The Death Penalty

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Cast No Shadow

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For or against?

It's a hard one, and one that I think needs to be answered in an emotionless way, without personal feelings being tied up in it.

I understand the economics of it, prisoners take up so much money per year and prisons are so overcrowded - but does this give people the right to end a human life?

Is the idea that a person should pay for their crimes in the same way they dealt them fair? For example, if a person murdered someone, is it right that that person should therefore die as penance?

It's tricky, I don't know if I could have on my conscience the fact that the person who has just been given the lethal injection could actually be innocent.
 
I believe in the death penalty. If someone has murdered someone or someones, why should they get to live a long life in a prison somewhere? In America, the prisons are almost laughable. Their living conditions are better than some people who are out in the world, working for a living have. Why should they have the right to continue to live and have a job and watch TV and breathe air in their fenced-in areas when the people they murdered don't? It's not right.
 
brinkster130
brinkster130
It's sad that some prisons have better accommodations than some elementary/middle schools in our country.
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HalloweenRain
[No message]
I'm against the death penalty. I can definitely see why people would be for it, but I'm not. I think that even for, for instance, a mass murderer, death is just too easy. If you let that person live, they have to live with what they've done and I think that that's much more justice. But I do agree with [MENTION=8356]HisMrs[/MENTION] that some prisons could be a bit stricter, especially for murderers.
 
I believe in death penalty, but I also believe some people don't even deserve to die. Some people should be locked for the rest of their lives in solitary.
 
sisterofmercy said:
To support it is to lack the understanding of what it is to be human.
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Everyone here is entitled to their own opinions. Please don't judge people who oppose your opinion; that's not what the thread is for. This comment seems very judgemental against anyone who would oppose your opinion. I'm just going to state right now that if this thread goes in the argumentative, ugly direction I've seen other threads in this forum go (such as the Casey Anthony thread, when it was open), I will close it.
Everyone, please keep your tones civil when discussing this topic. Thanks.
 
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sisterofmercy
I wasn't seeking to start an argument, that's just what I believe.
I'm also against it, wholeheartedly. It's one of the issues I get most passionate about. I have so many reasons for being against but I'm not very good at stating them without that passion behind me so I'm not going to state them, lol.
 
M
Mithol
Something we actually agree on! =)
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Big Damn Hero
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[MENTION=8858]Flannen[/MENTION] Same. I have a blind faith in humanity and its capacity to change.

I second this with one small amendment: I have a blind faith in humanity and its capacity to learn.
 
Flannen
Flannen
Ooh, I like that verb better. *steals*
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zobothehobo
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white avenger
white avenger
Yeah, but the frightening part is that we have very little real control over just WHAT they learn.
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Spikefan31
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Big Damn Hero
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I'm against it too. I think as soon as the law starts dealing out vengeance, it's overstepped it's boundaries. [MENTION=8356]HisMrs[/MENTION] does have a point though: it certainly shouldn't be an option between death and a comfortable life. That's a failing in various prison and sentencing systems, however, and certainly not a justification for the death penalty.
 
I'm against it. Though its hard to be at times when people do such horrible things to others. Of course part of me wants them to suffer, to die. Its not our place to punish them though. A life for a life is not the answer. Are we any better then them if we use murder as a punishment?

Now that said. At twelve when I sat and watched the Danielle Van Dam case all summer. I was soo happy that he recieved the death penalty. It's not hard to want these people dead. It's hard to accept that the only right punishment for them is jail.
 
xfivebyfive said:
Now that said. At twelve when I sat and watched the Danielle Van Dam case all summer. I was soo happy that he recieved the death penalty. It's not hard to want these people dead. It's hard to accept that the only right punishment for them is jail.
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I think that if prisons were different and incarceration really meant incarceration, it wouldn't be so hard to accept.
 
I'm completely against it 99% of the time.

I believe it's morally wrong. Murder is murder, with any weapon, in any hand.

