easy way out.

I could care less about suffering. I want to see society completely protected from this individual in the cheapest way possible. With that said, if keeping him alive in isolation is the cheapest alternative, I think it would be inhumane to deny him regular trips outside. Also, if this type of incarceration becomes to unbareable he should be given the ability to end his life through lethal injection.

 

[NothingButTheBlood]

-What is your opinion on the morality or the death penalty? It's up to states to decide how they feel about it. The Government has the option to use it.

-Are we any safer with it? Well death or imprisonment will keep us safe.

-Is it a deterant? Only to the one killed.

-With our modern prisons do we need to execute murders to protect the general population? By general population do you mean those in or outside the prison? I think sometimes it does.

-Is the death penalty racist because minorities are vastly over-represented on death row? Don't know really.

 

[outlaw]

The 1,000 prisoner will soon be executed in the US since the reinstatement of the death penalty.

-What is your opinion on the morality or the death penalty?

Having the state legally murdering someone is still murder

-Are we any safer with it?

no

-Is it a deterant?

obviously not

-With our modern prisons do we need to execute murders to protect the general population?

We need a number of things….

More and better prisons

More police

A faster judicial system

Truth in sentencing

A reevaluation of victimless crimes

And most important of all we as a society need to address the problems that lead to crime, poverty, homelessness, inadequate education, a failing welfare state, and the like.

-Is the death penalty racist because minorities are vastly over-represented on death row?

I think the root of the issue is shared equally between problems in our society and problems within the judicial system itself not with the death penalty

 

[butterfoot]

I could care less about suffering. I want to see society completely protected from this individual in the cheapest way possible. With that said, if keeping him alive in isolation is the cheapest alternative, I think it would be inhumane to deny him regular trips outside. Also, if this type of incarceration becomes to unbareable he should be given the ability to end his life through lethal injection.

How is the death penalty Cheaper? So much is spent on the appeals process by the governments that it would actually just be cheaper to throw them in a solitary confinement cell.

-cw

 

[levi501]

How is the death penalty Cheaper? So much is spent on the appeals process by the governments that it would actually just be cheaper to throw them in a solitary confinement cell.

-cw

You misread what I wrote. I'm against the death penalty because it isn't cheaper and imprisoned isolation accomplishes the same goal. Refer to my first post (# 9).

 

[Gracchus]

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

-- KJV Matthew 5:7

If you are complicit in the execution of an innocent, are you not guilty? If you show no mercy, how can you, from a fair judge, expect it?
Does this deter you?

If you believe you will be judged, it might be prudent to exercise restraint in meting out punishment.