Do you think the death penalty/capital punishment is right or wrong?

Question

What are your views on the death penalty? Why?

Answer 1

Wrong. I live in Texas, and I supported capital punishment for a long time, but the more I learned about it, the more I came to oppose it. In the end, several factors changed my mind:



- Mistakes happen. Since 1973 in the U.S., 138 people have been released from death row with evidence of their innocence. These are ALL people who had been found guilty "beyond a reasonable doubt." A life sentence is reversible. An execution is not.



- Cost - because of the legal apparatus designed to minimize wrongful executions (and the enormous expense of death row incarceration), it costs taxpayers MUCH more to execute someone than to imprison them for life.



- It is not a deterrent - violent crime rates are consistently HIGHER in death penalty jurisdictions.



- It is inconsistently and arbitrarily applied.



- Because the U.S. is one of the last remaining nations with capital punishment, many other countries refuse to extradite known criminals who should be standing trial here.



- It fosters a culture of violence by asserting that killing is an acceptable solution to a problem.



- Jesus was against it (see Matthew 5:7 & 5:38-39, James 4:12, Romans 12:17-21, John 8:7, and James 1:20).



- Life without parole (LWOP) is on the books in most states now (all except Alaska), and it means what it says. People who get this sentence are taken off the streets. For good.



- As Voltaire once wrote, "let the punishments of criminals be useful. A hanged man is good for nothing; a man condemned to public works still serves the country, and is a living lesson."



- Whether you’re a hardened criminal or a government representing the people, killing another human being is wrong. Period. “He did it first” is not a valid excuse.

Answer 2

I am against the death penalty. But it doesn't really matter what I think. Look up a list of countries that allow the death penalty. You will see that we share company with Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, North Korea, China, etc.



And for even more fun, look up the list of countries on our terrorist watch list. You'll be amazed at the similarities with the list of countries that allow the death penalty. I could be wrong, but I don't think any country that prohibits the death penalty is on our terrorist watch list.

Answer 3

For the worst crimes, life without parole is better, for many reasons. I’m against the death penalty but not because of sympathy for criminals. It doesn’t prevent or reduce crime, costs a whole lot more than life in prison, and, worst of all, risks executions of innocent people.



The worst thing about it. Errors:

The system can make tragic mistakes. In 2004, the state of Texas executed Cameron Todd Willingham for starting the fire that killed his children. The Texas Forensic Science Commission determined that the arson testimony that led to his conviction was based on flawed science. As of today, 139 wrongly convicted people on death row have been exonerated. DNA is rarely available in homicides, often irrelevant (as in Willingham’s case) and can’t guarantee we won’t execute innocent people. Capital juries are dominated by people who favor the death penalty and are more likely to vote to convict.



Keeping killers off the streets for good:

Life without parole, on the books in 49 states (all except Alaska), also prevents reoffending. It means what it says, and spending the rest of your life locked up, knowing you’ll never be free, is no picnic. Two big advantages:

-an innocent person serving life can be released from prison

-life without parole costs less than the death penalty



Costs, a surprise to many people:

Study after study has found that the death penalty is much more expensive than life in prison. The high costs of the death penalty are for the complicated legal process, with the largest costs at the pre-trial and trial stages. The point is to avoid executing innocent people. The tremendous expenses in a death penalty case apply whether or not the defendant is convicted, let alone sentenced to death.



Crime reduction (deterrence):

The death penalty doesn't keep us safer. Homicide rates for states that use the death penalty are consistently higher than for those that don’t. The most recent FBI data confirms this. For people who lack a conscience, fear of being caught is the best deterrent.



Who gets it:

Contrary to popular belief, the death penalty isn't reserved for the worst crimes, but for defendants with the worst lawyers. It doesn't apply to people with money. Practically everyone sentenced to death had to rely on an overworked public defender. How many people with money have been executed??



Victims:

People assume that families of murder victims want the death penalty imposed. It isn't necessarily so. Some are against it on moral grounds. But even families who have supported the death penalty in principle have testified to the damage that the death penalty process does to families like theirs and that life without parole is an appropriate alternative.



It comes down to whether we should keep a system for the sake of retribution or revenge even though it isn’t effective in reducing violent crime, costs much more than alternatives and, worst of all, can lead to the nightmare of executing someone for a crime he didn’t commit.

Answer 4

The provision for 'Death penalty' must be there. More so in the societies that have weakened the grip of heaven & hell. The next life is no longer accepted in most of the societies. Thus the offender has to understand that he will face the punishment in this life itself, and he can not run away with it.

The capital punishment has one more advantage. The person who is sentenced and fighting in courts or appealing for mercy is one side of the coin. On the other side rogues, who do not care for law will at least have brakes applied on their ill doings, on observing such cases.

Answer 5

The fact is the death penalty would be acceptable but with all the stays in execution and the re~trials~ most death penalty criminals die of old age before we can execute them

it cost more to execute then to give them a life sentence in prison~ its seems like a stupid system to me ~ either way the criminal seems to win?

Answer 6

Right in some cases.



The death penalty is a just and appropriate sanction and it saves additional innocent lives.



In addition, the anti death penalty arguments are false or the pro death penalty arguments are stronger. Proof below.



ETHICAL/RELIGIOUS SUPPORT FOR THE DEATH PENALTY



"Death Penalty Support: Religious and Secular Scholars"

http://prodpinnc.blogspot.com/2009/07/death-penalty-support-modern-catholic.html



"The Death Penalty: More Protection for Innocents"

http://homicidesurvivors.com/2009/07/05/the-death-penalty-more-protection-for-innocents.aspx



DETERRENCE



All prospects of a negative outcome deter some. It is a truism. The death penalty, the most severe of criminal sanctions, is the least likely of all criminal sanctions to violate that truism.



