Why don't we still have public hangings?

Question

What a great detterent to crime. Watching someone get hung in town square would surely make me think twice about committing a crime.

Actually, believe it or not... I AM a liberal... watch your mouth! ;-)

Answer 1

Actually, Edward, research shows that capital punishment/death penalty is not a deterrent. People who think twice about committing a crime don't have to view someone being subjected to the death penalty. Research show that empathy is the greatest deterrent to victimizing others so instead of public hangings how about we show regard for other's feelings. Teach our children to respect others feelings, & their property. Think of others not just yourself. Of course that takes a little more work/time/skill than standing in the townsquare watching someone hang by a rope.

Answer 2

Are you serious? This sounds a bit archaic to me and definitely over the top. It may be a deterrent to you, but, I'm not sure it would be effective for others b/c it sounds extreme. On the flip side, it may be effective for awhile, but, like everything else, it probably would lose its validity b/c some people would be drawn like a magnet and view it as "entertainment" as in the Puritan days; some Puritan citizens viewed public hanging as not only entertaining but also justified whether or not the prospective person about to be hanged was really guilty or not and whether the crime committed really justified being publicly hanged. Sometimes people were hanged for small infractions of the law which in this day and age might be merely for parking in a metered space and letting the time run out before depositing the next $.25 for 10 min. Would you want to be publicly hanged for such an infraction?

Answer 3

Public hangings are considered barbaric. I guess that's the way I feel about them. Also, I think the crime rate is a lot lower than when there were public hangings. And when the public is involved to that extent, it may have a bad influence on how fair the trial is.

Answer 4

Governments in this country ordain capital punishment, and in order to keep the liberals quiet who favor letting murderers run wild in the streets, capital punishment has been moved behind closed doors. If States were to begin public hangings again, the press would have a field day with it. The criminal justice system would come to a halt.

Answer 5

I think that public hanging would be a grotesque spectacle. Voyeurism and mob mentality would rule the day. I'm sure that public lynching would see an upsurge as well, just as it did in the good old days.

I certainly wouldn't want to see it. Can you imagine that image seared into your memory? Would you really want to wake up every night screaming, wishing that you'd been stuck in traffic and not watching another human life snuffed out?

Answer 6

Because the ratings would go through the roof. We'd have to add hanging offenses to keep the sponsors happy.

There'd be a cable network called "Hangtime" Satisfying your need for hangings 24/7. There would be commentators. "Look at that noose. It reminds me of the Smith hanging in '07" Brought to you by, "Lowe's..Our ropes don't slip".

It would be too much...But I'd watch it.

Answer 7

Seriously! *sees the person get hanged* Okkaaaayyy I'm never gonna commit a crime... *tip-toes away looking scared* I think it was because they believe it's cruel and unusual punishment

Answer 8

You're right, some people just need to be hung. Like all the pedophiles and murderers.

Unfortunately, people think criminals should have rights. The rights to TV, food, and to die in private or only in front of a small crowd.

I'm not one of those people.

Answer 9

Cruel and unusual punishment illegal by constituional amendment in the Bill of Rights, effective 1797 or something.

Answer 10

Because we have to many panty waste human rights sympathizers out there that think it's to harsh to hang a convicted child molesting serial killer.