What do you think about the death Penalty?

I pose this question of "What you think about the death penalty" because it is a very interesting subject to talk about.
Since 1968 to 2005 our increase in the death penalty has increased massively... in 1968 the rate was 517 now it is 3,383... now tell me thats not insane!
In my opinion I think the death penalty has been taken over board... we need to find other ways of punishment... because if you think about this for a minute what IF the person on death row was innocent? Then we are killing them for now reason..
Well I would really like to hear what you think because maybe I'm wrong who knows thats why I'm asking...

Two wrongs don't make a right, if it is illegal for the individual to kill, why is it ok for the state to Kill? People can say that well why waste the taxpayers money to keep these monsters in prison? I've read that the costs of an execution are not very cheap in itself.

What if the monster really is not a monster? An innocent man wrongly convicted, you can release a man from a life sentence. What do you tell a widow, whose husband was wrongfully executed? I think we can all guarantee this situation has happened on more than one occasion. Sure some people commit certain crimes that are worth the death sentence, which leaves the thought of me being a bit of a fence sitter on the subject, but overall I do not see the justification in the state being able to take a life.

Revenge is not the answer, and thats what the death sentence is. Do not give them the satisfaction of being put to sleep. Let these guys sit in a cell for the rest of their life having to think about what it is they have done, and what it is they are missing out on.

Again like I said, two wrongs do not make a right.



[edit on 25-1-2006 by chissler]

This is a tough question.

I used to completely agree with the death penalty. If someone killed another person, why not kill them, it is only fair to the family of the lost one, right?

I watch a lot on Court TV and A&E about how they are using Forensic evidence to solve crimes. Cold Case Files is one of my favorite shows. I have noticed an increase of how many cases are being re-opened. More and more people who have the chance to appeal are being found un guilty of the crimes they were sentenced for.

Sure the government compensates these people with money, but they still have lost thier lives. Do people on death row get the chance to appeal? And what about the people who have already been killed?

I know there are a lot of people out there who did do the things that they were accused of, but at the same time, there are a lot who did not.

Welcome and enjoy your long stay here at the great ATS!

I have always been a believer in an eye for an eye. Its a shame we don't have the death penalty in the UK.
We could save a lot of resources by having it.

If i had to categorize, then it would contain pedophiles and murderers. Also, any pre emtive killing by anyone would warrant the death penalty.

Like i said, an eye for an eye. Commit the crime, do the time. I have no sympathy for the people i mentioned above. Sorry if this comes across has harsh, but i have certain values where children are involved.

I didn't believe in death penalty untill a close relative of mine was raped and killed at the age of 8 a couple years back. I didn't change my view from against to pro, I was just never interested in the subjet. If I ever meet the ones responsible on the street in 10 years when they're out of jail I have no idea what I will do to them, all I know is that it won't be a pretty sight. 15 years in jail doesn't justify such acts, and when you commit them I personally believe you should no longer be allowed to walk free again. And what's the point in keeping them alive anyway, they cost more to have in jail than a person who is on social support from the government for crying out loud. I find it horrid to think of the fact that my tax money is giving those worthless nobodies food on the table.

A bit extreme perhaps, but once you go through these kind of things you suddenly get a different perspective on it. I'm not a violent person, and I know that if I did kill them I'd probably get a sentence myself, although probably not as "high" as theirs. The whole "im gonna kill you attitude" is just a way of showing disgust, or maybe I would do it? I'm very secure on myself but some things are just not possible to imagine.

Oh well Im not gonna rant forever, just adding my two cents.

Originally posted by SpittinCobra
Welcome and enjoy your long stay here at the great ATS!

I think he hit the wrong thread.

I think he (thread starter) hit the wrong forum actually =P

Sharp eye!



chissler stands corrected....

and now i stop talking in third person

this begs this question...what should be done instead? i think if someone murders someone else, then they should have to spend their whole life in prison. in england we had the case of jamie buldger, who was about 4 or 5, and two 11 year olds saw he was on his own, as he had wondered from his mum, and the two 11 year olds tortured jamie, and ending up leaving him dead on a rail way track...these two year olds are now on the streets of england living their new lives...is that justice?

even though they were 11 at the time, personally i wouldn't care if they were hung from the nearest lamp post. that's absolutly sick what they did, and now they have brand new identities and lives for themselves. the thing is the death penulty is the last resort and probably not much else worse that could happen to you, and you would think that would be a deterant for anyone thinking about murdering someone...yet like you say, 3000+ were on last year or something. now maybe what we should do is to have two 'potential death row' prisoners and let them fight to the death in an arena. maybe tag teams, like 2 on 2 etc. now obviously a person who murders another, is not fit for society, so they go to prison...honestly the death penalty almost seems like a better deal for the prisoners, it'd be better if they just let them rot away in their cells.

Originally posted by shaunybabynow maybe what we should do is to have two 'potential death row' prisoners and let them fight to the death in an arena. maybe tag teams, like 2 on 2 etc. now obviously a person who murders another, is not fit for society, so they go to prison...

That would still be "us" forcing them to kill eachother, just like a jealous husband kills of his heating wife through a hitman. The best thing to do is to just ignore the "omgz the butler is a murderer, kill him!" thing.

