How can today's Republicans be both anti-government and pro-death penalty?

Mods, move this if it's in the wrong place please.

One of the logical tests of a model is self-coherence. If a model has inner conflict or self conflict it can be described as incoherent. Incoherent means something is missing, extraneous or broken in the model.

Statistics on the application of the death penalty in the US are fascinating. What does it all mean?

80% of self identified Republicans are pro death penalty. source
Oddly, only 10% of self identified Republicans don't trust the government in charge of the application of the death penalty. source

This is ironic isn't it. Did you know that 60%+ "whites" believe the death penalty is fairly applied by the US justice system while only 35% of "blacks" believe it's applied fairly? 45% of Hispanics believe it's fair. source

It is fact that despite composing roughly 15% of the US population, 35% of all people executed are black. Hmmm. Did you know that 77% of all executions are for murdering a white? Did you know that black people executed for killing a white out number white killing blacks 13:1? sources

The question at hand is; are White people predominantly in support of the death penalty because they know it favors them? In other words, white privileged or white authoritarianism? They don't trust the government, but they trust the unwritten "system"?

Any insight to offer ATS?

Their is no logic to it. Republicans support the Death Penalty becuase Democrats oppose it and vice versa. People like to call each other the left or right or conservatives or liberal but. people who do that do not even know what those words mean. As neither party is left or right in any sort of consistant manner. Like many things in America lables are used with no understanding of meaning behind them.

I think most people that support the death penalty do not know why they support it.

I've had conversations with people on this topic and have yet to find one person with a legitimate reason.

It makes perfect sense if you get out of your talking point that republicans are really "Anti-Government" They are "Anti- BIG Government." Republicans Understand we need a Government, in fact you'll find a lot of them say they want a strong Military, That's Government. They'll also state they want a strong Police Force and Fire Department, that's Government. They'll say they want Three Separate functioning branches, the Judiciary, executive and Legislative, that's all government.

So yes a majority of Republicans are anti BIG government, and a majority will probably support the death penalty as that goes in line with their sense of a strong police force and strong law enforcement.

It makes perfect sense.

That's an easy one. They are a bunch of hypocrites. The same as they are for the working man but against minimum wage increases. They are for "family values" and then get caught in public restrooms soliciting sex. I don't believe a word that comes out of the republican. They will say whatever it takes to be in power.

Btw. It was a republican that created the biggest government agency in history so tell me how they are for smaller government.

a reply to: InverseLookingGlass

The death penalty is the ultimate law a government can enforce. I've never gotten that one either. Though, if it would mean tax cuts on all capital gains and earnings over $250,000 if it were abolished, I wonder if that would be palatable?

I think a better question to ask is how can someone be pro-life...and pro-death penalty.

originally posted by: sheepslayer247
I think a better question to ask is how can someone be pro-life...and pro-death penalty.

Or how can someone be pro-abortion and anti-death penalty.

a reply to: beezzer

Agreed. If someone is going to have a hypocritical position, at least they can admit it's hypocritical.

originally posted by: InverseLookingGlass
The question at hand is; are White people predominantly in support of the death penalty because they know it favors them? In other words, white privileged or white authoritarianism? They don't trust the government, but they trust the unwritten "system"?

Any insight to offer ATS?

Not necessarily. It's more likely they support it because they haven't experienced the adverse affects of it.

Like supporting "stop and frisk." They arent quite supporting police abuse because they don't see it as police abuse. They probably think they're doing these people a favor by supporting a measure that "keeps them safe."

Look at Shannon Watts. Privileged upper-class Monsanto executive hired on by multi-billionaire Bloomberg to help disarm minorities for their own good. Does she do it out of kindness, hatred or just for the money?

originally posted by: sheepslayer247
a reply to: beezzer

Agreed. If someone is going to have a hypocritical position, at least they can admit it's hypocritical.

Not if you feel that punishing the guilty is okay and punishing the innocent isn't.

a reply to: MrSpad

MrSpad
Republicans support the Death Penalty becuase Democrats oppose it and vice versa.

I really hope you are wrong. That would be a great slogan for why politics are a joke in the US, though.

The only argument against the death penalty should be strictly humanitarian; what other reason is there?


a reply to: sheepslayer247

sheepslayer247
I've had conversations with people on this topic and have yet to find one person with a legitimate reason.

For or against? Again, this topic should be so straight forward.

a reply to: InverseLookingGlass

I find it interesting that you start your topic about Republicans and then by the end you have changed it to "white people".
Not ALL Republicans are white, not all Dems are anti-death penalty.

a reply to: InverseLookingGlass

That's an easy one.
The same way they can be pro-life and pro-war.
See its all easy if you don't think about it.

a reply to: PsychoEmperor

Government is no bigger in any area than when it decides who lives and who dies. A state with such a power is to be considered the arbiter of justice, fate, and destiny. Do I believe that the state is such an entity? No. I don't. That's far too much power vested into the state and the idea promotes a disturbing precedent of societal accepted killings which, indeed, warp a populaces' understandings of the the word justice versus revenge.

tl;dr = Government can be found to be no larger in any area than that area where in it directly decides if one lives or dies.

a reply to: InverseLookingGlass

Makes perfect sense to me.

Rep: Small Gov

Dem: Big gov

Republicans think government medles too much in the affairs of people.

Dems think they should have more government.

I dont see the confusion in this.

I would like to add that I don't see the link between the death penalty and government trust. That's two different things IMO

originally posted by: beezzer

originally posted by: sheepslayer247
I think a better question to ask is how can someone be pro-life...and pro-death penalty.

Or how can someone be pro-abortion and anti-death penalty.

Not sure if pro-abortion is a thing...nobody is like..cheering for abortion (well, hopefully not...surely there is that one nut in every group).
But this isn't the same.
aborting is not removing a person, it is removing potential for a person. death penalty is definitely removing a person.

originally posted by: beezzer
Not if you feel that punishing the guilty is okay and punishing the innocent isn't.

Don't tell me you are unaware of how many innocent people have been on death row and even executed...

People can judge my position as hypocritical if they want, but if a fetus is INSIDE a person and dependent on that person, it's not yet a person and is not entitled to legal rights. The actual person has the right to autonomy and self-determination. If it's in my body, it's my decision as to what to do about it. The uterus is no place for the government.

Both major parties show plenty of hypocrisy, but the GOP wins, hands down.

On topic, I do believe that a generalization can be made that there are more white people that support the death penalty because they are not as affected by it as other races.

a reply to: lemmin

For the death penalty. I have yet to hear a good reason for the death penalty.

The GOP will support whatever the religious right and Rush Limbaugh tells them to support, be it death penalty or Benghazi.
Continually searching for hot button issues that hopefully will gain some traction in the political arena.
My suggestion for the Republicans would be to actually develop a comprehensive campaign strategy that
truly addresses problems in this country. "We're not Obama" just isn't good enough.