How do you feel about Death Penality?

El Guapo

I think the urge to see the perpetrator of a horrendous crime killed is a normal and understandable human reaction. I was pro-death penalty for a long time, but I have changed my stance over the years, for several reasons:

1. By far the most compelling is this: Sometimes the legal system gets it wrong. Look at all the people who have been released after years of imprisonment because they were exonerated by DNA evidence. Unfortunately, DNA evidence is not available in most cases. No matter how rare it is, the government should not risk executing one single innocent person.

Really, that should be reason enough for most people. If you need more, read on:

2. Because of the extra expense of prosecuting a DP case and the appeals process (which is necessary - see reason #1), it costs taxpayers MUCH more to execute prisoners than to imprison them for life.

3. The deterrent effect is questionable at best. Violent crime rates are actually higher in death penalty states. This may seem counterintuitive, and there are many theories about why this is (Ted Bundy saw it as a challenge, so he chose Florida â€“ the most active execution state at the time â€“ to carry out his final murder spree). Personally, I think it has to do with the hypocrisy of taking a stand against murderâ€¦by killing people. The government becomes the bad parent who says, â€˜do as I say, not as I do.â€™

4. Thereâ€™s also an argument to be made that death is too good for the worst of our criminals. 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. When Ted Bundy was finally arrested in 1978, he told the police officer, â€œI wish you had killed me.â€

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. James 4:12 says that God is the only one who can take a life in the name of justice. 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."

Kitty

I don't believe in it.

I think its funny (and hypocritical) though how the same people that are pro-life also believe in the death penalty.
(Ahem.. dubya)

jms62394

I dont believe in it. I believe that people should be punished for their wrong doings but a life sentence would be sufficient. I know that some say that we shouldnt have to pay for these people to stay in jail.. But what about that one innocent person that gets the death penalty? Do you feel right in judging them? I know I am not perfect, nor am I God... I do not feel that I have that right.

TRQ

I think it is a pathetically stupid idea.

I mean, yeah some people deserve to die for whatever crime they committed, but why end their pain just like that? Wouldn't it be better to let them feel guilty for the rest of their life? That way, they may think once or twice before they kill another person. More lives would be saved, and less crimes committed.

Donovan

If Figure A, killed Figures B and C. than how is it right if Figures D, kill Figure A, to avenge figures, B and C. i mean, Figures, B and C, where killed by, figure, A. And Figure, A, had to be killed by, Figure, D. Why doesn't Figure, D, get killed for killing Figure, A?....

fade_this_rally

I do not believe in the death penalty. That is making a decision about another's life. And that , imo, is not another man's decision to make.

wooper

The death penalty is about revenge, not justice. With the number of convictions recently overturned because of DNA evidence, the death penalty should be eliminated. And besides, it is actually more expensive to keep someone on death row than have them spend life in prison.

danielaa

i think that people shudnt get death penalty because they dont learn tere lesson they just die.

ohbuck26

I was against it for a long time, then I saw a movie called Dead Man Walking with Sean Penn. After watching that, I am now all for it.

Robert S

The Death Penalty reduces all of society to the same level.
Most murderers are no threat to society, they made a big mistake.
There are a few sociopaths who might kill again.
The Death Penalty never prevented a murder.
It's really all about revenge.
There's also the possibility the police, judge & jury got it wrong.

I ? Colbert

I am for the death penalty when it comes to rapists, but then again rapists are out of prison in 2 years. Sick huh?

I think the death penalty is the easy way out, they should suffer in prison, with no chances of parole.

Cakers

I think it is worse puishment to be locked up for life - no parole. BUT, they seem to get it too cushy in jail these days.

John S

The topic of the "Death Penalty" is very contrivesial in this day in age but, personally I take the stand of life in prison as oppose to death by any sort of way. I take my opinion from a non religious stand point of a documentary that I saw which proved that DNA isn't 100% correct. (I kid you not) They showed a case in which a woman had a baby in a hospital but, the baby had no sort of resemblance to either parent so, the Judge concluded that the couple had no parenting rights what so ever. I don't want to bore you with the details so I'll just rap it up. In a second hearing the couples lawyer concluded that although the baby didn't have any DNA resemblance of either parent, it did have DNA resemblance of the mothers brother as well as it's grandfather. So to rap this all up I believe that the Death Penalty should be completely avoided in the chance that the jury made a false accusation.

Susan S

You have received a lot of answers but not a lot of facts.
Here are answers to questions about the practical aspects of the death penalty system and alternatives, with sources listed below. The commonest mistake I see in previous answers is about costs.

What about the risk of executing innocent people?
124 people on death rows have been released with evidence of their innocence.

Doesn't DNA keep new cases like these from happening?
DNA is available in less than 10% of all homicides. It is not a guarantee against the execution of innocent people.

Doesn't the death penalty prevent others from committing murder?
No reputable study shows the death penalty to be a deterrent. To be a deterrent a punishment must be sure and swift. The death penalty is neither. Homicide rates are higher in states and regions that have it than in states that do not.

So, what are the alternatives?
Life without parole is now on the books in 48 states. It means what it says. It is sure and swift and rarely appealed. Life without parole is less expensive than the death penalty.

But isn't the death penalty cheaper than keeping criminals in prison?
The death penalty costs much more than life in prison, largely because of the legal process. Extra costs start to mount up with the pre trial investigation and continue through the complicated trials (involving 2 separate stages, mandated by the Supreme Court) in death penalty cases and subsequent appeals. There are more cost effective ways to prevent and control crime.

What about the very worst crimes?
The death penalty isnâ€™t reserved for the â€œworst of the worst,â€ but rather for defendants with the worst lawyers. When is the last time a wealthy person was sentenced to death, let alone executed??

Doesn't the death penalty help families of murder victims?
Not necessarily. Murder victim family members across the country argue that the drawn-out death penalty process is painful for them and that life without parole is an appropriate alternative.

So, why don't we speed up the process?
Over 50 of the innocent people released from death row had already served over a decade. If the process is speeded up we are sure to execute an innocent person.

But donâ€™t Americans prefer the death penalty as the most serious punishment?
Not any more. People are rethinking their views, given the facts and the records on innocent people sentenced to death. According to a Gallup Poll, in 2006, 47% of all Americans prefer capital punishment while 48% prefer life without parole.

Edit: the studies referred to in the next answers are not supported by most scholars who have looked at them. There were problems with the methodology and the data used. You can visit http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/article.php?&did=2374
for links to the studies and discussions of them.

Me, Too

I don't believe in the Death Penalty for many reasons. First, I feel that is just plain wrong. It has been proven that it does not deter crime. It lowers the state to the status of executioner, and is a grisly business, at best.

But, most of all, there have been too many cases of innocent people being put to death. With our adversarial justice system, there is a zeal to prove the defendant guilty. There have been cases of evidence being suppressed, lawyers being drunk or falling asleep during testimony, and other atrocities. Getting a conviction is a notch on the prosecutor's belt, or getting a guilty person off is a notch on the defense lawyer's belt. There is no real search for truth.

Also, there are too many poor minorities on Death Row as compared to richer people who can afford a Dream Team to defend them. At any time, there are three to four times more Blacks on Death Row than Whites, and most of them desperately poor.

If we do not have multiple appeals, what happens to that innocent man when new evidence is discovered after his appeals have run out? And why is it not mandatory that DNA tests be run in all cases where it is possible, instead of lawyers having to petition the court for permission?

Having said all this, I am horrified at the brutality of many crimes and feel that these violent people do not deserve any freedom ever. I think life in prison is a far worse punishment than death in most cases.

