death penalty...for or against

[wysterio]

Personally, I don't view it in terms of a life for a life or just getting rid of rapists and murderers. I believe it has more to do with the damage an individual has caused to society, and once they have gone past a certain threshold, it simply isn't worth having them around anymore, but who is fit to make this sort of judgement? Certainly not me in all cases. I recently read the case of a man who had a brain tumour. After the tumour developed, he became a porn obsessed pedophile. When the tumour was removed, he acted normally. Several months later, the tumour regrew in the same place and his perversions resumed. Is this man in complete control of his own actions? Would therapy help him at all as the problem seems to be physical? Should he be forced to get brain scans and surgery for the rest of his life? Some people might think it would be easier to just do away with him. Also, the other unfortunate truth with all of the balances and checks in place regarding capital punishment, it is actually cheaper these days to imprison someone for life than it is to execute them after a couple years of confirming that they're really as bad as we believe they are. You wouldn't want to lower the bar and start killing the wrong people, would you? What's the tollerence level for mistaken executions?

[nellawin]

all i gotta say is that some people do deserve to die. yes, there maybe some mistakes to some executions but i see capital punishment as this well if laws are made of morals but sometimes morals suggest that laws be broken, although taking one person's life might not change anything or bring back the the life that was taken away but as we humans are neither saint nor sinner we just want to have things be done just the way they are as we see it fit and although some circumstances may have been out of control or that the situation could not be avoided otherwise it is the will of the person that will determine the course of action, even in illness people would want to do what they thought was right but in the end there is no right or wrong there is only the action and how people would perceive it just take it like this let's say a person who was led to believe that he was fighting for a cause and killing of key personnel to him was just a part of that cause and some sought it that he was wrong but his intentions was for the betterment of the people also when he was branded as a murderer but some named him a hero but in the light of his prospects what was he. murderer of hero? and to me as long as it is for the good of the masses certain eliminations must be taken in order to preserve what so many are always looking for....peace and happiness

[unike]

"a life for a life, simple yet effective" by stuy

i have exactly the same opinion...

[Sgt.Walton.001]

I think it depends from case to case. will the person do it again ? Does he know he was wrong to kill that person ? Was it an accident ?

etc ...

[NorthWolfeCND]

I'm totally against the death penalty. Besides being a total myth, as a deterrent to crime; the number of people in the USA found innocent, after their execution, or after years on the "Death Row", is a stain on all humanity.

Why is it a total myth? The USA is one of the few countries in the western world to implement this revenge on it's people, yet it has the most violent society, the biggest violent-crime ratio of any country, and the hugest prisoner population...

Injustice - The need for revenge has executed, or destroyed the lives, of so many innocents, that I think the USA should be put on trial for Mass Murder, and Crimes against Humanity (yes, there are many reasons why the USA is one of the few countries, along with the PR of China, Iran, Russia and North Korea, not to acknowledge, by rectifying, the International Criminal Court).

The States, in the USA, that currently implement the killing of their citizens, are no better then the countries it regularly punishes for crimes against humanity. The biggest criminal State in modern history dares to point the finger at others...talk about hypocrisy...

[PseudoSage]

The death penalty in its current form does very little. I do not like the argument that prison crowding can be resolved with it and people should not sit on death row for 20 years.

In some cases, new technology allows for previous convictions to be overturned. DNA technology is still advancing and should not be taken as an end all be all for every case. However, in cases where there is overwhelming evidence I say the time to wait should be SEVERELY shortened because of it.

Also, there needs to be harsher treatment of felons, but only in higher security prisons. For murderers or human traffickers I liked Mute Point's idea of just putting them in a little box with no contact to the outside. No way to tell time, no one to talk to, nothing to listen to, nothing to see. However we must reserve that for some of the worst offenders.

[seirachan]

Id say yes to death penalty to those who will never learn and continue killing people kinda thing. Why even keep them alive if all they wanna do is kill people. It's just a waist of money and space and a life for that matter. As cold as it all sounds its really true. But do you honestly think this kind of person will think twice about killing you? Your family? Everything you hold dear?

I also agree with PseudoSage

[Miria]

@NorthwolfeCND - I agree with everything you said, an emotion like revenge shouldn't be a part of the law because it is irrational, if someone murdered my family I would want that person dead but that doesn't mean that's how it should be.

