Death Penalty

[DeletedUser]

Death Penalty

"Criminal punishment is a huge source of controversy in the United States. Opponents often argue that innocent people are sometimes executed and that the main motive is revenge, not true justice. Those who support the death penalty debate that the punishment offers retribution for victims of murder and is more cost efficient than offering life sentences in prison. Whether or not the death penalty will remain legal in the United States has yet to be seen" -- http://www.debate.org/death-penalty/​

so what are your views on the death penalty? should it be abolished and made illegal? is it okay for the state to murder people for the so called greater good? and is they executioner any better then they man hes about to execute?

 

[DeletedUser]

While the death penalty may not deter crime. For the dead criminal, well they are deterred. Sure you can say that some innocent people may be put to death. Is in innocent person sentenced to life in person with no possibility of parole really that much better? Causalities of war my friend. No system is perfect yet, so when they come up with one that is, we should switch to it. Until that day comes, live by sword and die by it.

 

[DeletedUser]

but should people have the right to decide if someone else gets to live or die? I dont think so.
IMO only God should beable to judge us. and when you sentence someone to death weather it be jury or executioner
you are taking a life that isnt yours. you would/should have no right to decide if someone should live or die.
and even the worst of people are capable of becomeing good.

 

[DeletedUser]

The death penalty should be reserved for only the most serious criminals/offenders.

And side thought: This might be a bit sadistic/evil/messed up, but wouldn't life in prison be a much worse sentence than the death penalty? I always imagined that being stuck in a cell for the rest of your life would be much more torturous, painful, or boring than being sentenced to death. Plus, if an innocent person is sentenced to life, there is more time to help prove their innocence than if they were killed.

 

[DeletedUser]

I had thought about that as well. If it takes 40 years or for those never found innocent tho (who actually are) well give me the lethal injection. It just seems that they never find out soon, it is always many years later.

Hero, people are not deciding if a person lives or dies. The person decided that when they committed the crime. What is fair is that the love ones of those should be allowed to take the persons life. If you do that, then you have the Hatfields and the McCoys tho. Having the state do it, just makes more sense.

 

[DeletedUser]

yet every life has its value i mean how do you measure the worth of someones life. you cant decide someones life isnt worth living or not. everybody deserves to be forgiven for their sins we have all commited them. and i truly believe that every person reguardless of the crime commited deserves a chance to live their life all the way through.because even when people do commit murder or worse they are still people and are capable of finding their way into the light and doing good things to help makeup 4 the things they did wrong but some people will never have the chance to say their sorry or repent for their crimes. or have any chance for a life even after they have changed their ways.because of the death penalty but if all we gave was life in prison it would give the people who changed their ways to help make a difference in the world to help others and tell them their own personal experiences to help people who are struggleing to stay on the right side of the law the people who havnt been commited to life or death yet.

 

[DeletedUser]

People judge crimes against others and determine if death is warranted. Not the over all person and if they should go to heaven or hell. God judges that and makes that determination. The death penalty just speeds up the process.

You have to keep in mind that if you rob a bank, do drugs, even rape or other things, you are not put to death for it. They can say they are sorry or whatever helps them sleep better at night. If you want to be the joker, walk into a movie with an AR-15 and start killing people for the fun of it. Well you have given up your right to say you are sorry and you now see the errors of your ways.

 

[DeletedUser34]

I am all for the death penalty. I even wish they would bring back the electric chair, the noose and the firing squad. If you have no conscious while committing the crime, the death should be as painful as the victims....

 

[DeletedUser]

But that's not justice, Domino, that's retribution. And that sort of argument will not get you far because even other supporters of the death penalty will call you on it.

As for cost efficiency, it's not, actually. Lethal injections are seriously expensive, and fewer people are willing to sell us the chemicals as they find out what we're doing with them. If we brought back less civilized methods, it might make more sense, but I don't think people would go for that.

As a side note, the US is one of precious few developed countries that still has the death penalty.

 

[DeletedUser34]

notice after all major mass killings those who cry for the removal of the death penalty stay silent? And Butterfly, Retribution works as well. Call it what you will, I think it is a fine punishment.

 

[DeletedUser]

No, I haven't noticed that. But if it does indeed happen, it could easily be attributed to them having the small degree of tact or sense or basic social skills necessary to realize that such a time is really, really not a good time to be pushing the subject, and that doing so would be counterproductive.

Retribution works... for what? What does it accomplish?

 

[DeletedUser34]

that is the reason Butterfly by the way...I was just commenting on the absence of it at that time.

Justice works, Justice is accomplished.

 

[DeletedUser]

If that was the reason, then I would regard their discretion as commendable.

