Should children be eligible

[Jerlene]

for the death penalty? I've been getting a lot of peoples opinions and I have to say, the majority have answered yes to this question stating that if they commited the crime they can do the time. Just wondering how other people feel about this.

 

[non-religious]

Absolutely not......

 

[quatona]

for the death penalty? I've been getting a lot of peoples opinions and I have to say, the majority have answered yes to this question stating that if they commited the crime they can do the time. Just wondering how other people feel about this.

I personally have yet to see a convincing reason for the death penalty, hence I naturally don´t think it´s a good idea to expand the group of its potential victims.

 

[Adriac]

Once you've granted the state the power to kill, and allowed for minors to be charged as adults for felonies, I think the question of whether you execute children is largely academic.

With that said, from a pro-life perspective? Of course not.

 

[bammertheblue]

Frankly I don't think anyone should be eligible for the death penalty. So no.

 

[Jerlene]

I personally have yet to see a convincing reason for the death penalty, hence I naturally don´t think it´s a good idea to expand the group of its potential victims.

You don't think anyone deserves it? What about the rapists or serial killers? People who take other peoples' lives.

 

[bammertheblue]

You don't think anyone deserves it? What about the rapists or serial killers? People who take other peoples' lives.

Yes, let's kill people who kill people to show that killing people is wrong.

 

[Jerlene]

Yeh, let's. Eventually people will catch on and stop doing it. If I shot you everytime you said "water", would you continue to say it? I know it's not going to be an overnight phenomenon but it could happen.

 

[SimplyMe]

Yeh, let's. Eventually people will catch on and stop doing it. If I shot you everytime you said "water", would you continue to say it? I know it's not going to be an overnight phenomenon but it could happen.

So why will people suddenly learn this lesson now when in thousands of years we haven't learned it?

 

[Jerlene]

Evolution.

 

[SiobhanClancy]

So why will people suddenly learn this lesson now when in thousands of years we haven't learned it?

This is absolutely true. In 18th century England,which had many capital offenses(including petty theft),pickpockets plied their trade among the crowds watching executions of their fellows. I believe the death penalty is a barbarism which has no place in a civilized society,anyway. It also seems to me if we want to subject children to such an extreme and irrevocable penalty for their actions,simple fairness would require us also to allow them adult privileges as well. If they have adult standing to be executed for crimes,shouldn't they also have adult standing to drink,get married,vote,etc?

 

[gwenmead]

I have mixed feelings about the death penalty.

But when it boils down to it, I suppose my feelings against it have the edge, on the basis of - what if you got the wrong guy?

So no, I don't think children should be eligible for the death penalty, because I don't think anybody should be.

 

[NothingButTheBlood]

I view the death penalty the same way I do abortion. Give to Ceasar what is Ceasar's. Abortion and the Death Penalty are state sanctioned homicide as voted on by the residents of the state.

If a juvenile commits adult crimes in combination with a history of criminality they are going to eventually get transfered. A 17 year old is well aware of the nature of what they are doing. I don't have a problem with tranferring a juvenile into the adult system. I did that twice while a probation officer. Not all transfers involve the death penalty and neither of mine did.

 

[SimplyMe]

Evolution.

Yet whether we execute people or not will not effect evolution, especially if we lock murderers up for life instead of killing them. Unfortunately, it seems that the high levels of aggression that cause some men to become murderers is basically the same as the aggression that some men learn to control and use to become leaders and make great contributions.

 

[hernyaccent]

No one should be eligible for the death penalty.

 

[quatona]

You don't think anyone deserves it?

I cannot relate to the idea that any person deserves being harmed.

What about the rapists or serial killers?
People who take other peoples' lives.

Yes, what about them?
For me it´s simple: I don´t like the idea that people are killed intentionally, thus I won´t kill people, and I will oppose to society killing people in my name.

 

[quatona]

Yeh, let's. Eventually people will catch on and stop doing it. If I shot you everytime you said "water", would you continue to say it?

"If I yelled ´water´ every time you said ´water´ "would be the more accurate analogy, eh?
If you want to establish the notion that killing is a no-no, don´t kill.

I know it's not going to be an overnight phenomenon but it could happen.

As soon as countries with the death penalty have an equally low record of murder as countries without, we could start discussing that strategy.
Btw., you have changed your argumentation. You started from the idea that people "deserve" being killed, and when we responded to it, you started argumentating for the death penalty as a deterrent. Does that mean you have dropped the "they deserve it" idea?

 

[christalee4]

No, children should not be given the death penalty. The death penalty in general is a barbaric practice, and does nothing to prevent other murderers from committing crimes. For example, some states, like Texas, continue to have a high crime rate while also having a high execution rate. All the death penalty is, is essentially mortal revenge by the state.

 

[Aimee30]

Yeh, let's. Eventually people will catch on and stop doing it. If I shot you everytime you said "water", would you continue to say it? I know it's not going to be an overnight phenomenon but it could happen.

It actually might be an occasion for shooting back. Things have to monitored carefully for use other than that.

 

[Pogue]

I don't think anyone should be eligible for the death penalty, least of all children. Even if I was a supporter of the death penalty, I would stil be opposed to it in the case of children. They are not responsible for their actions in the same way that adults are. Frankly, the idea of the state killing children sickens me.