To say that someone is a waste of a life just seems wrong to me despite the fact they may have done something horrible, because they are still people and have loved ones and giving someone the death penalty just causes more suffering to people who don't deserve it.

[Manifesto]

I live in Australia and we do not have the death penalty here.

I do not support the death penalty as taking a life for a life/s is wrong, give them a LOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNGGGGGGGGG time to think about what they have done wrong in jail. Yes they get food, drink etc.

But they live the rest of their lives knowing that they will never be free... that to me is punishment enough.

But you see for some people it isn't and they still commit crimes in prison rape/abuse etc... so what I'm trying to say is that a life sentence isn't the best way to punish a very dangerous criminal , and I'm for the death sentence.

[Vonnie]

I live in Australia and we do not have the death penalty here.

I do not support the death penalty as taking a life for a life/s is wrong, give them a LOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNGGGGGGGGG time to think about what they have done wrong in jail. Yes they get food, drink etc.

But they live the rest of their lives knowing that they will never be free... that to me is punishment enough.

I agree with you on this one. And i also live in Australia so the idea of death penalty is just wrong.

Surely some people do deserve to die, but sentencing them to death makes you just as worse. Yes they kill someone in some gruesome way, they deserve to die, but you killing them because of what they've done is the same, cause in the end you have taken their life away.

So i'm more with the lifetime sentence in jail. Having them spend their whole life in jail, giving them time to think about what they've done, because ultimately anyone that dies, it affects someone in this world. Someone cares about that person and by killing them it will cause grief and sadness.

I have personally experienced this two years ago when one of my family friend was executed in china. I'm not going to say he didn't deserve to die, but i still believe he was innocent. And when the news came around our whole family was shattered and for a whole week we couldn't even talk to each other, we were pretty close and knew him quite well so the news just came as a slap in the face. And because i believe he was innocent i just don't understand why they didn't give him a chance to defend himself or even if he was guilty, they didn't give him time to think and turn back, be a better person.

[Manifesto]

I agree with you on this one. And i also live in Australia so the idea of death penalty is just wrong.

Surely some people do deserve to die, but sentencing them to death makes you just as worse. Yes they kill someone in some gruesome way, they deserve to die, but you killing them because of what they've done is the same, cause in the end you have taken their life away.

So i'm more with the lifetime sentence in jail. Having them spend their whole life in jail, giving them time to think about what they've done, because ultimately anyone that dies, it affects someone in this world. Someone cares about that person and by killing them it will cause grief and sadness.

I have personally experienced this two years ago when one of my family friend was executed in china. I'm not going to say he didn't deserve to die, but i still believe he was innocent. And when the news came around our whole family was shattered and for a whole week we couldn't even talk to each other, we were pretty close and knew him quite well so the news just came as a slap in the face. And because i believe he was innocent i just don't understand why they didn't give him a chance to defend himself or even if he was guilty, they didn't give him time to think and turn back, be a better person.

But they die for a reason not because some psycho maniac decided to kill them.

I'm sorry to hear about your family friend but see there is the problem if what you say is true and he didn't get a chance to defend himself ...that's just so wrong in so many ways. I'm for the death penalty only if the criminal is proven 100% guilty and has committed a very gruesome and unforgivable crime , but hey that is just my opinion.

[Max465]

I think there should be a death penalty, but only for extreme circumstances. For example, some one shouldn't be killed just because they robbed someone, no matter what was robbed, or how much it was worth.

But if someone takes another life for any reason besides accidental or Self Defense, then they deserve to die. Although, being the kind of eye for an eye kind of person I am I think they should be killed the same way they killed the other person.

I have personally experienced this two years ago when one of my family friend was executed in china. I'm not going to say he didn't deserve to die, but i still believe he was innocent. And when the news came around our whole family was shattered and for a whole week we couldn't even talk to each other, we were pretty close and knew him quite well so the news just came as a slap in the face. And because i believe he was innocent i just don't understand why they didn't give him a chance to defend himself or even if he was guilty, they didn't give him time to think and turn back, be a better person.

I'm sorry to hear that about your friend, and I agree that giving a chance for a person to change their ways and locking them up is a better punishment than death. But for a murderer, someone who took someone's life and didn't give that person any chances doesn't deserve any chances themselves.

[Vonnie]

But they die for a reason not because some psycho maniac decided to kill them.

