Pro death penalty or not?

Question

How do you feel? and would it change if you were the victim of a murder in your family?

Answer 1

I am a firm believer in the death penalty. I was a victim, many years ago. My best friend (room mate)was murdered. She was 23 years old. A man came into our home, and murdered her brutally. She was shot at close range with a 30-06 rifle, and died, literally, within 2 minutes. I was victimized; held hostage, beat, terrorized, kidnapped, violated in ways I will not describe, and the list continues. This person resides at a full maximum security state penitentiary. At the time., the death penalty was on the books(legal)in our state, however, the Governor would not institute it. Many lives were affected, and ruined, by this senseless, viscous, tragedy. I was victimized, that is the past tense of victim, that is how i view myself, in order to be a survivor.`---- I am editing my post. Susan, I know every statistic, I have studied aberrant behavior, and I can tell you WITHOUT a doubt, my roommates parents would have taken matters into their own hands, if it was possible.My feelings are clear. Until you have been remotely close to a situation, as heinous as this, statistics are irrelevant.

Answer 2

There is a variety of views about the death penalty among families of murder victims. For a different perspective, I suggest you take a look at the website of the Journey of Hope at www.journeyofhope.org, also at the website of Murder Victims Families for Reconciliation, www.mvfr.org. These are organizations of victims family members who oppose the death penalty in principal.

You should also take a look at the testimony of murder victims family members at the 2006 hearings of the New Jersey Death Penalty Study Commision, at which family members testified that although they support the death penalty in principal, they prefer life without parole because of the efffect of the death penalty process on families like theirs.

Here are some other things about the death penalty- some verifiable and sourced facts- sorry about the length but this is a very important subject.

Re: Possibility of executing an innocent person
Over 120 people on death rows have been released with evidence of their innocence, many having already served over 2 decades on death row. If we speed up the process we are bound to execute an innocent person. Once someone is executed the case is closed. If we execute an innocent person the real criminal is still out there and will have successfully avoided being charged.

Re: DNA
DNA is available in less than 10% of murder cases. It’s not a miracle cure for sentencing innocent people to death. It’s human nature to make mistakes.

Re: Appeals
Our appeals system is designed to make sure the trial was in accord with constitutional standards, not to second guess whether the defendant was actually innocent. It is very difficult to get evidence of innocence introduced before an appeals court.

Re: Deterrence
The death penalty isn’t a deterrent. Murder rates are actually higher in states with the death penalty than in states without it. Moreover, people who kill or commit other serious crimes do not think they will be caught (if they think at all.)

Re: cost
The death penalty costs far more than life in prison. The huge extra costs start to mount up even before the trial. There are more cost effective ways to prevent and control crime.

Re: Alternatives
48 states have life without parole on the books. It means what it says, is swift and sure and is rarely appealed. Being locked in a tiny cell for 23 hours a day, forever, is certainly no picnic. Life without parole incapacitates a killer (keeps him from re-offending) and costs considerably less than the death penalty.

Re: Who gets the death penalty
The death penalty isn’t reserved for the “worst of the worst,” but rather for defendants with the worst lawyers. When is the last time a wealthy person was sentenced to death, let alone executed??
Re: Victims families
The death penalty is very hard on victims’ families. They must relive their ordeal in the courts and the media. Life without parole is sure, swift and rarely appealed. Some victims families who support the death penalty in principal prefer life without parole because of how the death penalty affects families like theirs.

Opposing the death penalty doesn’t mean you condone brutal crimes or excuse people who commit them. According to a Gallup Poll, in 2006, 47% of all Americans prefer capital punishment while 48% prefer life without parole. Americans are learning the facts and making up their minds using common sense, not revenge.

Answer 3

I am a strong believer of the death penalty, but it is the bleeding hearts that protect murdering criminals, and our governments have no jam to enforce the laws of this land, crooked lawyers get criminals off, even when they know they are as guilty as hell, there is no justice for the victim or their families, criminals get to live in a five star prison hotel and more benefits than the victim will ever get, we truly are a society gone absolutely mad.

Answer 4

I'm pro death penalty. And I agree with Private , pedophiles and rapists should also be put to death,preferably(sp?) by the victim or their family members.

Answer 5

i'm pretty much in the middle . while i'm not opposed to putting people to death, about a year ago i became a corrections officer and i think living your life as an inmate is a much worse fate than being put to death. especially if the offender is pretty young. think about it this way if you're under 30 commit a heinous crime and get death you could potentially spend 30 plus years in jail. that is just a long time to sit and rot and think about your crime, not knowing when you're going to die as opposed to having a date set for you. ....

Answer 6

I'm for it all the way for murder, rape, child molestation. But the evidence has to be iron clad there can't be any mistakes. Look how many people have been put to death for something they didn't do then the government says oops. Justice has to quit making those mistakes. The evidence has to be ironclad.

Answer 7

I am totally for the death penalty, and if anybody says "but it's been proven not to be a deterrent" ask them about recidivism rates.

Answer 8

I am for it, it should be used for rapists and child molesters too.

If I were the victim, I would be dead, but I think that my opinion would be the same.

Answer 9

"An eye for an eye will leave the whole world blind"-Ghandi