25 recent studies finding for deterrence, Criminal Justice Legal Foundation,

http://www.cjlf.org/deathpenalty/DPDeterrence.htm



"Deterrence and the Death Penalty: A Reply to Radelet and Lacock"

http://homicidesurvivors.com/2009/07/02/deterrence-and-the-death-penalty-a-reply-to-radelet-and-lacock.aspx



"Death Penalty, Deterrence & Murder Rates: Let's be clear"

http://prodpinnc.blogspot.com/2009/03/death-penalty-deterrence-murder-rates.html



INNOCENCE



"The Innocent Executed: Deception & Death Penalty Opponents"

http://homicidesurvivors.com/2009/10/08/the-innocent-executed-deception--death-penalty-opponents--draft.aspx



"Cameron Todd Willingham: Another Media Meltdown", A Collection of Articles

http://homicidesurvivors.com/categories/Cameron%20Todd%20Willingham.aspx



The 130 (now 139) death row "innocents" scam

http://homicidesurvivors.com/2009/03/04/fact-checking-issues-on-innocence-and-the-death-penalty.aspx



COST



"Death Penalty Cost Studies: Saving Costs over LWOP"

http://homicidesurvivors.com/2010/03/21/death-penalty-cost-studies-saving-costs-over-lwop.aspx



BIAS



"Death Penalty Sentencing: No Systemic Bias"

http://prodpinnc.blogspot.com/2009/07/death-penalty-sentencing-no-systemic.html





Other Issues



"Death Penalty Polls: Support Remains Very High - 80%"

http://prodpinnc.blogspot.com/2009/07/death-penalty-polls-support-remains.html



"Killing equals Killing: The Amoral Confusion of Death Penalty Opponents"

http://homicidesurvivors.com/2009/02/01/murder-and-execution--very-distinct-moral-differences--new-mexico.aspx



A Death Penalty Red Herring: The Inanity and Hypocrisy of Perfection, Lester Jackson Ph.D.,

http://www.tcsdaily.com/article.aspx?id=102909A



"The Death Penalty: Neither Hatred nor Revenge"

http://homicidesurvivors.com/2009/07/20/the-death-penalty-neither-hatred-nor-revenge.aspx



"The Death Penalty: Not a Human Rights Violation"

http://homicidesurvivors.com/2006/03/20/the-death-penalty-not-a-human-rights-violation.aspx



"Sister Helen Prejean & the death penalty: A Critical Review"

http://homicidesurvivors.com/2009/05/04/sister-helen-prejean--the-death-penalty-a-critical-review.aspx





More essays supporting the death penalty and refuting the anti death penalty claims



http://homicidesurvivors.com/categories/Death%20Penalty.aspx

http://prodpinNC.blogspot.com/

Answer 7

I don't disagree with capital punishment, but I think we apply it incorrectly. It should be reserved for those criminals who have been adjudicated by a court as being to much a danger to other prisoners, correction officers, and prison employees to be kept in a prison.

Answer 8

Ryan, hi



Let me give you a "typical" conservative answer:



IF it was proven beyond reasonable doubt that one human being took another human's life for ANY reason, except self-defense, or that one raped and/or molested a CHILD - capital banishment is 100% right... In any other case - it depends upon so many factors, that our lawyers can live happily ever after forever...

Answer 9

Maybe it they are really guilty. In the absolute sense or right and wrong, it would be better to rehabilitate them if we can and change our society from a dysfunctional one to prevent that sort of behavior before it happens. We know how to do that, but we don't.

Answer 10

While I am not for it, because it could end up being a mistake that the system can't change; I agree with Bibbs on the Biblical reference.

Answer 11

I think that the death penalty is right, for the Bible says in Genesis 9:6 - "Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man." Therefore, God is implying that those who murder, shall be murdered.

Answer 12

i'm a guy and that i've got been wronged many cases. i've got even had reliable acquaintances killed, yet I nonetheless oppose killing for vengeance. i'm against the dying penalty by way of fact if it quite is used for vengeance, because it fairly much consistently is it defeats its own objective. putting somebody to dying ends all possibilities of vengeance by way of fact as quickly as ineffective there is not any longer something extra suitable you're able to do to them. Killing is killing. as quickly as we kill somebody we decrease ourselves to the preliminary killers point and the cycle maintains. everyone dies. you purely velocity up the approach and now killing for vengeance is painless and rapid. you spot justice in that? hardly. they're going to die quicker or later and in case you % vengeance enable them to rot for fifty years in the penal equipment, the extra severe, violent, nasty place in the worldwide to be caught. Incarceration is without doubt one in each and every of the extra severe issues you're able to do to everyone. for my area to me i could desire dying to being left to rot in penitentiary and fairly some inmates could too. dying we could them off the hook then and there. you won't be able to punish everyone once you kill them. as quickly as ineffective their issues are over, yet yours only start up. on a similar hand to many human beings have been positioned to dying while it became into later found out they have been thoroughly harmless and as quickly as the deed is complete it won't be able to be undone. each and every so often it takes many years to examine somebody became into harmless. Eye for an eye fixed, the teeth for a the teeth became into from the previous testomony, and the previous testomony with the aid of its own words is arcane and old. in case you % to be like a similar savior you all declare to love then killing is going against each thing Jesus taught. you will circulate to hell for killing below any circumstances. that may not be able to be undone the two in case you purchase into the completed Bible difficulty.. you won't be able to have your cake and consume it too. You the two oppose killing or you do no longer. you won't be able to oppose killing yet nonetheless condone it on a similar time and something distinctive is only making up the regulations as you circulate alongside.

Answer 13

i'm all for it. mainly there are just things that after someone has done they i don't think they deserve to live. example child molestation.