Do you believe in the death sentence?

Question

I personally am against it, unless a willing confession of a crime punishable by it is made.

If one isn't, what if we make a mistake? If you think that mistakes have never been made with this, and never will, you are... well you are wrong to say it nicely.

You know what they say, two wrongs don't make a lef-... right.

Anyway, I see death to be the worst thing that can happen to you (although I would give my life for others), so that is probably where my opinion comes from.

How about all of you?

"would you rather pay 23 thousand bucks a year to house a murderer"

I would gladly do so, are you saying you value an innocent human life at a mere millions of dollars? If so, you disgust me...
Maybe you don;t get waht I am saying... mistakes are made, and it's not worth killing an innocent person to kill 10 other guilty ones.

"That's what all of our laws are, or at least should be."

An eye for an eye and the whole world will be blind.

So you would rather die than go through a traumatic experience?

This is interesting... so many people would prefer death to suffering...

Answer 1

Morally: No one should take another's life, unless in self-defense. Murdering someone who's already in custody can never be self-defense.

Practically: Death sentences has been proven NOT to affect crime rates.

Besides: even if a confession is made, you cannot be 100% sure you've got the right person. Confessions can be the result of pressure, brainwashing, torture. Yes, also in the US of A, as has been established by numerous reports from reputed human rights organizations. Why people would make a false confession knowing it leads to the death penalty? Because death is NOT the worst thing that can happen to you.

Answer 2

I am definitely for the death penalty. I don't agree with our justice system as it stands. It is broken. I do know mistakes are made. I believe the death penalty in cases where there is ..say videotape evidence... or in a case of multiple convictions for the same crime (I say multiple because if the person is repeatedly convicted of the same serious crimes over and over, it is very unlikely that there is a mistake as to this person's guilt in at least one of the cases).

I do not believe there should be an appeal process after the death penalty is sentenced in the above cases.

Am I willing to take the chance that there is a mistake? I believe in the cases that I have described the chances are very minute that there would be a mistake, but yes. I am willing to take a chance.

If you can not think of anything worse to happen to somebody than death, then you probably have not heard of some of the things these criminals have done. Like: Rape innocent children...torture and eat their victims. I think that IS much worse than death. If given a choice of being raped or tortured...or killed. I would take killed any day of the week!

I think death may be a bit merciful for some of the atrocities committed in this world. But, I'd just as soon rid the world of as much of them as possible.

Answer 3

Yes, theoretically I am for the death penalty, but I don't believe in the cost it takes to finalize it. For society's purpose, the death penalty as it stands now does more harm than good. There are too many automatic checks that cost taxpayers a lot more than simply putting them behind bars forever with no parole. The courts would be freer, the lawyers wouldn't make as much, everyone wouldn't always get so upset, etc. And since there probably has been an innocent person who has been put to death at least once, we'd avoid that.

One could argue that the family of the murdered person may want justice, but they are only a tiny portion of the overall public. Justice is for society, not for any one particular person. Justice can be done if the rule is life with no parole.

(Laser doesn't understand that the court costs, repeated appeals processes, etc. easily outweigh life costs. And most inmates don't live 50 years...)

Answer 4

In theory the death sentence is fine. The problem is that too many people on death row aren't guilty. In Illinois a lot of the people on death row were found to be not involved in the crimes for which they had been sentenced. The governor suspended all executions. The fact that these people were not guilty was proven by DNA evidence. This happened about ten years ago. Illinois used the same standards for processing capital charges as all the other states. Those standards were mandated by the US Justice Dep't in response to US Supreme Court decisions. About a third of the convictions that were found to be faulty were based on confessions. Current law enforcement interview techniques frequently extract false confessions. Death sentence cases require a higher standard of procedural due process than other felonies so it is reasonable to infer that a larger portion of those in prison for felony convictions with less than death as a penalty are wrongfully convicted than those who are on death row. In the US individuals charged with crimes have conviction rates well above 90%. Usually multiple charges are issued against each person charged. When a person is convicted other charges are often dismissed. This creates a confession because the Justice Department considers conviction rates based on charges that result in convictions not people who are charged. As a result the news often reports that we have a conviction rate of about 50%. The public responds by seeking politicians who are hard on crime. We've now got the problem that internationally other countries are refusing to extradite to the US because the other countries believe that those charged with a crime cannot receive a fair trial in the US. This recently arose with the Dutch Gov't. They finally extradited after the charges were modified and our State Dep't stepped into the negotiations. So, the death sentence is reasonable but our system is so broken that we shouldn't even consider it until we repair the courts.