I'm sorry to hear about your family friend but see there is the problem if what you say is true and he didn't get a chance to defend himself ...that's just so wrong in so many ways. I'm for the death penalty only if the criminal is proven 100% guilty and has committed a very gruesome and unforgivable crime , but hey that is just my opinion.

I understand what you mean. And yes they deserve to die if they have done something unforgivable, but it's only unforgivable if you find it in your heart not to forgive someone. I know that i probably couldn't ever do that, but i've actually met two very strong people that has forgiven someone for raping their daughter (i know this is a very big gap to murder but i think you get the point).

Anyway back to murder. I'm not saying they don't deserve to die, because they do, but i still strongly disagree with the death penalty, because sometimes people just seem to forget how precious life really is. besides would it make much of a difference to taking another life away rather then spending an entire life in jail thinking about the wrong doings?

and this is just what i think, so don't take it to heart

I'm sorry to hear that about your friend, and I agree that giving a chance for a person to change their ways and locking them up is a better punishment than death. But for a murderer, someone who took someone's life and didn't give that person any chances doesn't deserve any chances themselves.

I know this is your opinion but to me i just think it would be better to just keep them in jail for the rest of their lives rather than killing them. This way they wont be able to go out and do the same thing and they would have time to really think about the things they have done. but then again it's just my opinion.

[apr118]

I am against Death Penalty no matter how much sins the criminal has because killing for the sake of satisfying your own taste for revenge is fruitless and foolish in the end + it will only make you a more horrible person than he/she is because you cannot find it in your heart to forgive.

Another reason will be, if you really are ANGRY or DETERMINED to punish the criminal, then letting him/her die will make the criminal's punishment easy (especially nowadays criminals sentenced to death are killed through lethal injection of some sort or any PAINLESS method). You should at least make him/her realize about what he/she by making him/her live a miserable life or a painful one. That way, your hands are clean legally, you can "enjoy" viewing his/her miserable life in jail + you will have the chance to ponder over things.

So, those are my opinions both from my good side and evil side

[† Irish]

which is better, Let him sit in jail for the rest of his life while YOUR(you might be the family of the victim) taxes are being used to cloth him, give him a bed, and feed him or Just to forgo the whole him dying of age and get rid of a terrible person... "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you." thats just my opinion of it.

[Angelic]

I am 100% against the death penalty, because I honestly believe it is not our right as humans to take the life of another human.

"Thou shalt not murder". I believe we are not to take God's place in judging the life of another person.

Just my belief though.

[lokisminion]

Statistically about 10% of those executed in the U.S. were innocent. I used to be for the death penalty, but after finding out so many innocent people were being killed I have many doubts. I would say only in cases where there is irrefutable proof and the crime is premeditated and violent such as murder or repeat rape offenders. One problem with lifetime imprisonment is there is no real chance of rehabilitation since they have no future to look forward to which often leads prisoners to commit more violent crimes.

[DEATHxxx50bmg]

for it. its humane and it gets the real shitty people of the streets for good. also disencourages people to break the law

[Gringo1323]

I support the existence of the death penalty, but I think it is used to often. The death penalty should only be used if and only if the crime is so heinous that there is no other way to punish the person who has committed it and if there is know way or the criminal to reform. In addition I think that the evidence against the criminal should be incontrovertible; there have been way to many situations where those who had been sentenced to death where innocent of the crime they had been convicted of. When ding a death sentence case, the court needs to be held to a higher standard.

[realmzmaster]

Someone stated Thou shall not murder. That commandment does not apply to judicial punishment nor does it apply to war. The state has the right to serve judgment on wrongdoers and specify the punishment.

If you are so inclined read the book of Leviticus especially the 20th chapter. Capital Punishment was an acceptable judgment. Why?, because they had no prisons or any to guard the wrongdoers.

Capital punishment was used in Ancient Rome as both a sentence for the convicted and a warning to the general populace.

What would you do with the Charles Manson, or Jeffery Dahmers of the world?

Their punishment was life in prison. Charles Manson is still thumbing his nose at the world. Jeffery Dahmer was taken out by other prisoners.

John Wayne Gacy went to his death showing no remorse. He told the correctional officers that his death would bring none of his victims back and that the world could kiss his ass.

No his death did not bring any one back, but it bought closure to all those victim's families.

I am neither for nor against the death penalty. It is up to a civilized society to come to grips with that thought.