The Death Penalty

[Warsai]

The death penalty has been a hot topic all the way back to the times of Socrates. Does it work? Can a punishment of death be a deterrence for criminals? Some people believe that the allowing the death penalty shows that we don't care for innocent lives. Others believe that the only way to show proper respect for the life of one who has been murdered is to kill the murderer.

I believe that as long as there is racial and economic bias in the verdicts that are made in the courtrooms, there shouldn't be a dealth penalty.

Where do you stand on this?

[jwolf7722]

i think the death penalty is a good thing. it should also be inforced more. it should not be that easy to get out of it by pleading insanity. if you are willing to take a life or break the law in a extrem way then prepare to end your own life.

i am all for the death penalty

[Peg]

I agree with jwolf. If you do the crime, be willing to pay the price. I seriously doubt that it deters a sick mind; they will do the murder, etc. no matter what. I would think noone murders a person and plans to get caught though. In some cases, I believe lethal injection is too humane. The mother that drowns her children should be drowned, the mother that starves her child to death should starve to death herself. Their children didn't die humanely, why should they?

[kesann]

I am against the death penalty.
In recent times, Barry Scheck and his group of law students and lawyers, have undertaken to "revisit" certain cases...often where the "accused" sits on death row.

At last count, I think there were 89 people FREED from jail due to his efforts ..most of these cases were overturned by simply going through the original trial transcipts, re -checking evidence, or submitting DNA samples.

Here in Canada,4 people have been cleared.

The death penalty was "revoked" here in Canada in the 1960's and the rates of violence did not go up.

In the United States, housing such large numbers of inmates is surely a growing industry...there are more people incarcerated in the United States than in England,Canada,Germany and France combined. The issue shouldn't,perhaps,be the death penalty...perhaps a re-examination of laws, revisiting the 3 strikes rule, etc. might be in order.
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[Warsai]

Originally Posted by kesann

I am against the death penalty.
In recent times, Barry Scheck and his group of law students and lawyers, have undertaken to "revisit" certain cases...often where the "accused" sits on death row.

At last count, I think there were 89 people FREED from jail due to his efforts ..most of these cases were overturned by simply going through the original trial transcipts, re -checking evidence, or submitting DNA samples.

Here in Canada,4 people have been cleared.

The death penalty was "revoked" here in Canada in the 1960's and the rates of violence did not go up.

In the United States, housing such large numbers of inmates is surely a growing industry...there are more people incarcerated in the United States than in England,Canada,Germany and France combined. The issue shouldn't,perhaps,be the death penalty...perhaps a re-examination of laws, revisiting the 3 strikes rule, etc. might be in order.
.

Exactly. A case where the punishment could be death should be looked at with the utmost scrutiny, any case for that matter. Is it right to keep the death penalty going when there are innocents on death row? I am in support of the death penalty, but as long as it is competely unbiased and the decisions are made with the utmost care.

[gmc]

Most murderers know their victims and are unlikely to kill again, our law takes in to account intention and distinquishes between a cold blooded act and one in the heat of the moment. The death penalty does not deter an act carried out in a heat of anger.

It may deter professional criminals but the ones that are likely to kill don't think they will be caught and it doesn't deter.

It doesn't deter the odd serial killer.

It doesn't deter terrorists and executing them makes them martyrs as the British found out in Ireland. Some terrorists you end have to end up talking to be it Nelson Mandela (have at look at what american administrations had to say about the ANC, british as well come to that)or the IRA if you execute the ones you catch the killing goes on and how do you stop it? . Alqueda I'm not so sure you want to talk to but at some point you will have to talk if not to them then to someone else because some day the killing has to stop.

I don't as you have probably gathered think the death penalty is a deterrent. Punishment is a different matter but what place does an eye for an eye have in a christian society. How can you call yourself christian and take vengeance?

The mother that drowns her children should be drowned, the mother that starves her child to death should starve to death herself. Their children didn't die humanely, why should they?

If she's insane and not responsible for her action then what are you if you kill her?

A cold blooded killing is a cold blooded killing whoever does it.

Here in the UK we don't have the death penalty if we had there are also a number of people jailed erroniously who would now be dead. Our society is also considerably less violent than yours, I think, I've never been to the US so I am only going on second hand impressions, a lot of posters in this and other forums i've looked at seem convinced everybody is out to get them.

By the same token most americans find our attitude to guns bizarre in that we won't tolerate anyone having one. I have seen sites where they seem to think we have been deprived of our means of self defence by an oppressive government. Not so.

As a deterrent it's value is dubious, as punishment its moot that it's justified as it means you are perpetrating the same act that you condemn them for.

When we were setting up our police force and amending the justice system one of the tenets was that it wasn't the scale of punishment that was a deterrent but rather the certainty of being caught. The solve rate of UK murders is in the high 90 because most murders are commited on people known to the murder, random killings are very rare indeed which is why they get attention when they occur.

[purple]

The data seems to be mixed as far as the effectiveness of the death penalty as a deterrent. However, I do believe it's just. I think it should be expanded to apply not only to murderers but also to rapists and kidnappers.

[thomas40]

the bible says an eye for an eye and a tooth for a took the death penalty is needed.the death penalty

[gmc]

I'm curious? as a christian (which I am assuming you are) do you think JC would have approved? If you think he wouldn't how can you call yourself a christian that follows his teachongs and yet support the death penalty?

[jaycee]

I have mixed feelings about this.

In theory, I think the death penalty is an extremely good idea. It's not much of a deterrent now but I think that is because those people who commit the crimes it should be used for know quite well it's not a foregone conclusion it will be carried out even if that is what they are sentenced to. Why have Death Row? I've never understood that concept - if a crime has been committed & the death sentence given, then just do it!

That however is in an ideal world.

The remit of a jury in a criminal trial is to find the person on trial guilty or innocent 'beyond all reasonable doubt' & therein lies the problem. Doubt. You cannot sentence someone to the death penalty based on the opinion of 12 people - which in essence is what the guilty/not guilty decision is - based on whether you believe the defence or the prosecution. Until we have a judicial system that leaves absolutely no room for doubt, how can you kill someone? As someone else has already said, there have been a number of cases in the UK where people have been wrongly convicted & freed - the one coming most easily to mind is Sally Clarke, convicted of murdering her children & spending 3 years in prison until the supposed professional evidence was exposed as incorrect. She may have lost 3 years of her life & undoubtedly gone through a terrible time but hey, she's not dead!

There are certain cases where guilt has been determined absolutely - the one coming to mind is Myra Hindley & Ian Brady. I truly believe those two should have been killed & not by any of this lethal injection stuff - I feel a firing squad would have done the job just fine. I find it incomprehensible that those 2 people should have committed the atrocities they have & be kept in prison for a long time at my expense. I work hard for my money & don't see why I should pay to keep someone who has confessed to doing what they did.

Now the other offence I would have no problem with the death penalty over is paedophilia. I may be wrong but I don't recall any incorrectly convicted paedophiles in Britain & statistically it is the crime with the most repeat offenders upon release. So I have no understanding as to why they are released. I don't see why I should keep them so I would be quite happy for them to be shot.

That however is probably a knee jerk reaction to the crime - just because there has never to my knowledge been a case of wrongful conviction for this crime does not mean that there hasn't nor that there ever will be. At the end of the day, unless there is a guarantee that the conviction is 100% correct, you just cannot kill someone.

An eye for an eye may be in the Bible but that is not justice, that is revenge.