However,
With that said,
If a criminal is still a large danger to people, then I think it's important to preserve the safety of other people.

I say this with Ted Bundy in mind. (A serial killer who admitted to murdering more than 30 woman, and broke out of jail twice, and killed even more innocent people.) Here's the wiki article. It's sort of horrific, so if this sort of stuff freaks you out, I'd stay far away from it.
 
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As a philosophical concept, I am ambivalent about it. It is, at times, a seemingly sensible consequence for individuals who are too dangerous to remain among the general population. However, I don't think is effective in detering other criminals/crimes. It obviously does not serve to modify future behavior on an individual level, instead removing the possibility of future behavior entirely.

As it currently is executed in the States, it is a joke. You could die a natural death on death row waiting to have your sentence carried out.

The entire United States jail/prison situation is just backwards. But, in order to remain on topic, I won't go into my extensive thoughts on that.
 
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Thamior
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I always have a hard time answering this question because I do have trouble taking the emotion out and looking at crimes/punishment objectively. I hate the idea of using death as a punishment but sometimes it’s hard to see an acceptable alternative.

I do have faith in humanity and believe that people can learn from their mistakes and change for the better; however it is hard to ignore the fact that some individuals may not be open to change. What then? When does the concern for the public’s safety become a priority?

On the other side, an eye for an eye doesn’t solve much. If we kill a killer then we too become a killer, correct?

I guess at the end of the day I stand on both sides of the issue; although I imagine if the jails/prisons (specifically in the US) weren’t as flawed as they are I would be against the death penalty.
 
I live in Texas, and we are the leader in deaths by the death penalty. I don't know about the death penalty from an economic standpoint, and I also don't know how many people die on death row waiting to be executed. I do believe in the death penalty. There are crimes that death isn't enough. Justice is a vengeful idea. It's goal is to right the wrong. To help those who were wronged. I don't know what exactly the criteria are for giving the death penalty to a crime.

I do understand that some of the inmates who find Christ and get their life in order by the time they are being executed. Now it is possible that it is only through the sentence of death that they (people on death row/sentenced to the death penalty) feel the need to repent and get their life in order, religiously speaking, before they die. I don't know if those people would have repented if they weren't facing death.
 
Hmmm. So far way more onesided than these discussions used to be here.

I'm definitely against death penalty. I don't see what good it serves to be honest. Except perhaps the economic side. But killing people to save money? Now that would be some very dangerous road to take.

I don't believe that death is worse than a lifetime or a very long time in jail. Of course it can be become a discussion depending on what kind of life they have in jail. I don't think we should treat prisoners like crap but something's a bit wrong in society if you get a better life in prison than outside. To me it just doesn't have anything to do with death penalty. The argument of "We should have death penalty since people otherwise will live a good life in prison" doesn't work for me. And no matter what, I doubt many would change their own crappy life to a better standard one inprisoned for years/life. It's not like we're talking a few month or a year or two worth of crimes. You don't appriciate your freedom until it's lost.

Also, what do we have prisons for? Too hide away the bad people of the world so they won't be a danger to the "good" people and that's it? Well then by all means start kill everyone that the people in charge see as a danger to society...

Not 100% will feel it but most will, guilt. Not so easy to live with no matter what fasad (?) you give to the world.

Death penalty will scare people off from doing horrible crimes. Does it seem to work?

Revenge? See below.


castnoshadow said:
It's a hard one, and one that I think needs to be answered in an emotionless way, without personal feelings being tied up in it.
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This. So much this. Personally affected badly it's more or less normal to wish someone dead. At least at first. Or if you're on the side of the "criminal". They're not usually like this, it was a mistake. It can't be fair to kill them over it...

When talking of death penalty we mostly see it from the view of victims of something horrible. Not many think of how it's on the other side. No matter the reason, if it's someone you love that's facing the death penalty would you still be for it? If you're for it to begin with obviously.
 
T
Thamior
I think the wlrd
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