Should we execute those who commit crimes against children, killing a police officer etc:?

Question

The question is should we execute for the following crimes, if yes please say why YOU would execute or call for execution:

Rape (Male or Female)
Raping a child,
Killing a child,
Killing a Police officer,

Suggest a crime if none of the above for which you would call for execution - SENSIBLE answers only all others will be reported as abuse.

Answer 1

i think all those crimes deserve execution, if not life in prison, and life should mean life, not 15 years.
but I'm not Keen on paying my taxes to those filthy, evil scumbags so that they can live out the rest of their lives in comfy prison cells that are provided to them nowadays - out of our wages!
and that's why execution is sometimes the best way, also if they couldn't respect a persons life, why should theirs be?

Answer 2

To me whether killing a person was justified would depend less on the actual crime than on whether the criminal had done something so very bad that he could be considered as having resigned from the human race. I would say that killing or raping a child would qualify and I would definitely support the death penalty for such offences with certain limitations - eg killing a child quickly to end enormous suffering in an accident situation where help was many hours away and good recovery impossible.

Raping an adult is a bit more problematic. The whole issue of consent is so fraught with uncertainty, but if it could definitely be established that the rape was deliberate, recreational in nature and done with cruelty I would say yes.

As far as killing a police officer, Im not sure. Traditionally crimes of violence against police are treated with more severity, not because the police person is special, but because of the damage to public security if the police are not held in respect. I would hesitate to award the death penalty for this.

Personally I would add persistent, grave and wanton cruelty to animals.

Answer 3

Good question, and challenges deeply felt beliefs of everyone. Punishment or retribution or cure or safety of society? Which of those is the guiding principle to follow?
On the basic principle of execution, I believe that the eye for an eye principle is or should be the basis of maintaining a healthy society. It is tough, but realistic, and easily understood!
Now I am not saying that we put rapists in prison so they get raped (or rape others!). I think cases of rape are difficult, so we must be careful about a blanket type answer to this. Relationships are tricky and sometimes a trist can turn nasty and become a "rape", and in some cases it may be true that the victim plays a part in contributing to it in some way. Even though it is hard for a girl (say) to go public on a rape case (most choose not to) it may in very rare cases be a pay back to a man she wants to hurt. In the case of rape of a child, there is no similar "contribution" by victim as the child - any child - is innocent. It is the moral, civic and human duty of every adult to protect all children. It is an evil crime. In such a case I would consider chemical "castration" such that the person concerned is unable to rape again (after an appropriate jail sentence of course). This should be reversible- I say reversible since a surgical castration is morally unacceptable in a civilized society and we may in the future find a better way to immobilise such people. I dont believe that in either case , rape of child or of adult there should be a death sentence.
For murder however, I think one of the worrying things about death sentences is the number of people on Death Row who have subsequently been found innocent because of later forensic evidence or police tampering.
Therefore I believe the peron convicted must serve a proson sentence which generates income to pay back the damage to family and others who suffered as a result of the loss of a loved one. Why waste another life? Make the murderer try to put right the wrong he/she has done. I do not think that there is a difference in punishment for a different type of person murdered, child or police officer, as the criminal must pay retribution from prison to those affected, regardless of sex age gender or job. I think a family who has a child muredered may initially wish the murderer dead, but they might over time be comforted by the fact that an income is being generated and they can put this to use in the memory of their lost child. I believe this preferable.
What crime would I call for execution? What crime is so bad that it calls for a sort of public justice? A collective cleansing? Someone who is deeply sick or evil, and causes the death and suffering of many individuals and for whom retribution is meaningless or impossible.

Answer 4

Aithough I am not a death penalty proponent,I can see giving the death penalty to one who murders a child or rapes a child. Just outright rape of an individual, no, but a long prison sentence with no parole for the first offense, yes, death for a second offence. The murder of a police officer is a questionable one. First, I respect the true law enforcement officers who do their job from their heart. However, with the
many good officers around, there is always that one who tries to take advantage of their position. If in fact one of these rogue policemen were to be killed because of these types of actions, a death penalty should not be. However, if the death penalty advocates get such a legislation passed, I would say they must also pass safeguards, primarily, a 30 day review of all court documents before a death penalty assigned by a judge and jury becomes binding. If, for any reason, it is found that there was gross prosecutorial conduct, the death penalty would be set aside and the prosecuting attorney would surrender their license immediately and for life.

