What are your stand on the Death Penalty?

Hadenough

There are four principal reasons why lawbreakers are put in prison: (1) to punish the offenders, (2) to protect society, (3) to prevent future crimes, and (4) to rehabilitate criminals, teaching them to be law-abiding and productive after their release

If it is for reasons to protect society--I have to say yes do not let a man who is dangerous to others live to possible kill another. We have seen that happen to often. Why should victims have no protection

Not to long ago a man who was on death's row was taken off-and released some time after. He killed another child. What about the victims or their loved ones? "I am the mother of the murdered child "I remember her saying on TV. Her face I remember. The heartbreak. "Why was this man still here." It was not his first or second but fifth. No one wanted to answer her. No one wanted to see her tears her wondering and pleading for an answer how this could happen again. I don't think anyone could answer that to her-what would they say? Think about that-what reason could you possibly say to her. Everyone deserves to live? There was a chance he wouldn't again? Don't be cruel? He served his time? He was good in prison? All life is a value? It is just a tough break for you don't you see? If you have an answer let me know--I couldn't think of one that I would tell her.

No one can force another human being to be rehabilitated. Change has to come from within the individual and to be willed. And some people just don't want too.

If I had to do the injecting -I doubt if I could do it. But do I see a reason for it sometimes--yes I do. And I understand why we need it and someone strong enough to carry it out.

Kevy

against.
-what if we are wrong?
-everyone has right to life
-punishment for life makes person rot in a cell for years.
-rather than instantly harmlessly putting them down.
-The US is the last major world power to employ death penalty and the UN and the EU don't like it or support us.
-stats show that the punishment does not deter people from committing Capitol punishment offenses
for it.
-some people commit hanus crimes that make them 'deserve' to die.
-saves correctional system money and space.

john d

Im all for it. If your insensitive enough to take someones life and get the death penalty, you should be able to deal with the consequences. Eye for an eye

Scott

It is not used enough. I say anyone who murders or harms children should DIE for their crimes.

h1forlife

I say if you murdered someone or are some kind of child molestor, you should be killed by the government. Not in a couple of months or even years, no, in less than a week. Why waste all those tax dollars on a person that is going to die, just take them out back and put a bullet on their head. I do not know why our government wastes all that money on food, shelter, and entertainment for murderers and people like that.

Traviesa

I am double sided with this question because I feel if you commit a crime that is punishable under the death penalty you should die but in the other hand it is the easy way. I want these people to pay for what they did and to live each day regretting their actions but I also don't want to waste my tax dollars supporting the life of these animals

Marilyn T

When I was younger I was against it. Now that I am older I am for it. I have seen and heard about too many cruel evil people.The rest of us don't deserve to have to live with them. Why should we have to take care of them in jail for the rest of their selfish lives?

ssracing

the death penalty is not used enough nor is it applicable to enough crimes. habitual criminals need the death penalty, drug dealer no matter the amount should have death for dealing death.

Uncle Vanya

It's wrong, because:

It's not a deterrent and vengeance does not and should not become us.

Sanitized judicial taking of a life takes away from the reality of the retribution that people seek: you want someone dead for breaking the law? Kill them yourself! Don't ask the voters and taxpayers to do it for you through the courts.

It says that life is cheap when it should be held in the highest regard. Isn't taking a life the very thing that people are put to death for? When did two wrongs start making a right?

If you are of a religious mind: "Thou shall not kill" (sixth commandment).

Innocent people are put to death.

When it is justified in sophisticated free societies, it condones it in barbaric repressive societies.

The second Universal Law of Justice: To condemn one innocent is to condemn all, lest you be the one.

EDIT:- "When you start taking an EYE FOR AN EYE, soon the whole world is blind"

MEESH

I am torn when it comes to this subject because I believe we have no room in this world for evil and should destroy it all. At the same time I feel it is an easy out for them. They get off easy escaping from reality into a new one.

Peltast

I am for and against it. I am for it only in cases where to defendant is guilty beyond all doubt, not just reasonable doubt.

leikevy

I could think of some although I have no stance on them:

If you are against,

On questioning the truth
- the legal system can be faulty. Until recently, DNA testing has proven many to be not guilty. Do you want to make that inreversable error of sending a possibly not guilty person to jail?

On teaching society
- it has been shown (you are going to have to research this) that death penalty does not change the crime rates.

On philosophy
- If the point is to look down upon wrongful death, why institute a penalty that enforces killing?

On efficiency (how to support them in prison)
- One can start working programs within prison

If this is for school, a huge chunk of it is refuting the other side too so think of things that they would come up with too.

Edit: lol - as you can see, a lot of them are FOR it because of AN EYE FOR AN EYE. Well, you're going to think of something against that arguement. Like, the one above...we dont stoop as low as they are and kill them and our justification is, "they started it first." A mother's first instinct would be to seperate to children so that no more fighting occurs. NOT let the other children get back at the initiator.

Peace Warrior

Because of the statistical proof that many people on death row are in fact innocent...

to support the death penalty is to support murdering innocent people..... to execute the guilty.

That's too high a price

I'm against the death penalty

and frankly don't know how any educated person can be in favor of the state sponsored murder of innocent people, just to be able to execute the guilty
__________________________

"THE DEATH PENALTY KILLS INNOCENT PEOPLE. Studies have documented that over 400 innocent people have been sentenced to death and 23 executed in America in the 1900's. Illinois recently placed a "moratorium" on the death penalty after it was proved that there were more innocent people on Illinois' death row than the total number of people Illinois had executed since the state reinstated the death penalty in 1977. Over 100 people on death row have been released from prison since the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976. There is no way to correct a wrongful conviction after an execution."
ACLU
___________________

The Republican responses here are so devoid of fact..so hateful..so telling

I don't think they care if innocent people have to die for them to get their pound of flesh. Same manner of thinking they employee all the time, to every issue...disgusting

morrisville75

The Death Penalty is fine now, but yes it is true that back before DNA and other test some people did not do the crime. Nothing is foolproof but to be honest the system need to go back and test for DNA and other stuff to make sure as techology is better now and can get you off the hook.

People who like little children are screwed either way, as when they hit the prison pop and will get killed quite possible for it as they are the worst of them really.

El Guapo

I used to be pro-death penalty, but I have changed my stance, for several reasons:

1. By far the biggest reason is this: Sometimes our legal system gets it wrong. Look at all the criminals who are being released after years of imprisonment because they were exonerated by DNA evidence. No matter how rare it is, our government should not risk executing one single innocent person.

2. Because of the appeals process (which is necessary - see reason #1), it costs taxpayers MUCH more to execute a prisoner than to imprison them for life.

3. The deterrent effect is questionable at best (I have seen studies that have actually shown the opposite effect--that violent crimes actually INCREASE in societies that employ the death penalty).

4. I also agree with those who say that death is too good for the dregs of our society. Let them wake up and go to bed every day of their lives in a prison cell, and think about the freedom they DONâ€™T have, until they rot of old age.

5. The U.S. government is supposed to be secular, but for those who invoke Christian law in this debate, you can find arguments both for AND against the death penalty in the Bible. For example, Matthew 5:38-39 insists that violence shall not beget violence. Leviticus 19:18 warns against vengeance (which, really, is what the death penalty amounts to). In John 8:7, Jesus himself says, "let he who is without sin cast the first stone."

And on and on. Then again, Numbers 15:35 prescribes the death penalty for those who work on Sundays....

BURT

If you kill someone you die...Not with lethal injection either bring back the chair

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