Originally posted by Panzeroth
That would still be "us" forcing them to kill eachother, just like a jealous husband kills of his heating wife through a hitman. The best thing to do is to just ignore the "omgz the butler is a murderer, kill him!" thing.

i was jokin about the one on one gladiator/arena death matches.

hehe well i have encountered people who atually mean that kind of things, you never know

Originally posted by Panzeroth
hehe well i have encountered people who atually mean that kind of things, you never know

That was me. But only one at a time, like in the Superdome, and on pay per view, put the killer in there wearing only shorts, no weapons, with, say 3 siberian tigers, and 2 polar bears, all of which haven't been fed for a couple of weeks. That might take the cost of the execution obstacle out of the way. Of course, a gunny sack, some rocks, and a deep river is pretty cheap. In China I hear they send a bill for the cost of the bullet to the killers family.

I must sound just brutal. Well, the conditions which would allow a sentence of capital punishment would have to be: At least two convictions on First Degree Murder. I think that would make the innocent man worry a non-issue. Every lesser crime would not qualify, so even one first degree and two second degree murders would not be enough. Both of the murders would have to be premeditated. So crimes of passion, fatal vehicle accidents, etc. would usually not qualify.
There is a serial killer on trial near here, who is charged with around 20 murders. If he is convicted, I nominate him as the first tiger/bear royal rumble competitor.
My only worry is that somehow he might hurt one of the animals.

I believe the death penalty should be administered on a much swifter, accurate, and daily routine basis.

Obviously people, hate and war is not the answer, and two wrongs do not make a right....
but you all know damn good and well that there are a lot of monsters that do not deserve, nor do they have the 'right' to be caged and fed for years by all of us after they have destroyed the life of another person.

If a man or woman has proven to be dangerous to the life of others, they does not deserve to live among peacefull loving people, he or she does not deserve the chance to be rehabilitated or serve their time and be released back into the world as a 'free' person.
AFAIC, if you put your hands on another person with the intentions of beating or killing them, then you are an animal and you should be killed.
Somewhere the line has to be drawn,
either kill everybody that has been proven to be quilty of destroying somebody else's life,
or keep feeding them while storing them in a cage untill they die of old age.
To me, the latter is much more inhumane.

The fundamentals of this issue stem to several of the other 'greatest' issues in our world.
When a person choses to act like an animal and prey upon others, there should be someone with the authority to treat them like a sick animal and take away their opportunity to make others live in fear or misery.
Nobody is in control, and it is very likely that anybody or one group of people ever will take control of our evolution. The illusion that we are living free has clouded the reality that unless we are restricted in some form or another, we will remain free just long enough to cause ourselves to become extinct.


Killem' all ! Let their FATHER sort them out.

I am against the death penalty because of many of the reasonings already mentioned. I also believe on a moral level, a person doesn't have the right to take another's life except in self defense.

Originally posted by shaunybaby
this begs this question...what should be done instead?

Indeed. I believe that the legal system in the US needs a real revamping. Some ideas:
-It should be more consistent.
-Punish the 'worst' crimes with the most brutal punishments, no exceptions.
-Stop prosecuting people for drug crimes. (20% of prisoners)
-Stop treating prisoners as if they're staying at a motel.
-Make the punishment fit the crime. There are so many ways to punish someone. Some involved with rehabilitation.

We aren't using our legal and criminal systems to our best advantage. And I think it would help a lot if we did. It has become a huge tangled mess of a problem and it's just easier to kill people...

Something should be done about the rise in violent offenses, too. Something at the root of the problem. Why are people becoming more violent?



Bureau of Justice Statistics

In 2004, 59 inmates were executed in the US. How much safer is the country because of the death of those 59 people?



[edit on 25-1-2006 by Benevolent Heretic]

Originally posted by chissler
Do not give them the satisfaction of being put to sleep. Let these guys sit in a cell for the rest of their life having to think about what it is they have done, and what it is they are missing out on.

To a great extent, I agree with your thoughts here, Chissler.

If only that were the case ...
"think about what it is they have done and what it is they are missing out on".
Unfortunately, virtually all of these offenders enjoy more amenities, in so-called correctional facilities, than a vast amount of law-abiding citizens do while simply trying to make a living and raise a family.

3 square meals a day, 8 hours sleep in heated/air conditioned housing, FREE medical and dental care, free legal counsel, cable TV, computer access, and the list goes on and ON! ALL at taxpayer's expense!

Now is that SAD or ?What?!

I am not saying they should be confined under inhumane conditions, but Damn! ... when those accused and convicted are afforded luxuries providing better living conditions than many an Average Joe, something is terribly Wrong!

Just my $.02, for now ...

[edit on 1/25/2006 by 12m8keall2c]

totally agree with you there.

this discussion seems to be turning in to something more like 'oh, but what about the prisoners, surely it's better if we keep them in prison, so they can sit and think about what they've done for the rest of their life in a cell'...but we're not here to discuss that. we're here to discuss if the death penalty is immoral in this day and age. england doesn't have it...so why does the usa feel the need to have the death penalty? maybe it's not even a question of being immoral, because frankly it is...two rights don't make a wrong, and why is a state or country justified in killing someone, it's more the question of why does the usa feel the need to have the death penalty. you can see in those figures, the highest numbers were in the days of the electric chair, then there's a gap, which is when they quit using the chair, and then you see a rise again...when they found more humane ways...athough there's nothing humane about putting a person to sleep.

We don't have the death panalty in the U.K. and it's our loss

"Punishment must be unusual or it serves no purpose." Lt. Col DuBois Terran Mobile Infantry - From Heinlein's "Starship Troopers"


well if we dont execute em then what do we do with them? let them sit there and think about what they've done?