:?: So who supports or is against the death penalty? Generally, I am against it for a couple of different reasons. One is that I just don't believe one human has the right to take another human's life in the name of justice. As a Christian I believe it is God's call, not ours. Secondly, for many socio-economic reasons the death penalty (and the penal system) disproportionately affects minorities. However, all that reason goes out the window when looking at the Davis case, or the Jessica Lunsford case. She was the 9 yr old FL girl that was kidnapped by her neighbor last summer, kept in a closet and raped for 2-3 days then buried alive. I get so angry and sickened by what he did - and wouldn't bat an eye sitting on a jury and giving him the death penalty. Don't need to tell me it's irrational to oppose the death penalty, except for when it's a really, really bad offense - I know, but I'm not writing a law here, just expressing my feelings. :roll:
This is a hard one. I want to say I am mostly against it with exceptions (horrid child abuse, child molesters etc.) but that's not how it works so my vote is: I am against it. I personally think that the death penalty serves no other purpose than satisfying the feelings of revenge and closure for the victims remaining family. I am not saying that they aren't entitled to these feelings, I am sure I would want that when someone takes my daughter and rapes and kills her. But I think that it is morally wrong to do this. Eye for an Eye is by large just a method to escalate the negativity (think about gang wars) so what makes the death penalty any different? It has not shown to bring down crime rates, it has shown many many times that innocently accused and convicted people were killed, essentially murder sanctioned by the state and courts. I believe in rehabilitation and re-integration of certain inmates, we need to take care of a problem and lot leave it be and hope for the best, that is not in societies interest. I do however think that horrid crimes (the ones that now qualify for the death sentence) should bear a life long sentence, without chance of parole ever in a death-row-type prison (no entertainment, no time outside etc.)
in light of some of the most recent crimes...i have a difficult time wanting to rehabilitate prisoners...i am emotionally riled up about these recent senseless killings...i am more interested/concerned to know why this is happening...i think that if we are going to allow someone life in prison that they should have to tell us exactly what they did, how and why...i think that would give more closure...the death penalty is so final and because i believe the justice system to be flawed at times...i would never want for someone to be sentenced to dealth and later find out that they didn't do it...the green mile comes to mind... i don't feel that i am capable of killing someone but i wonder sometimes just how irrational i would become if someone harmed my son...at that point i may feel as though my life had no meaning and revenge would be the only answer...precisely the reason why i am a supporter of gun control...i could go and purchase a gun today...but i would fear my own power with owning one...and fortunately see just how powerless my future would be by hurting someone else... as you can see i am torn...
In principle I have no real problems frying a murderer, rapist, child molestor........any one of these.My issue is the way it's enforced.It doesn't apply equally across the board.How many wealthy people do you see going up in smoke?Since the poll only offered two choices, I had to vote against.Thanks.
I thought I had a third 'neither' option and it didn't take... So do you think there aren't wealthy people being executed b/c they are being given more lenient sentences or are generally committing white collar crimes that don't carry the same moral weight as taking another's life?
Death Penalty Discussion........ It's a bit of both, but there are many examples where high priced legal teams have been assembled for the sole purpose of getting a defendant "off." While it's certainly true that a wealthy person may not have to be directly involved in activities which would lead to being tried for murder, money can buy your way out of just about anything-especially in this country.
Every sentence should fit the crime, but Im definitely against the death penalty. Maybe it would be better to have longer sentences and a more stringent prison regime. As it is, prison regime is too easy. What if someone is wrongly convicted by the courts - as has happened on several occasions in Britain - at least when it was proven to be a miscarriage of justioce, the victims were freed and received compensation.
If I was put in prison at 20 and released at 60 as they realised I was innocent I wouldve preferred the chair when I was 20. I vote for. Sometimes there is no doubt, and some crimes deserve death in my opinion.
I favor the death penalty, but for very limited cases. A serial killer or rapist should get it but in cases of reasonable doubt, as English Judge CJ Blackstone said in 1644, better 10 guilty men walk free than one innocent man be convicted. Also, i find sentencing terrorists and suicide bombers to death largely laughable. Why condemn to death people who have already done so simply by taking up the act? Then you make them martyrs and they win, like it or not. Regardless of whether you kill them or not, it doesn't alleviate the pain and damage they have caused.
The death penalty is proven ineffective as a tool for discouraging crime. That is a good reason to abolish it. Apart from that I do not see how people who call themselves Christians (new testament ones) could endorse such an act. Strictly interpreting morals: it is your collective sin to allow the death penalty. Besides, a disproportional amount of black men are sentenced to the chair. Another good reason to really re-evaluate it.
