Bye Bye Death Penalty

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  • LilRedRooster
    LilRedRooster Posts: 1,421 Member
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    The main issue with the death penalty isn't really the whole death thing. It's the power involved in who decides to get to end a life, and how that power can be manipulated.

    For instance, normally someone should be tried by a jury of their peers, and any penalty should be dealt under the assumption that the evidence is iron-clad and 100% irrefutable. What happens when that person is a minority, and they are tried by a jury of people who don't represent their race or social position? What happens when the evidence isn't iron-clad, and there is doubt? That person's life is then decided on evidence that isn't fool-proof, and it's by people who don't represent them.

    Also, how much should the government control that power? What happens when people in power shouldn't have the law on their side to execute people? Once that power is established, it's very, very hard to take it back.
  • polarsjewel
    polarsjewel Posts: 1,726 Member
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    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.

    Same here in Canada, pedophiles are pedophiles, no matter what country they are in.
  • ncahill77
    ncahill77 Posts: 501 Member
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    I don't agree with the death penalty, I think it should be banned. You don't teach a thief stealing is bad by robbing him. You don't teach and arson not to burn things down by setting his house on fire and you don't kill a killer. What kind of example does that set? You can't kill because it's illegal but were allowed to kill you if you do so? Umm, no. That's like telling a kid hitting is bad as you spank them.

    This is what we need to do......http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDO6HV6xTmI

    Ummm, people that commit murder have already proven they are not capable of learning right from wrong. It isn't about teaching them anything. It is about ridding the world from their disgusting existence!

    So just one murder? Okay, what if someone kills someone in a passionate act, as in catching them with his wife and just losing his *kitten*. Should they be executed?
    Yes. You're not an animal - have some self control. Beat the guy to a pulp, but leave him breathing.

    but in a society with the death penalty, you are taught that death is the ultimate punishment and in a rage addled mind, you revert to basic lessons - This person deserves the ultimate penalty - and there you go.

    at some point you have to put your big boy panties on and make decisions for yourself, I see MILLIONS of people sitting on their @sses living on welfare but I make a personal decision to go out and work and be productive, somehow I wasn't "taught" to do nothing. People can make their own decisions.
  • 13519485
    13519485 Posts: 264
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    The death penalty is barbaric and unnecessary. Put them to work doing something that benefits the rest of us. Don't let them off easy by killing them.
  • rammsteinsoldier
    rammsteinsoldier Posts: 1,556 Member
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    I wrote a paper in college about cosmetic companies torturing poor animals in order to test their products. The validity of the testing was often challenged due to the biological differences between man and animal. My suggestion was to do the testing on death row inmates. The results would be accurate and it would reduce the expense to house these inmates long term.

    At the time that I wrote the paper, I never had a pet in my life and certainly did not classify myself as an animal lover.

    I forgot to add that my well written paper only got a C :sad:

    I think that is an excellent idea. Those poor animals are innocent of any crime and being tortured.
  • doorki
    doorki Posts: 2,611 Member
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    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.

    Same here in Canada - pedophiles are pedophiles, no matter where they are

    It was more how they were treated in prison by the prison population and administration.
  • ArroganceInStep
    ArroganceInStep Posts: 6,239 Member
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    I am one who believes that putting someone to death for a crime is letting them off easy. Once they're dead they no longer have to do anything to answer for their crimes. I am sure a lot of you probably assume they go to "hell" i]maybe that's why so many people are for the death penalty anyway[/i, but I am an atheist and I don't believe "hell" exists or that there's an afterlife of any kind in which one can be punished for actions done in life. So I don't believe that anyone should be put to death for a crime. I also don't believe that the cost of keeping them alive (approximately $50K/£31K per year in the US) should be made the responsibility of the taxpayers.

    Here's where my mouth tends to get me into trouble--but I'll say it anyway. The prisoners we'd like to put to death, along with those who have been given life without parole should be made into slaves. They shouldn't be given any of the freedoms or luxuries similar to those they may have had outside of prison. All of their cards, TVs, books, etc. should be taken away and they should be put to work in a way that somehow benefits the rest of us. They should be forced to grow their own food and to live off of the prison land they cultivate--and their food should also feed the rest of their prison. Not another cent of taxpayer money should be used to feed the prisoners. These "death row slaves" would be kept in solitary confinement except for when they are out cultivating. And if they become injured, oh well, let them suffer through. Not another cent of taxpayer money should be used on death row/lifer healthcare.

    It's a shame that whole cruel and unusual punishment gets in the way. How about lighting? Sewage? Guard wages? Where do those cents come from?
  • zoeluiisa
    zoeluiisa Posts: 392
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    If even one person is wrongly put to death (and we know with absolute certainty that scores have) then I cannot support it.

    This sums it up for me, Even if the State takes just one life in an unjust way, the system no longer has legitimacy or credibility. It's too grave of a mistake to give into public sentiment that seeks vengeance. Having lived in both the US and Europe, the perspective on things is very different. The paradox to Europeans is that the US always preaches about the moral high ground and human rights but then there are many US States that still have the dealth penalty. This seems like hypocricy to many people. The only G8 country other than the US with the death penalty is Japan. Take a look at this map, the US is in the company of countries with the worst human rights records in the world when it comes to the death penalty. It just doesn't make sense.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Use_of_capital_punishment_by_country

    THIS. All of it.

