Bye Bye Death Penalty
Replies
-
My opinions:
The best argument(s) against the death penalty (in the US) to make to people who are for it:
1) Executing someone is more expensive than imprisoning them for life
2) There are numerous documented cases of convictions that were overturned many years later
The best argument for the death penalty (in the US) to make to people who are against it:
1) Felons sentenced to life w/o possibility are, in many cases, an EXTREME threat to other criminals imprisoned with them (many times for far less heinous crimes)
The argument about removing legal defense is, in my opinion, ludicrous and would completely undermine a lot of core principles the nation was built upon.
The argument about torture beforehand is, also my opinion, very misguided. Capital punishment has a lot more to do with removing a violent criminal from society than it does with 'punishment' per se.
My $0.02, and as I said I'm for capital punishment.0 -
I think on the fiscal level it makes no sense. In CA they live in their own cells, have extra security, have access to all sorts of legal aid, their cases are automatically appealed. It is much more expensive to keep people on death row. And they are there for decades.
“The additional cost of confining an inmate to death row, as compared to the maximum security prisons where those sentenced to life without possibility of parole ordinarily serve their sentences, is $90,000 per year per inmate. With California’s current death row population of 670, that accounts for $63.3 million annually.â€
"The cost of a system which imposes a maximum penalty of lifetime incarceration instead of the death penalty would be $11.5 million per year."
http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/costs-death-penalty
^^^ This
I am for the death penalty, in certain cases.
But like in Cali, my state rarely serves out the death penalty...people sit on death row for decades.
Inmates get 3 hot meals a day, access to unlimited education, cable TV, internet and a vast number of other things that everyday people NOT in prison can't get access to.
Studies have shown that violent offenders have an extremely high chance of re-offending. How many times are we supposed to 'forgive' them?0 -
If one person is who innocent is executed, then the system failed. While a part of me agrees that some crimes should be punishable by dealth, another part of me says we do not have the right to end someone's life. If it was 100% foolproof, my opinion may change, but until that happens, I don't believe in it.0
-
They should all have to work - fixing the roads would be a great start and would save local councils SO much money - it would also help pay for longer incarcerations for serious crimes! They should also have no luxuries - basic TV only (for a very limited time every day - no Sky!!!) and limited leisure hours. To be perfectly honest, they should be made too exhausted by work to be able to do anything but sleep at the end of the day - it would cause far fewer problems within the prison system! The way I see it, prison should be a punishment - for many, the removal of their freedom really isn't incentive enough on its own to deter them fro mreoffending, but if prison was made a truly dismal place to be, they might think twice about it.
I've often wondered why the "chain gangs" of the past were abolished. I really do believe that it is city workers protecting city jobs. If you had prisoners doing this type of work, you wouldn't need a lot of paid employees. Powerful public sector unions fight these ideas tooth and nail. (I'm not against unions, btw, it's just one possible explanation for why we don't utilize prisoners in this manner.)0 -
Only 17 states don't have the death penalty? Wow, I thought it was a lot more than that! I do live in one of those states (Wisconsin).
As many other people said, unless is obvious, 100% guilt for a horrible crime, I am uncomfortable with the notion.0 -
I'm Canadian also, and I do agree that if the person is 100% guilty, some people are just evil and deserve to die. For example, there's a murder trial going on in London, ON right now of a man who sexually assaulted and killed a little girl. The most he'll get is 25 years (that's the harshest penalty in Canada), probably eligible for parole after half of that. THAT is sad.
I don't know about Canadian prisons but the first people shanked in the yard in US prisons are people who do things to kids.
That's the truth... the second is anyone that rapes women.
I have heard that about child molesters many times, but doesn't appear to hold true for raping women. I see news stories all the time about repeat offenders. If they are getting shanked in the yard, how the hell are they getting out and raping again?0 -
I live in Iowa, no death penalty here. In my opinion I am all for the death penalty as long as it is 100% for sure that the person is guilty.0
-
The USA aligns itself with the enlightenment practiced in North Korea, China, Iraq, Iran, Egypt and Somalia! Nice.
http://theeconomist.tumblr.com/post/20060357546/daily-chart-capital-punishment-last-year-only0 -
My opinions:
The best argument(s) against the death penalty (in the US) to make to people who are for it:
1) Executing someone is more expensive than imprisoning them for life
That is because the gov't is involved. They need to outsource it. Heck, I could carry out the punishment for $0.35. That is much cheaper than imprisonment.0 -
I live in Connecticut, home of the notorious Petit family murders--basically a family kept hostage for hours and three murdered at the end of this horror. The mom and the 12 year-old daughter were sexually assaulted, and then gasoline was poured over the two teenaged girls beds and they were burned alive. The mother was strangled. There was only one survivor, the dad--Dr. William Petit--who worked at the hospital where I worked for 16 years. He was a mensch, and has been living with this horror for years now.
