Do you believe in the death penalty? Why or Why not?

Question

I dont believe in it

Answer 1

the problem with the death penalty is innocent people might be put to death...with the advent of dna, there have been murder cases that have been overturned...the best solution for me is to banish death convicts to a lifetime of cleaning toilets and latrines every day...i cant think of death not being a better prospect than this and the innocent can still be saved

Answer 2

I am not for the death penalty. At the same time this is a hard question to answer, because I could argue both sides of the issue if I had to.

Having said that, here is what people who are against the death penalty don't understand:

The death penalty is not intended to be a deterrant; the fact that people still murder other people after the death penalty was reinstated proves this. Rather, it is intended to be a punishment to the murderer for taking the life of the victim. The law of the land says that the penalty for murder is death, and if we are a nation of laws, we must follow it.

Now here is what people who are for the death penalty don't understand:

When it comes to executions, there is no real justice. Executing a murderer may rid the world of another cold-blooded killer, and it may bring a sense of closure to the victim's family, but where is justice? What is to be proven, that America can have the death penalty and still be the greatest country in the world, even though much of the rest of the world no longer uses the death penalty?

Another question we need to ask ourselves is how the anti-abortion movement can be pro-life and pro-death penalty. If Roe v. Wade were overturned tomorrow, the anti-abortion movement would have won its battle after 33 years. What then? If abortion becomes illegal and abortion is murder, do we execute every woman in this country who has had an abortion?

I believe justice is a man-made concept by which victims of crime measure their own sense of being wronged, which is why the death penalty is popular today.

"You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I say to you, Do not resist one who is evil. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also; and if anyone would sue you and take your coat, let him have your cloak as well; and if any one forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to him who begs from you, and do not refuse him who would borrow from you."

Have we become so pro-death penalty in this country that we no longer understand what that passage means?

Answer 3

I do not believe in it.

If someone killed someone close to me I would want to kill them or have the state kill them. I think that is just being human.

However, killing another person makes you a murderer too. We come up with all kinds of justifications (eye for an eye) but in the end it is just another murder.

I am not a wildly religious person, but I believe in God and he can decide the fate of the murderer.

The best argument against capital punishment is " what if you make a mistake"? There have been many many people on death row that have been saved by DNA. They were innocent and had there been no DNA they would have been executed. Since that would have been a mistake would the State be murderers? I think so.

We are supposed to be civilized people and I think we must resist the urge to kill and show mercy and simply lock the people up for the rest of thier lives. That is punishment enough.

Answer 4

I believe it should be used in certain cases 1st degree murder. But the death penalty is not a deterrent it is the ultimate punishment. Here in Mich we don't have the death penalty but a conviction of 1st degree murder is mandatory life no parole. People who think prison is a piece of cake need a reality check a prisoner has no life when locked up and that is the way it should be.

Answer 5

So wait a minute, let's pretend you had a daughter - and she was 5 years old. One day, on your way back, someone nocked you out with a baseball bat, and a few days later you found your daughter had been raped, burnt, skinned, eaten and then split into two and used her organs as sex toys - you wouldn't want that guy to die a painful death?

Wow, you're a better person than me.

I'd kill that guy myself and go to jail for the rest of my life. I wouldn't care twice.

HOWEVER... I do heartily believe in eye for an eye.

Someone kills someone, kill them.
Someone steals, take away from them.
Someone rapes someone, cut off his/her pleasure organs and hands, eyes.
Someone smokes it up, smoke it up with him

/shrug

Point is, if there was a "clear concise" piece of paper that said EXACTLY what gives the dealth penalty, 100% of the time; instead of this entire "well we had a black man kill a white girl so lets' take him to a city that's 80% black and get the jury there and maybe they can decide to just give him a slap on the hand instead of years in prison, because if we go to white county over there you know they'll just give him like 50 death penalties...."

that's BS. And that's why I kind of don't agree with it... too much politicking over something that should be simple.

You killed someone on purpose? Great. You're dying tommorow, have a nice day.

etc

Answer 6

In an ideal world, it wouldn't be necessary. Unfortunately, this will never be an ideal world while there are people on it. I believe that some crimes warrant death, if only to prevent future instances. I also find the death penalty to be more merciful than a life sentence. There are worse things you can do to a man than simply kill him.

Answer 7

A permanent solution isn't the answer to problems. Addressed in a civil manner, with punishment for the act itself will leave a longer impression. Only then does the perpetrator learn. Therefore I don't agree with the Death Penalty!

Answer 8

Yes and no.
No not right away because the criminal needs to sit in prison for as many years as needed just so he/she suffers so much that it will make life hell for that criminal.
Yes, after the criminal has really suffered in prison for years already then sit back the let that crud die as painfully as possible so he/she has an idea of what the victim went through their death.
I hope I explained this answer good enough to let you all know that I do believe in the death penalty but the crud needs to really suffer for a number of years before dying.

Answer 9

I strongly disagree dude !!

Killing is a sin, so you can't treat sin with a sin.
Killing is a crime, life in prison is much more of a punishment than just death, where the criminal is paying for his crime every day of this life while his/her freedom is taken away.

Many incidences where Justice was mistaken, and false proofs. Who to blame when the truth appears and the verdict is already taken and the inoccent is dead.

I'm hoping for a reform to ban death penalty, and allow a proper punishment that humanity can tolerate.

Answer 10

i believe very much in the death penalty because when ever i hear of someone killing someone i immediately think of an eye for an eye, a life for a life, if you kill someone unless it was an accident you should die yourself, but i also believe in a life time in jail with no parole i think that might be worse then the death penalty hopefully I'll never have to find out!:)

Answer 11

No I do not. We are teaching our children that killing is wrong both legally and morally, yet if the state does it then its ok? The death penalty does not deter crime at all. No one in their right mind will murder someone, so why would that same person then think oh, I might get put to death, guess i won't do it. I also agree that the criminals should have to hard labor like the chain gangs to serve their punishment. Even with DNA evidence there have still been times that the wrong person has been convicted and executed, just one time of that happening is too many.