Why do people who are against abortion often vote in favor of the death penalty?

Question

George W. Bush springs to mind. For someone who is pro-life it seems he has little problem terminating it, see also Iraq.

Bush on abortion:
http://www.willamette.edu/org/sfc/Bushonabortion.html
Bush on death penalty:
http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/article.php?scid=18&did=235

Joseph: you don't seen anything at all hypocritical about this stance?

Ah, one is murder and the other is punishment. Do you hear yourself talking?

Joseph: you are one of the fundies who do not allow email but feel free to send them one. The similarity is LIFE. Pro-Life, remember? What if you convict but one innocent man? Is that worth it? And do you think over the years there hasn't been a single case or wrongful conviction? No appeal, is there?

Answer 1

My parents are the same way. Most of my family is. I think it's a fundamentalist thing with lots of the Old Testement mentality. It goes like this: "Everybody deserves a chance, so no abortion. Also, we still think sex is bad, but we don't like to admit it, so no abortion. Once you've had a turn and you mess up, then it's death for you!!!"

If you believe in a hell concept, I think, honestly, a lot of your humanity just gets burned away. You start to lose sight of the sanctity of a human life. Also, since the god they follow can toss sinners into hell, they are only doing "as he does" when they take life here on earth.

Answer 2

I think that some of the people you have written about are motivated by a wish for revenge (eye for an eye mentality), but also by fear that they will not be safe in their homes and communities. Many of them do not know the facts surrounding the death penalty system.

Here are a few. Some of the answers you have received are mistaken about them.

The death penalty costs much more than life in prison. Robert S may not know this, or the reasons for it.

The death penalty risks executing innocent people (123 already exonerated) and DNA is available in less than 10% of all homicides.

The death penalty is not a deterrent. Most killers do not consider the consequences, and don't even think they will be caught (if they think at all). Nunyvgv and Dubya are wrong on this.

Life without parole is now on the books in 48 states. It means what it says. Life without parole incapacitates criminals (keeps them from re offending.) Wayne and Vospire may not be aware of this.)

The death penalty can be very hard on families of murder victims.

The death penalty does not apply to the worst of the worst. It applies to defendants with the worst lawyers.

48% of Americans prefer life without parole and 47% prefer the death penalty. We are learning and can only hope that others will too.

Answer 3

I think it is better for a woman to get an abortion than to give birth to an addicted, or unwanted baby, one concieved by rape or incest, or one that she is unable to care for, it is the right thing to do in some circumstances. If there wasn't such a stigma on giving babies up for adoption, more people might do it. But there IS a huge stigma, so they can go have an abortion and nobody has to know about it. Regarding the death penalty, there are people every day who are proven innocent after years in prison- I know one guy serving 88 years for a crime I am positive he did not commit. So for that reason, I am anti- death penalty.

Answer 4

The idea of causing death is what you are focussed upon, and with that in mind, there is irony. However, guilt vs. innocence is what tends to justify causing death for certain factions of our society. If saving lives regardless of guilt or innocence is what people like Bush aimed for, then yes it would be absolutely crazy. What your point does reveal, is the need for some people to punish, but how Iraq fits into that scenario, I don't know.

Answer 5

It certainly is inconsistent. Equally odd are the folks who are anti-war and anti-death penalty who don't want to defend the weakest people of all, unborn people. I personally believe that the best possible way to work on that issue is to remove the economic hardships that cause working people, especially single mothers, to feel like they can not afford to reproduce. In other words, reproduction should not be a class privilege. I also agree that wars and executions are not pro-life actions and that Mr. Bush is a liar and truly corrupt man.

Answer 6

I think that if life is sacred then all life must be sacred.

Society seems to have taken a view that allows them to decide who is "worthy" of life and who is not. Unborn babies are worthy, criminals and the "enemy" are not. To me, that's how they attempt to justify their need for revenge.

I often wonder if there was a test for homosexuality if the pro life people would be OK with aborting those babies.

I also wonder why those who insist that all babies be born want no part of helping to provide for those children (with higher taxes). That seems a cruel hypocrisy as well.

Answer 7

Don't even get me started on Bush or we'll be here all day.

People who are anti-abortion but pro-death penalty usually say that it is because babies have done nothing wrong whereas the person being put to death has committed a crime. But I still don't see how you can value one life above another. If the fetus' life is valued, all life should be valued.

Personally, I'm pro-choice for others but pro-life for myself. I couldn't have an abortion, but I wouldn't deny that right for anyone else.

Answer 8

Though I am pro-choice, even I know the answer to that...

A fetus is "innocent", whereas presumably somebody being executed
is being executed for a crime and is therefore not innocent.

The fact that lots of innocent people have been executed, that
there is no credible evidence that it acts as a deterent, that it costs
the tax payer far more than life incarceration, etc, really seems to
be glossed over...

Answer 9

Hypocrisy would be the answer. Sure there is a difference in the guilt level of a criminal and a fetus...however that's not the issue. The issue is the actions of the person supporting putting someone....anyone....to death, regardless of who or what that person is. You either value human life or you don't.

Answer 10

They are convinced to believe this stuff. After that, they are so far gone that they deny basic logic. Some of these guys are as thick as the bibles they thump.