The two perps deserve severe punishment, in my opinion. I'm not sure the death penalty is it, though. Carrying out the death penalty--on principle alone--chills me to the bone.
"Carrying out the death penalty--on principle alone--chills me to the bone."
Could you elaborate on this statement? Im honeslty confused lol. I live in CT and have for almost my whole life so I am obviously familiar with this horrible crime and I was with you up until the end. Just not really sure what you mean.
I'm ambivalent. Emotionally, I would be satisfied to see Hayes and Komisarjevsky (the convicted Petit murderers) put to death. But, there's something that disturbs me about the state carrying out the deed. Someone has to actually carry out the death sentence--administer the lethal injections. Isn't that asking someone to forfeit a bit of their humanity? I am not entirely sure how I feel on this subject, since I have conflicting feelings about it.0 -
I was born in Texas, that should about sum up my view on the subject.
In Texas, you can see the line move.0 -
There are people who have committed crimes so heinous that I'd pull the lever myself.
However, our court system is so screwed up that I don't trust any guilty verdicts anymore, especially if the culprit isn't white. Until we fix our court system, I'm all for abolishing the death penalty. You can't appeal when you're dead.
Unfortunately, the way the system works now, you have a better chance of being able to appeal from death row than if you're in prison for life, however. And if you and your family have no money you're plain out of luck if you want something like DNA tested to prove your innocence. So the appeals system needs to change, too.
Agreed. They system is too flawed for me to have faith in it. Some people have the attitude that it doesn't matter what evidence there is, if you are found guilty then you are guilty. What about all the people who go free after losing years of their lives because of the flawed system?
I say keep them alive and use them for zombie bait later. Or space prison sounds awesome. Build a prison on the moon.0 -
I'm against the death penalty - there have been some cases when the person hasn't been guilty.
Killing for killing = wrong IMO.
Names?????
Troy Davis was one that I can remember off the top of my head.
Sorry...But you are full of it!0 -
I live in Texas, but I am Catholic, and I defend the right to life. I understand the Church's position has been that murder in self-defense can be justified and that the dealth penalty in some cases is an act of "self defense of society". While that may have been true at some point, I believe we are capable of keeping people imprisoned for life now.0
-
I am from the city that executed TImothy McVey in Indiana. However, being Catholic, I have a hard time justifying the death penalty. I am conflicted.
I think all those on Death Row should instead be dropped on an island with other felons and let them fend for themselves. Let Darwin win.
But then you get Australia....then again.....they seem kind of fun. Lets do it!0 -
Another example of our country and world becoming a Brady bunch pu$$y version of itself. Disgusting! We need more capital punishment, not less. Public flogging should be applauded, not looked down upon.
A - freakin - MEN!!!0 -
Only 17 states don't have the death penalty? Wow, I thought it was a lot more than that! I do live in one of those states (Wisconsin).
As many other people said, unless is obvious, 100% guilt for a horrible crime, I am uncomfortable with the notion.
While many States still have it on the books, many don't use it as an option... Shoot, if I remember correctly Washington State still has hanging as a Death Penalty option... so in reality a criminal, if sentanced to death, can request to be hanged.0 -
I am all for it, but I do hate the system that lets someone who is 100% guilty go on and appeal for 30 years. I also agree rapists and child molestors should be put down. Honestly if I was a billionaire like Bill Gates or Richard Branson money I would just pay to have it done and call it my public service work.0
-
I am from the city that executed TImothy McVey in Indiana. However, being Catholic, I have a hard time justifying the death penalty. I am conflicted.
I think all those on Death Row should instead be dropped on an island with other felons and let them fend for themselves. Let Darwin win.
But then you get Australia....then again.....they seem kind of fun. Lets do it!
Hahaha I thought the same thing!0 -
My opinions:
The best argument(s) against the death penalty (in the US) to make to people who are for it:
1) Executing someone is more expensive than imprisoning them for life
That is because the gov't is involved. They need to outsource it. Heck, I could carry out the punishment for $0.35. That is much cheaper than imprisonment.
I imagine you're joking, but in case you aren't the vast majority of the expense of an execution has nothing to do with the actual act of killing the person.0 -
I am all for it, but I do hate the system that lets someone who is 100% guilty go on and appeal for 30 years. I also agree rapists and child molestors should be put down. Honestly if I was a billionaire like Bill Gates or Richard Branson money I would just pay to have it done and call it my public service work.
