Where do you stand with regards to the death penalty?

I would probably change my opinion if something happened to me or someone I cared for but at the moment I'm against it! I personally feel we've evolved past justified murder.
 
Just one question, some of those people who are against the death penalty, and yet advocate 'life means life' when it comes to prison sentances.

What is the real difference between committing a person to spending the rest of their natural life, in a prison cell, never to see the outside again. Or giving them the option of taking the 'easy way out'.

And the reason that in the states that the costs associated with the death penalty are so high, is because they spend years/decades in the appeal courts. If the whole system were not tied up in so much red tape, then it wouldn't be quite so expensive.
 
Seraph said:
yikes, thats food for thought,

so if, maybe you do and maybe you dont, have a daughter?
and you caught someone molesting her, fiddling her, you wouldn't want to kill said miscreant, or want him or her punished in any way shape or form?
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Exactly the type of non-thought out, mob-justice response Vonhelmet was trying to provoke. Paedophilia and Ebephilia are not illegal, nor are they should be. C.F Inquisitors response.

As for the death penalty - I still don't know where I stand.
 
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bloodiedathame said:
*And before anyone says that 'it isn't a deterrent, look at America'; the US is a totally different culture to ours, society is vastly different to what we experience in the UK.
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It's not a deterrent.

Let's look at murder stats.
Per 100,000 population there were 5.47 murders per year in the USA between 2000-2009
Per 100,000 population there were 1.64 murders per year in the UK between 2000-2009.
35 US States have the death penalty.

According to the FBI, St Louis (in Missouri) had the highest instance of total violent crime in the country with 20.7 instances for every 1000 people in 2009.
Missouri has the death penalty.
The 2nd highest was Detroit, Michigan, with 19.67 instances per 1000. Michigan does not have the death penalty.

There is no concrete evidence that proves the death penalty has any noticeable effect on crime rates.
 
Interestingly, Virginia in the US, has just bought some sodium thiopental from the UK pharmacies as they've run out of it for their executions. So they had delayed the executions. Each "injection" cost the US £220. So that's the cost of someone's life, for £220, we've just sold a drug to kill someone. It's a little cold and macarbe.

I'm undecided about the death penalty. I think in the cold light of day I would soften my resolve, in the heat of the moment, I'd be all for it. IT's very hard to gauge my feelings. If someone genuinely is repentent and won't offend again I think they should be given a second chance, how do you guarantee it? That's the million dollar question. I personally feel that a life sentence meaning life, is more harsh than the death penalty.
 
Eye for an eye.

You rape in cold blood, you get castrated.
You steal, you get a hand taken off.

Obviously that's a very simple view, there would be strict critera and beyond reasonable doubt of guilt - of course.

Segregation is another option, instead of prisons, entire self-contained towns with all the scum within. Utopia here we come!
 
I'm against the death penalty regardless of the crime. But I do believe many sentences are too short, especially for repeat offences. And I don't believe everyone should have a second chance, there are some people who should never be released.

As for the death penalty as a deterrent, you only have to look at the US to see it just doesn't work.
 
Hard Labour would be better imo.

The problem with the death penalty is that it is final, someone found not guilty at a later date (it happens surprisingly often) would still be dead, whereas Hard Labour will punish the person and allow him/her to reflect on their crimes and hopefully if the Labour is Hard enough rue the day they committed them, and in the event of a wrongful conviction they can be compensated and released.

The death penalty is a soft option, too quick and in most cases painless.
 
Ahleckz said:
It's not a deterrent.

Let's look at murder stats.
Per 100,000 population there were 5.47 murders per year in the USA between 2000-2009
Per 100,000 population there were 1.64 murders per year in the UK between 2000-2009.
35 US States have the death penalty.

According to the FBI, St Louis (in Missouri) had the highest instance of total violent crime in the country with 20.7 instances for every 1000 people in 2009.
Missouri has the death penalty.
The 2nd highest was Detroit, Michigan, with 19.67 instances per 1000. Michigan does not have the death penalty.

There is no concrete evidence that proves the death penalty has any noticeable effect on crime rates.
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Go back and re-read what I wrote.
 
Serial killers, rapists and serious re-offenders should be put to death. Why we support such evil and disgusting scum is well beyond my understanding.

It would make more room in prisons, cost less and more than likely bring about some fear to the scum bags that ruin lives.
 
bloodiedathame said:
Go back and re-read what I wrote.
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... That doesn't change my point at all. You suggest that the death penalty is a deterrent. I posted quantifiable facts showing that this isn't the case. Because we are different countries and have slightly different nuances this renders the figures obsolete? I struggle to see how that's true.

You can look at crime figures throughout the World and you will not see any proof that having the death penalty results in less crime - in many cases the opposite is true, but again there is no hard proof to suggest this either.

The simple fact of the matter is that there exists no relationship between crime rates and the death penalty and thus it's wrong to suggest we should bring in the death penalty as it would be a deterrent.
 
Against, of course.

Gandalf - “Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the very wise cannot see all ends.”
 
I'd be willing to take my chances of wrongly being sentanced if it meant we got rid of some of the scum who are never going to be released into society again anyway.
 
I think it does render the figures obsolete. Make gun ownership legal, increase racial prejudice, introduce severe poverty and a massive drug problem HERE and then we start to see similarities with the US and the figures would be more applicable.
 
w3bbo said:
I'd be willing to take my chances of wrongly being sentanced if it meant we got rid of some of the scum who are never going to be released into society again anyway.
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very true. even if it only removes the fewest scum possible it still portrays the message of you cant get away with anything.
 
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