Those for the death penalty... Could You Flip the Switch?

Question

I am curious, for those of you who are for the death penalty, you would be willing to sentence someone to death, correct?

Once that person is sentenced, could YOU then flip the switch, pull the cord, inject the poison, etc. that would ultimately kill a man/woman?

Do you see a difference between sentencing someone to death and being the one to actually kill an individual?

Answer 1

Why kill people, WHO kill people, to teach that killing is wrong?

Answer 2

An interesting turn on your question is this: is there really much of a difference between flipping the switch to perform an execution, and being the guy who shows up in time to stop the murder from happening and shoots and kills the murderer while they're in the act?

Could you, would you, shoot someone who was holding a gun to your child's head in order to save your child's life? Could you kill then? What about if you're too late, and they've just shot your child, right in front of you? Could you pull the trigger then?

If so, what real difference is there between the execution and self-defense or defense of another? The only thing that has changed is time, and spacial relations. How much do those mean when we're talking about the murder of an innocent person?

Personally, I'd like to think that yes, I could pull the trigger to save someone's life. So yes, I'd hope I could still pull the trigger (or flip the switch, or push the button, etc etc) to execute them.

Answer 3

Federal judges are appointed to make this decision. Personally I do not feel that I am infomed or wise enough to make a good decision as to whether or not someone should be executed for their crimes. But if someone qualified to make that decision says that this is what must happen, then I have no problem with pulling the switch.

I dont think that anyone wants to have a hand in someone dying unless they are a murderer themselves. If a situation exists where you have no other choice to prevent a repeat offender from continuing to commit crimes, then I would rather see that person face execution.

And in that case, I think that I could flip the switch.

Answer 4

The death penalty is not to teach someone a lesson. It is a punishment. If you do something bad enough then you don't deserve to live... sometimes for the safety of others. So yes I could flip the switch. But I am not filling out an application for the job.

Answer 5

No--I couldn't do it myself.
I think if the switch has to be pulled, it should be done by another death row inmate...they already have no conscience so they are best equipped to do the job. Plus they wouldnt have to get paid.
there is a big difference between sentencing and enacting that sentence. we all feel our conscience is telling us that the death penalty is the best thing but then that conscience switches into a different mode that keeps us from doing the killing.

Answer 6

I am for the death penalty under the most heinous crimes (serial killers, rapists).
I would have no problem pulling the switch, especially if the perp was convicted for sodomizing and killing a child. Would you?
For those that would have a problem, I think they should have several "switches" on the wall and everyone pulls theirs at the same time so that no one knows who actually killed the criminal.

Answer 7

Yes I can see the difference in the sentencing and the one to carry it out....
Could I be the one to carry it out... lets see, if it was someone who killed a child, raped and killed women, took the life of an elderly person or disabled person..... YES I could! There are probably other situations that I could carry that sentence out as well.... those were just off the top of my head...

Answer 8

If someone is truely guilty of a crime and is facing the death penalty I would have no problem turning their lights out. I don't see a difference because you are still killing or going to kill an individual...either way they're dead.

Answer 9

Yes. Would I like doing it? No. However, we have a certain set of laws with certain punishments. If people do something so heinous as to merit the death penalty, then yes I would be able to "flip the switch".

Answer 10

If I truly believed the person was guilty and that the majority of people thought the same,then yes I could Flip the Switch.

Answer 11

I think that I would be able to.... if the person was a child molester, rapist, murderer... I HONESTLY DO NOT think that there is ANY reason whatsoever that this type of person should be aloud to go back out there and be able to do it again.

Now, I could NOT harm anyone myself, just for the sake of doing it. But I can tell you that as a mother, if someone were to EVER harm my child... I would have NO doubt in my mind that I COULD physically hurt them... I would do whatever it would take to make sure that that person could NOT harm my child or ANYONE else ever again!

HOWEVER... I think that the death penelty is not harsh enough, I think that person SHOULD have to live the remainder of their life rotting in prison for what they have done....With NO chance to get out.