    (If you look at that map you'll see that most of the countries with the death penalty are exactly the countries the US spends most time going to war with over human rights abuses)
  • doorki
    doorki Posts: 2,611 Member
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    wow, for the most part, this has been a very civil discussion. :drinker:
  • zoeluiisa
    zoeluiisa Posts: 392
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    wow, for the most part, this has been a very civil discussion. :drinker:

    I was just thinking that! Considering what happens when someone mentions not eating back exercise calories ;)

    Well done us.
  • polaris8
    polaris8 Posts: 8 Member
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    Interesting discussion but just remember that no one ever thinks it will happen to them. I seriously hope none of you or your family are ever wrongly convicted of a crime and end up with the death penalty or in the medieval prison conditions being advocated here.

    The economic arguement is lame as well. All countries have prisons/rehabilitation systems that they have to fund through taxes. It simply is an expense and exists everywhere. It always has through history and always will in the future. There are always going to be people who break the laws. It's not going to magically go away.

    I can't think of one example of a country where the death penalty eliminates crime. It doesn't even work in harsh systems like China, Iran or Saudi Arabia....or the prolific death penalty states of Texas or Virginia closer to home.
  • ArroganceInStep
    ArroganceInStep Posts: 6,239 Member
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    wow, for the most part, this has been a very civil discussion. :drinker:

    You're a big stupid-face.


    Better?




    The death penalty should be the exception rather than the rule, but I think it should exist. There are crimes from which there is no hope of coming back from, and for those crimes I think it is reasonable for the state to bear the added financial burden of conviction. The appeals process should be long, and it should be tedious, since there is no coming back from an execution; but I do think analyzing the process for loopholes and hastening it *somewhat* is a good thing. I do not think it should be viewed as a punitive measure, but rather as a measure of protection for society (including other prisoners that person would be incarcerated with). I don't think punitive measures are in the interest of the greater good for society, the only thing they would serve is to make people with no ties to the case feel better about themselves. If punitive measures worked, I'd be all for them, but I think what they do is make things worse. If I'm going to get my hands chopped off for stealing, and an old man catches me breaking into his house, you better believe I'm going to kill him so that at trial there aren't any witnesses.

    My $0.02
  • MFPAddict
    MFPAddict Posts: 2,303 Member
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    I wrote a paper in college about cosmetic companies torturing poor animals in order to test their products. The validity of the testing was often challenged due to the biological differences between man and animal. My suggestion was to do the testing on death row inmates. The results would be accurate and it would reduce the expense to house these inmates long term.

    At the time that I wrote the paper, I never had a pet in my life and certainly did not classify myself as an animal lover.

    I forgot to add that my well written paper only got a C :sad:

    I think that is an excellent idea. Those poor animals are innocent of any crime and being tortured.

    Thank you. Wish you would have been my professor!
  • lour441
    lour441 Posts: 543 Member
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    The death penalty is barbaric and unnecessary.

    ^^

    As long as we are going to keep it I suggest we make it a televised steel cage death match. 10 inmates enter, 1 leaves. The one that survives gets life in prison.
  • mmgomez28
    mmgomez28 Posts: 85 Member
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    I saw this photo one day and I think it relates:

    "Bombing for Peace is like F^($!ng for Virginity"

    With that being said, let's go and kill someone to prove that killing is wrong. I'm sorry, but that is complete hypocrisy.
  • LauraMacNCheese
    LauraMacNCheese Posts: 7,198 Member
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    I think they should all be put on a desert island. Let them kill each other instead of us paying for them to watch tv-body build-and make royalties from books they write while in prison.

    You mean like The Hunger Games??
  • NakedLunchTime
    NakedLunchTime Posts: 559
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    wow, for the most part, this has been a very civil discussion. :drinker:

    Yay!! I just came back from doing lunch break from a co-worker and as I was reading through the replies I thought the same thing!! I actually enjoyed reading this thread and some points of view have really helped me to play devils advocate with myself :) It is always a good thing to hear many sides because I feel it keeps me from becoming too ignorant :bigsmile:
  • TK266
    TK266 Posts: 3,689 Member
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    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.

    would we kill the DA who fails to get a death penalty convection? How about if the person win on appeal, do we kill the Jury and judge for almost taking a person life? I mean as long as we are going to go on a kill streak, let us make it a good one.

    for the record, I am ok with the death penalty, but it does need serious reform. Best way today to avoid it, if you kill some one, is to be rich enough to have a good lawyer.
  • NakedLunchTime
    NakedLunchTime Posts: 559
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    wow, for the most part, this has been a very civil discussion. :drinker:

    I was just thinking that! Considering what happens when someone mentions not eating back exercise calories ;)

    Well done us.

    Baha!! Sooo true!! I don't even write in those threads, they scare me lol :laugh:
  • beccci91
    beccci91 Posts: 214
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    I am from the UK and I wish we had the death penalty!

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