Are you for or against the death penalty? why?

xanthalolly

I am against it....they deserve worse. I say they be used as ginuea pigs for testing...and then be disposed of. If I am going to be spending tax dollars to support them they may as well do something for mankind.

Sally Cat

For it, but only in extreme situations. For instance, if I had a child one day and some psycho came and murdered my son/daughter, I'd want that person dead. They wouldn't deserve to live, in my opinion.

I agree with the first person. Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth.

EDIT: However, I sometimes look at it in a different angle too and wonder if jail would be better for them, simply because they'd suffer more in jail the rest of their lives, rather then dying. But I don't know. Hopefully I'll never have to be in a situation like that, if someone killed someone I cared deeply about.

Old Fart

If you see the murder rate in South Africa YOU WILL be all for it.

Loulou

Against it.. unless there is a rediculous amount of evidence proving that they did it, then they shouldnt die. plus death really isnt the worst punishment you can give someone.

tcheat0404

I think the death penalty is absolutely legitimate in the right situation. It really depends on the crime committed. If the person in question is subject to cause further harm, then I think the death penalty is a good solution. I do believe other, less extreme options should be eliminated before deciding on this type of punishment, though. If the situation fits, absolutely!

jamie2769

If a person murders someone I believe they should die the same way the killed them.

Independent but Leaning

No, because I don't believe in murder whether it be illegal or legalized.

Frankie (S.C.W.<333)

i'm all for.

why should a murderer be excused for taking a life. Besides it goes through so many processes to be sentenced, so it's not like they just say "your going to die". they sentence indivisuals who they (and the jury) believe should be sentenced.

think about it, what excuse is good enough to say you shouldn't be killed for killing?

Wren S

Against, just like I'm against neo-nazi conservatism. Think about how hypocritical it sounds, we're punishing people, by doing the same thing to them that we're punishing them for. It's entirely and universally unethical. Overpopulation control? Anyone?

Pissy Heifer

I am for it because people who take a life should be prepared to have their life taken!

mukwon604

For It...
If they committed multiple murders, right after their trial THEY DIE... They can go back to court for retrial and they don't sit in jail to eat up taxpayers money for keeping them in jail for yearrrrrs... Charlie Manson

Those that do it for the heck of it... gangs, etc, right after their trial
THEY DIE...

In self-defense, it would be judge on an individual basis... jail or death

emiss

NO. just look at history and tell me how many people have been hanged through a miscarriage of justice, the tell me how many have been shot by gung ho police, the figures will amaze you. as before "An eye for an eye"

miranda.

i am for it.the reason being is that the government is spending so much money on people in jail. if you do something wrong you should be punished.

Emilyâ„¢

Î™'m against.
Bad people suffer more inside jails for their rest of their lives.

NDawg

For, an eye for eye, tooth for a tooth!

Distorted Daytime

for. when you kill another living being purposely, then it's all the more you deserve.

lestermount

In the past many murders were let out of prison after 20 years or more, even though they were sentenced to life in prison. They then committed more murders.
The only way to make sure a murderer doesn't kill again is to kill them.
Modern science is helping to prevent innocent people from being convicted, so after 1 to 2 years of appeals, throw the switch.

Ichigo

no because the person is already in prison for life isn't torture already?

Susan S

Against. When you look at the death penalty system in action, you realize that the only purpose it serves is retribution or revenge, it is seriously (and intrinsically) flawed in application and that there is a serious and continuing risk of executing innocent people. And, it costs much more than life in prison.

130 people on death rows have been released with proof that they were wrongfully convicted. DNA, available in less than 10% of all homicides, canâ€™t guarantee we wonâ€™t execute innocent people. If someone is convicted and later found innocent you can release him from prison, but not from the grave.

The death penalty doesn't prevent others from committing murder. No reliable study shows the death penalty deters others. Homicide rates are higher in states and regions that have it than in those that donâ€™t.

Life without parole, on the books in 48 states, also prevents reoffending. It means what it says, and spending 23 of 24 hours a day locked in a tiny cell is not a picnic. Life without parole costs less than the death penalty.

The death penalty is much more expensive than life in prison, mostly because of the upfront costs of legal process which is supposed to prevent executions of innocent people. (upfront = pre trial and trial level)

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. When is the last time a wealthy person was on death row, let alone executed?

Families of murder victims are not unanimous about the death penalty. However, even families who have supported the death penalty in principal have testified that the drawn-out death penalty process is painful for them and that life without parole is an appropriate alternative.

Problems with speeding up the process. Over 50 of the innocent people released from death row had already served over a decade. Speed up the process and we will execute innocent people.

Sources:

Death Penalty Information Center, www.deathpenaltyinfo.org, for stats on executions, reports on costs, deterrence studies, links to FBI crime stats and links to testimony (at state legislatures) of victims' family members.