Perhaps we are working with different definitions of justice. School starts tomorrow though and I'm really sleepy so it may be a while before I can come up with a decent one. I haven't made the effort to define it for at least a few years because I don't really care about justice. I care about people. Even though I think of Batman every time I hear "justice," which is admittedly kind of cool.

But oh, something cool I found the other day: http://thecriminallawyer.tumblr.com/post/13656784545/1-introduction-crime

 

[DeletedUser34]

It just shows that the subject is more emotionally charged than logically for most people. If those against the death penalty were to cry foul to save the batman killer's life, the public of Colorado would have a cow. If they felt that strongly about the rights of killers, why pick and choose your cases? Why not stand on all of them?

 

[DeletedUser]

I am all for the death penalty. I even wish they would bring back the electric chair, the noose and the firing squad. If you have no conscious while committing the crime, the death should be as painful as the victims....

Uhh, is my sarcasm detector broken? One minute defending the morals and ethics of the bible, the next all for defying thou shall not kill, a fundamental commandment. What's going on? :huh:

It just shows that the subject is more emotionally charged than logically for most people. If those against the death penalty were to cry foul to save the batman killer's life, the public of Colorado would have a cow. If they felt that strongly about the rights of killers, why pick and choose your cases? Why not stand on all of them?

Speak for yourself. Butterfly is right, you're out for retribution, an emotionally charged desire. Justice, rehabilitation and the rest is a far more calm and measured response...

As a side note, the US is one of precious few developed countries that still has the death penalty.

The U.S. is indeed that backwards country with no universal health care, the death penalty, etc. Nothing new :razz:


Okay, counter-trolling complete hehe. Now, the two key arguments to ban the death penalty:

1. Spending a life in prison is arguably worse than a clean death

This might be a bit sadistic/evil/messed up, but wouldn't life in prison be a much worse sentence than the death penalty? I always imagined that being stuck in a cell for the rest of your life would be much more torturous, painful, or boring than being sentenced to death.

Eventually; very much agreed.

2. There is a possibility an innocent man is sent to death

Sure you can say that some innocent people may be put to death. Is in innocent person sentenced to life in person with no possibility of parole really that much better? Causalities of war my friend. No system is perfect yet, so when they come up with one that is, we should switch to it. Until that day comes, live by sword and die by it.

I doubt Mr Cool would react the same way if you found yourself in that situation. It would be a far greater tragedy to find out an innocent man was unnecessarily sentenced to death than seeing an innocent man freed after twenty years to enjoy what precious time they have left.

 

[DeletedUser34]

blah diggo,
The old testament is a blood bath (something many people don't get), and the new testament allows for righteous anger

 

[DeletedUser]

blah diggo,
The old testament is a blood bath (something many people don't get), and the new testament allows for righteous anger

Umm no, the New Testament allows for "turn the other cheek" and "love one another just as I have loved you"...

 

[DeletedUser34]

lol.....Romans (new testament) 13:1-7

 

[DeletedUser]

lol.....Romans (new testament) 13:1-7

Don't really see how this verse reflects on whether or not the Death Penalty is a correct punishment to have...

"thou shalt not kill"

I'm tired of people misquoting this Scripture. The verse is actually translated "thou shalt not murder", huge difference on implications...

Personally, shouldn't use the Scriptures as that much guidance on whether or not we should have the Death Penalty as according to God's law if you have sinned and "the wages of sin are death", so therefore all of us, myself included, should have the death penalty. Thankfully, Jesus died for the world's sins and we can ask for forgiveness. However, just because there is forgiveness under the Scriptures does not mean there are not consequences for those actions. Sometimes, God gives mercy for people's actions, but in general they had some kind of consequence for their actions. Which if you read through the Bible, those actions are given consequences that fit the crime and in some cases fairly extreme, such as David's adulterous/murderous behavior with Bathsheba.

Anyway, back to the question at hand whether the Death Penalty is a justified penalty and should be used lawfully.

Personally, I think it should stay in place as there are some crimes that are too horrific to allow that person to act again such as child molestation, first degree manslaughter... Yes, they may be sorry they did those actions, but being sorry for something doesn't repair the damage for what they did and should hopefully be a deterrent for anyone else that considers these crimes.

For those that disagree with the Death Penalty based on cost analysis vs life in prison and innocent lives being tried. It costs more to do the Death Penalty, you can find that cost analysis almost anywhere if you google it online and in order for someone to have the Death Penalty given, there has to be no doubt that the person did the crime...

 

[DeletedUser34]

my scripture had nothing to do with the death penalty
It was a direct response to Diggo.

my personal thoughts on the death penalty and the bible run about along the same lines as you just posted.