Answer 5

Yes, I believe we should execute criminals in certain situations, such as the heinous crimes you've mentioned. The reason I think this is that, at least for the crimes against children, would be committed again once the perpetrator served his time and was back out on the streets. Killing a police officer is equally as bad, but while the criminal might not kill another officer once he was free, I don't think he would have any respect for authority and would continue in his life of crime.
Having said that, I know there are instances where people are truly rehabilitated; however, I feel that if we executed criminals, it might deter others from committing those crimes themselves and thus save lives.

Answer 6

The death penalty for Rape of an adult was declared unconstitutional by the United States Supreme Court in Coker. That case left open the question of the constitutionallity of the death penalty for rape of a child. There has been one conviction for capital rape of a child in the United States. It occurred in Louisiana and is still pending through the post conviction & appellate process. Personally, I think it should be declared Constitutional based on the tremendous long term harm, often worse then death, that results from the crime plus the fact that the likelihood of rehabilitation for the offender is zero.

As for killing any person, individual circumstances have to be consider when applying the death penalty not just broad generalities.

Answer 7

If you have seen the film about Derek Bentley and how he was executed you would be sick to your stomach and want a better way than more violence and cruelty no matter what the crime - as a society we have to be better than those who break the law and he did not even kill the policeman but the boy who did got a few years and then paroled - it was a revenge killing to send a message that if you hurt a police officer we will break your neck and I am so sad that enough of you think it is an answer

Answer 8

Should we execute for some crimes? Most definately. Perhaps because I live in Texas it comes natural to us to put a rabid dog down. It's just the logical thing to do .... no, it is not pretty or fun, it is just a fact of life and a grim thing to be done.

Yes to first degree murder, no matter who the victim (child or police).

No to rape of anyone, but my solution to that problem is perhaps the same, only more cruel. If convicted, a rapist or perp of any violent crime should have their crime tattoed on their forehead or cheek. They should then be turned out onto the streets with no help from society whatsoever.

This would mean: no use of hospitals, no access to law enforcement or the court system, not even allowed on public transportation or use of toll roads! No Social Security Income when you age, no ability to even own a car or have a bank account.

The theory is that if you do not wish to live in our society according to our rules, then you will not reap the benefits of society. If you are beaten and robbed, don't bother calling the police, don't go to a hospital; you can't even take anyone to court and sue them privately.

I'm pretty sure that if that were done, the crime rate for violent crime, like rape, would drop dramatically. Is it drastic? Sure, but it is either that or we can pay hundreds of thousands of dollars trying to rehabilitate a rapist in a flawed system.

Answer 9

Yes ....And I also think that they should be publicly executed as well , and broad-casted on ALL channels ( just as the presidents state of the union addresses are ).....BUT.....There must be due process of the law , and I think that the 3-strike law is 1 too many (fool me once-shame on you...fool me twice-shame on me ) So the first offense would carry a long sentence of very hard labor , (and the profit would go to the victims family or a victims fund/trust ) along with the seizure of ALL of the convicted' assets ( personal and shared ) And if/when released permanent parole (with tracking device implanted and irremovable). I know it sounds harsh , but the crimes you listed sound even harsher!

Answer 10

This is based strictly on opinion, but I think the death penalty should be enforced on an "eye for an eye" basis. I don't think crimes such as rape are severe enough to deserve death, but I think if you kill another person (ON PURPOSE!) then you should be executed. If it was accidental then I believe a long, long jail sentence would suffice. But of course this would never happen because the courts would be under too much pressure to decide whether a killing crime was intentional or not, because if they say it is and it really wasn't then. . . The person under question would already be dead.

Answer 11

I don't know. All this stuff with our children sickens me, and something must be done to set an example. There are so many crazy defenses anymore. Don't get me wrong, I don't want an innocent person put to death. I think there should be a mandatory death penalty for killing anyone. There's a 50 some year old guy in ND, who spent most of his life in prison or the State Hospital. He had assaulted I think about 40 women. Shortly after he got out--a couple of years ago around Thanksgiving--he kidnapped a college girl, smothered her with a plastic bag, stabbed her, raped her and threw her body into a ravine. Personally, I think the same should be done to him. Then there's the child rapist/killers. I think they should be put to death the same way they killed their victims. A quick shot in the arm after laying around prison for 10 years while their case is appealled, appealled, appealed is not enough.