Word. People who rape children do not deserve 3 meals a day and cable television.0 -
Another example of our country and world becoming a Brady bunch pu$$y version of itself. Disgusting! We need more capital punishment, not less. Public flogging should be applauded, not looked down upon.
A - freakin - MEN!!!
okay...so basically, with the death penalty, you are teaching society that killing is ultimate justice. Therefore, when someone who is most likely deluded, feels that people have wronged him and deserve ultimate justice, he starts killing people. Good lesson.0 -
I am clueless on why we pay to house and feed someone for the rest of their lives instead of giving them the death penalty. If their crime was so bad that they can no longer be in society then why do we as a state, country have to waste of tax money keeping them alive?????0
-
The death penalty is just way too expensive. It costs less to jail someone for life than to fry them. That's why New Jersey got rid of it a few years ago.
Besides, I rather see somone rot in jail everday for the rest of their life than get the easy way out.
That is because there is an appeals process and we keep them alive for years if not decades. I think if the judge says "guilty, sentence is death". BOOM. They are dead immediately. Shot in the head by the executioner.
I also think the lawyers should suffer the same punishment as their client. Sure would cut down on the defense of the guilty POS that committed some of these awful crimes. Plus it would really cut down on all these frivolous law suits.
Wow, glad you didn't write our Constitution and you're certainly not an expert on it. I also hope that you're never accused of a crime that you did or didn't commit and need a defense attorney. Not sure if anyone would defend you knowing that you'd want them to get the same punishment you do.
Also, not to put too fine a point on it, but I'm not sure how many civil cases (the lawsuits you refer to) have ended in capital punishment.0 -
I am all for it, but I do hate the system that lets someone who is 100% guilty go on and appeal for 30 years. I also agree rapists and child molestors should be put down. Honestly if I was a billionaire like Bill Gates or Richard Branson money I would just pay to have it done and call it my public service work.
Word. People who rape children do not deserve 3 meals a day and cable television.
This.0 -
I live in Brasil and we dont have Capital punishment. But I wish we do (of course, with legal procedures, and a true guilt criminal).
We don't have any more space in prisons.
But could always find more burying ground (or maybe cremate and use the ashes as something usefel). Just saying.0 -
This will probably be an unpopular opinion - but it amazes me that there are any states in the US that still have the death penalty. It seems medieval to me.
(From Britain)
I think it's when I hear of these horrible crimes and I picture how these people were killed, so brutally and many times for no "reason", (I use that term loosely), I just don't feel they have the right to breath the air that they so quickly and horrifically took from another human being.
I do get that, and feel the same, honestly. I just think meeting violence with violence isn't the way that a civilised society behaves. Look at what other countries in the world still do it - are they countries you want to be in the same club as?
I also think that if even one person in a thousand is wrongly executed, that's too many, and the only way to avoid that is not to execute people at all.
Also - if the death penalty's OK, are other forms of corporal punishment OK too? Is it OK to cut the hands off people who steal, or stone women who commit adultery, or allow teachers to flog pupils for misbehaving in class? Where does it then end?
Yes! I completely believe in "eye for an eye" punishment. I'm all for cutting off hands of theifs , castrating molestors, etc. I think our country could benefit from some serious punishments these days.0 -
If you can't put them to death you could at least take them somewhere and make them dig holes all day instead of lounging around in a facility all day with tv to watch and other activities.0
-
I'm not against it, but we can't afford it. The cost of appeals (usually to the state) allowed to a death penalty inmate far exceeds the cost of leaving them to rot in jail. With American rights to justice, there will always be loopholes that don't make sense.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
My opinions:
The best argument(s) against the death penalty (in the US) to make to people who are for it:
1) Executing someone is more expensive than imprisoning them for life
That is because the gov't is involved. They need to outsource it. Heck, I could carry out the punishment for $0.35. That is much cheaper than imprisonment.
I imagine you're joking, but in case you aren't the vast majority of the expense of an execution has nothing to do with the actual act of killing the person.
Exactly my point. It should be "guilty!" Bang, dead. Not "guilty." sit in jail appealing for 30 years.0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 393.4K Introduce Yourself
- 43.8K Getting Started
- 260.2K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.9K Food and Nutrition
- 47.4K Recipes
- 232.5K Fitness and Exercise
- 426 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153K Motivation and Support
- 8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.7K MyFitnessPal Information
- 24 News and Announcements
- 1.1K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.6K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions