Why does America STILL have the death penalty?

Susan S

Good question. It may be a leftover from the days of "frontier justice." As many of the answers above show, not everyone has been thinking about how the death penalty system actually functions.

You don't have to sympathize with criminals or want them to avoid a terrible punishment to ask if the death penalty prevents or even reduces crime and to think about the risks of executing innocent people. Many Americans are rethinking their views on the basis of these things.

124 people on death rows have been released with proof that they were wrongfully convicted. DNA is available in less than 10% of all homicides and isnâ€™t a guarantee we wonâ€™t execute innocent people.

The death penalty doesn't 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 donâ€™t.

We have a good alternative. 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.

The death penalty costs much more than life in prison, mostly because of the legal process which is supposed to prevent executions of innocent people.

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?

The death penalty doesn't necessarily help families of murder victims. 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.

Problems with speeding 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.

Tee Tee W

some people deserve death....

like osama bin laben

bigguu254

well i think that some crimes are far more serious than others... like for instance Ted Bundy... i would rather have a person like that gone... i dont even wanna risk this person escaping prison and be back on the streets... but that's jus my opinion

Max

One reason for states having a death penalty is that knowing that they could be executed might prevent many people from committing crimes for which there is a death penalty. Maybe another reason is because some people believe in (an eye for and eye...).

Stuart

Americans believe that there are crimes so awful that the only response to them is to kill the offender. This isn't only to make sure that the criminal never commits crime again, but to serve as a warning to others who might do the same crime.

Divine Error

why does Britain NOT have the death penalty?

The Ultimate Radical

Why do politically correct human rights activists insist on the rights of people who will take the lives of many without any regret? I might understand about one incident but anyone who commits several is at the court's mercy. It doesn't bug me that much.

Scott J

I don't know

to quote fight club, "people who believe in capital punishment should be shot"

Olivia J

So we can kill really bad people who would otherwise be a waste of money and space in a jail.

Michael F

u would understand if one of your friends or family members were ripped away from you for no reason

idac123

get off your soap box and get real a life for a life if I murdered you would your family want revenge I think so they might not say it but they would think it

Love

Because some criminals don't deserve to live. Think of how many tax dollars would be wasted if we just locked up people and never used the death penalty. If not that, then they'd have to be loose on the streets to do more harm. Our jails are already too full for the most part anyway and they treat the prisoners like guests rather than criminals....but don't get me started on that.

A lot of countries' penalties are a lot crueler death than America.

Chrishawn T

Because the people who run this country love their power more than anything else, they like to play GOD, but we as citizens stand by quietly and pay for it all. On the other hand death row is totally unfair because, those sick, guilty SOB's stay on it for years, and we pay for them to live. So, in a way the situation ****** up no matter how look at it, because we as law abiding citizen are getting ****** out of our hard earned money.

nature lover

Why did you do away with it? We think it is needed and it works.

Joshot

Bush is president and you can ask a question like this? Knuckleheads elected him.....TWICE! These are the same knuckleheads you work with and see every day.

Poor Richard

Because the majority of us are not hippie wannabees who eat rabbit food and burn incense.

citizenvnfla

You fight for the end of the death penalty, but would you fight to end abortion? What say you?

Ryan C

Because some crimes are so heinous that they have it to remove those people from society, and to show what could happen to those that decide to do the same evil deed. The real question is why do we have abortion when those are perfectly innocent life forms that have not done anything wrong.

Chubbybuddy

Well, why do people shoot strangers that are in their house at night? basic instinct of survival...
Americans think that, humans that do harm to others deserve harm to themselves. like jesus said "live by the sword die by the sword" Of course im against the death penalty, but If someone killed someone in my faimly, I would strangle the cow **** out of them till they turned blue :)

*Dulce` Morena*

It is quite disgusting... I guess they feel that it gives the person or family of the victim some sort of justice for killing their loved ones.... which in the end make up for nothing... they are just doing the same thing as the criminal in all actuality

*renfield*

becuase some people deserve it

wiemercats

Because we as a nation want it. Simple enough? We don't eat the corpses, so why does our choice offend your delicate vegan views?

Coriantum

When a product has no more value, I take it to the garbage.
The people executed are killed for being human garbage.
They have many chances to establish doubt for their guilt, and in failing to do so, die.
But it's not cruel - if anything they get off far too easy. Their victims most likely didn't have it so painless and clinical.

Ashley

the death penalty is not cruel or unusual punishment. I am for it! There is alot of ppl that deserve it like murderers, rapists, ppl doing heinious acts to children ...etc...I dont think they deserve to waste all their lives in jail, getting free cable, free gym, free education. How do u think the victims families feel? yea, i know there are some ppl that are on death row who are innocent and i hope they get the justice that they deserve. im sick and tired of seeing these repeat offenders who are often released back in the community only to turn around to repeat the crime...

Sox=2005 champs Cubs=hmm when?

Because people who murder deserve to be put to death!

If some guy killed your mother, would you rather them die, or to be put in jail? i would hope you would want them to suffer the same pain your family member did.

*edit
and them being killers isn't "violating the rights of life"??

I'm sorry, but you're an idiot. have you been smoking dope?

Izzy

Because America STILL has murderers who deserve death.

pinkstealth

Why not...I think more should die.

PuterPrsn

Because some people are too dangerous to allow back into society, and some of us object to paying for their room, board, and leisure activities for the rest of their natural lives.

Andy

watch the 17 minute video below. it shows criminals in action and it will answer your question.

Munya Says: DUH!

because peoples still killin' peoples, thats why.

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