Answer 5

I DID A 10 PAGE PAPER ON THE PROS AND CONS OF THE DEATH PENALTY ABOUT 6 YEARS AGO AND I DID ALL KINDS OF CRAZY RESEARCH-- I STILL DON'T KNOW--I LEAN MORE TOWARDS BEING FOR IT. I LOOK AT IT LIKE A PUNISHMENT FOR AN ACTION TAKEN, NOT AS A WRONG. THE AMOUNT OF INNOCENT PEOPLE BEING PUT TO DEATH IS NOT THAT HIGH BUT STILL HEARTBREAKING. IT ACTUALLY COSTS THE STATE MORE MONEY TO PERSUE A DEATH SENTENCE IN A CASE. THE INMATE ACTUALLY HAS A LAST MOMENT WITH THEIR LOVED ONES, AND A MEAL WHERE AS THEIR VICTIM DIDN'T. I DON'T KNOW BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW IF I COULD STOMACH WITNESSING THE EXECUTION. I GUESS IT DEPENDS ON THE CRIME REALLY.

Answer 6

My opinion is somewhat unconventional and will surely upset some. I am for punishment for a guilty offender but in most cases death leads to more pain unfelt by the person who is executed. I say find a way to make them suffer as the family of their victim(s) suffered. Take something away from them akin to what was taken. Life of parent for life of their parent! It may sound crazy but there would be more pressure not to kill!

Answer 7

If you all knew just how much we as tax payers pay to house criminals.

Charles Manson has been on death row for over 30 years. we spend approximately $30,000 a year per inmate to feed and house this criminals, you do the math.

Most americans make less than this to take care of their families. Just think how much we could help these families with the money we spend on inmates.

If someone is willing to kill for a cause, rape because they are sick in the head and horny, or worse yet a person who prays on children, I say kill them now.

Answer 8

I truly believe in the Death Penalty. Should be for repeat offenders or for those tyhat commit truly heinous crimes.

My cousin was killed by her boyfriend. He had a history of violent bahavior. He shot his best friend in the leg with a shotgun over who had to go get more liquor. He firebombed the high school. During an assembly. He tried to remote detonate a bomb but the receiver malfunctioned. So he made a molotov.

He dealt drugs. He tried to get me and my brother in on the business.

While he was on trial for my cousin's murder, he violated his bond and went hunting in Canada. They had to send Mounties and a U.S. Marshall to get him back for the trial.

Then while he was on trial, he raped and sodomized a 13 year old girl while her parents were at a party his mom and dad was throwing. She will never have kids. He saw to that. Afterwards, he stole their tv, stereo, computer, and their car. And for all of that he got out after serving just 3 years of a 5 year sentence.

I was in the 7th grade and I was scared, because he threatened my family. He had friends that kept track of us an dno matter what we did he found us. We moved every few months, my brother and I changing schools and never making many friends. We lived in fear for our lives until he was arrested in Washington state while picking up a shipment of drugs. He tried to kill two cops. Now he's sitting in prison for the rest of his life.

We lived in constant fear for too long. So yeah, I do believe in the death penalty.

Answer 9

I believe in the death penalty (BUT ) The law I don't believe in.
First it is not fair if someone murders me in one state he will die another state he won't If you have money you get a good lawyer
chances are you get off. If we are going to have laws and penalties
they should be the same for all Americans Rich & Poor no matter
where you live.

Answer 10

Honestly, I believe in the death penalty. If someone kills someone else, how could you really argue for any other punishment? What else would be fitting? Why does that person NOT deserve the same fate he or she dealt to someone else?

Like it or not, the basis for all legal systems IS "an eye for an eye." That's what all of our laws are, or at least should be.