FBI http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2006/data/table_04.html

The Innocence Project, www.innocenceproject.org

http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/COcosttestimony.pdf page 3 and 4 on why the death penalty is so expensive

http://www.njadp.org/forms/signon-survivor.html, www.mvfhr.org and
www.mvfr.org for statements of victimsâ€™ families

paulie2shoes

I am about 98 percent against the death penalty for the following reasons. There have been cases where innocent people have been wrongly accused and put to death. In Illinois several years ago all death sentences were commuted to life imprisonment. The reason was a journalism class started investigating numerous cases in that state and came up with compelling evidence that at least 10% of the people on death row were innocent, and confessions were obtained under torture. I also grew up in a state (Michigan) without a death penalty. The neighboring State of Ohio with a death penalty had a slightly higher murder rate at that time. So all in all I do not think it is an effective deterrent. The money factor really isn't a good argument either because by the time all the legal appeals are done it costs the state something in the neighborhood of 1 million dollars vs. the cost of $35,000 a year for a prisoner.

Last year I met a person who was convicted of a horrible murder when he was 17 which he confessed to because he was threatened with violence from the detectives interviewing him . Eventually he was cleared by DNA evidence and was completely innocent. Many of those on death row are poor and cannot afford competent legal representation.

The only reason that I can justify capital punishment is there are people who are simply too dangerous to ever be out in society. Ted Bundy is one example. I believe he was already in jail for murder and he escaped and killed many more times. A case like his is a argument for the death penalty.

kearneyconsulting

Against because I believe that all life is worthy (or, to use the phrase currently in vogue, the sanctity of life).

Mr Ed

Yes,someone may be Innocent.

mety

The concept concerning the death penalty in the US is that it serves as a deterrent to crime. However, looking at the number of people on death row, this obviously is flawed thinking. It actually costs more to put someone to death than it does to keep them in jail for the rest of their lives. The problem with that is they DON'T keep them in jail for the rest of their lives, they parole them and allow them to kill again, and this time they have perfected their criminal behavior by associating with other criminals that have nothing better to do than share information on how not to get caught next time. This is especially true of pedophiles - they start out molesting children and are given a relatively small sentence, they then look over what got them caught and when they return to society, they kill their victims (dead people tell no tales), so their crimes escalate. Life in prison should be just that LIFE IN PRISON - NO Parole. As far as I'm concerned anyone that commits a crime against a child should rot in prison for the rest of their lives - no parole.
The biggest problem I have with the death penalty is that it favors those who have money - the rich can afford appeal after appeal, and much better attorneys than the poor, so more poor people are put to death more often than their rich counterparts. More horrific crimes are committed by whites, yet more minorities are put to death. (by this I mean that serial killers tend to be white males, minorities tend to commit one on one crimes) It is for this reason that I am against the death penalty and feel that life in prison is more punishment than death.
Also, since DNA testing is so accurate, many on death row have been released (in Texas anyway) because they have been found to be innocent. I would rather see a guilty person walk than see an innocent one put to death. It's a rare crime that the evidence leads to 100% accuracy that the crime was committed by that person, but that is the only way I could sit on a jury and give the death penalty - 100%, no doubt about it that person is guilty.

LÃºta

For it. Some people can not be rehabilitated. Why should my tax dollars go to keep people like that alive? They aren't contributing to society in a good way. Honestly, a man who can rape, murder, and chop up two little girls and murder their parents and grand parents, does not deserve a second chance. I don't care if people think he can be rehabilitated or that he has a mental problem that made him do it. He is a waste and should be disposed of.

IndianaJohn

against because if you have enough money, you can buy your way out of it with a good (expensive) lawyer.

mysweetkisses21

i am for it...but i believe the death penalty in a different way thou... i believe what a person has done to the other person shall be done onto them...but that it my opinion

stan j

I don't care what you do with them as long as they are off the street. If it costs me more as a taxpayer to keep them alive for the rest of their lives then by all means snuff them out.

Serena

for, if the case had been clearly proven. why should someone who has taken away someone else's life be allowed to keep their own?

Kevin K

Against, if somebody knows you are going to kill them they have nothing to lose, they might try to escape. Just letting them die slowly in jail is the way to go.

Wafflecopter

Against, because it cost more after the gigantic number of appeals they get, and because if i were going to spend the rest of my life in a cage, I'm pretty sure death would be the easy way out.

rachaelbabii

We did this in RE last year.
I remember putting these points :
FOR
1) Life for a life
2) There is no saying they won't do it again
3) Its not fair that we're paying for them to stay in prison, cheaper to kill them
4) acts as a deterrent to others

AGAINST
1) Some people got the death penalty and we're later proven innocent (after they we're killed) Google this for names. THIS IS THE MAIN AGAINST
2) Everyone deserves a second chance
3) Why should we lower to there level and also kill someone?

Because of this and baring in mind that Brazilian guy who got shot on the london tube I am against the death penalty because of the wrong time wrong place scenario and think of how many people are currently being freed after a re trial.

Hope this helps!

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