James B

In the case of murder, or rape, kill the offender. Charge admission, pay per view, give the money earned to the victim or his/her family

cheerbear2500

Why Yes i do. The Death penalty is good, i think that people who have killed and people who have records of killing should face the death sentence. For example: If ur mother was killed and u felt like the murderer took ur mom from u. wouldn't u want some type of revenge. Like they say an eye for an eye. A life for a Life.

ausblue

I used to believe in it & it's when you hear of shocking crimes like that one you think yes bring it back people like that don't deserve to live
but we have no right to kill another makes us as bad as the killers
BUT BUILD MORE PRISONS to keep them in for ever!!
I think they kill them because we ain't got enough prisons all over the world to keep them but NEVER let them out

queenoflalaland

I have had very bad experiences with the lazy police and officials of the court system in West Valley City, UT. I know first hand that it is possible that you could be punished for something you didn't do when police and lawyers don't do their jobs. For this reason, and this reason only, I believe that the death penalty is wrong. It gives the convicted no chance to clear themselves.

Raggedyanne

I don't believe in it because it makes no sense. How can you say that someone is wrong for killing someone and then turn around and kill them? What the heck? I don't think we have the right to decide who lives and dies. The death penalty is cold, heartless, and unforgiving. Aren't we supposed to forgive people?

Looking for info

Personally, I support the death penalty. If the evidence fully supports a guilty verdict, the defendant should be given a public hanging. If the judge thinks that the evidence has a couple of loose ends and the Jury still convicts, then the judge could give a period of one to ten years before sentience is carried out.

Reality - There have been some scientific research done that supports the death penalty as a deterrent. There is an AP article that listed some of the research. "The media is a bit Johnny-come-lately in recognizing all the research that has been done on the death penalty over the last decade, with nine of the 12 refereed academic studies by economists finding that the death penalty saves lives."

boredwithyou

It would be an effective punishment if applied swiftly and unilaterally.

jumpman247

It all depends, I believe in it to an extent.

*~Bad Grrly~*

I think that the Death Penalty is a good thing when you Kill someone. Ex. you kill your kids... was it an accident...No--Death Penalty...Yes--Y didnt u call the police? But when it is an accident then their is a reason to let it slide and give them time in Jail.

Questionable

If you really understand the human body is no more than energy and energy change form from point to point than there is no death in any form. So taking a life really is doing nothing than changing the from of energy.

Ambivalence

How awful! But I don't believe in the death penalty. I think that killing another human being debases and damages a person, and we shouldn't ask anyone to do that if it can be avoided. Not only does it debase the executioner, but it debases everyone who is complicit in that execution. If a dangerous murderer is locked up in a high security prison, there's no need to execute him or her.

gerlad m

I don't know what constitutes "belief" in the death penalty. I do, however, believe that it should be considered in EVERY first degree murder case WITHOUT consideration of "legal insanity". We used to be the only country in the world which allowed that defense and I wish we would end it. Murder in and of itself strikes me as evidence of some sort of mental derangement. I think we need to be tougher on criminals committing capital crimes. Whether it is right strikes me as irrelevant. Is it effective seems more to the point. No more repeat offenders. As for wrongful convictions, maybe we should be more careful in convictions.

gnomiechick

I think the Death Penalty is just fine. It should be implemented as often as possible, and "stay of execution" should be abolished, unless it's absolutely crucial to the outcome of the sentencing. The problem is Death Row....convicts sit on it for so long and we are the ones financing it. Meanwhile, the victim's families have to live with the fact that their loved one was taken from them, and the inmate gets hot meals and a bed to sleep in.

Oh, man, there go my chances of ever serving jury duty.....oh well.....I don't normally attempt to answer these politically charged questions, but thank you for letting me put in my 2 cents.

defeat godliness

death penalty is efficient and economic, considering the billions of dollars wasted to keep criminals in jail for long periods of time, and the inhibition it gives to would-be criminals.

a better alternative than death penalty would be to have your criminals build houses and dig ditches for no pay, but then you run the risk of having them get away.

i.e.

"hey man lets go hit up that store"
"nah dude, if they catch us, they'll f*cking kill us, for real."

â€ Absintheâ€

Think about it? Ok.

Glen B

For certain criminals I do. Murders, rapist, child molesters, etc...

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