Do you think that the Death Penalty (Capital Punishment) is good or bad for us?

Question

I think that there should not be capital punishment but i want to know what you think... Please explain your reasoning.

Answer 1

Until recently, I too was against the death penalty. Then, my friend's son, Christopher Barrios Jr., age 6, went missing.

The neighbor who kidnapped and murdered him was in court for violation of his probation 3 days before Christopher was kidnapped. He was on probation for child molestation and he violated it by living too close to a park where children play. His punishment?? 10 years probation.

Last Thursday, Christopher's body was found in a trash bag in some woods along the road 3 miles from his home. We will be attending his funeral tomorrow. The man who did it had his mother, father, and a friend help him dispose of the body.

I feel that in this case, w/ a little boy in kindergarten, who NEVER hurt anyone, murdered by a convicted child molester, the death penalty is warranted. Please pray for Christopher Barrios' family.

Answer 2

I think that once people have the facts, common sense will do the rest. I oppose the death penalty for practical reasons. Here are some verifiable and sourced facts.

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 (Claymeow and many other people are mistaken about this.)
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 (I hope that Claymeow takes a look at this - he is mistaken about it)
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 about the consequences or even that 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 or an eye for an eye mentality.

Answer 3

The problem isn't the death penalty itself, but rather the whole appeals process that's allowed to linger on for years on end. Clearly guilty people can sit on death row for 30 years.

The government/courts need to set strict guidelines and timelines for appeals. Something along the lines of your attorney has 3 months to file an appeal, that appeal has to be heard within 2 months, and a final judgment must be made within that week. The courts need to stop letting attorneys file appeal after appeal just to prolong his client from getting the chair, or what have you.

Science and technology has improved leaps and bounds beyond what it was even 10 years ago. If there is clear, substantial evidence, there should be no need for 20 appeals. The argument that innocent people may be killed is no longer a valid response. If there is clear cut DNA evidence, surveillance cameras, etc etc, then what are appeals going to do? They're just done to prolong the process. The courts need to assess the process and make changes, but they shouldn't get rid of it completely. There are definitely people that deserve it (child rapists, serial killers, etc.).

Answer 4

i think it could be good, i think murder is wrong, since the person that went out and committed such a nasty crime, they should be given the death penalty. in case of an accidental no, just gruesome acts. Ive never been on either side but if my relative was murder and i was not a accident i would want the death penalty.

Answer 5

I believe that there are some criminals who are absolutely worthless and who deserve to die, but I have a problem with the death penalty, because way too many innocent people have been wrongly convicted. You can release someone from prison, but you can't reverse an execution!