If Cho had not killed himself? Why do we kill people that kill people to show that killing people is wrong?

Question

-We have the means of keeping these killers away from the general public where they can never hurt anyone again.

-justice is not 'an eye for an eye',

I'm talking mainly about the death penalty here . . . of course everyone has their right to defend themselves, I would shot Cho (hopefully not lethaly) had I been given the chance to stop him.

Lets assume that the tax payers dont have to pay to house him for the rest of his life, say; we find a way to make the cj system self sustaining, then is it still OK to kill him?

Death Penalty as a deterrant. I have read that it doesnt work. Is that true?

Answer 1

We execute mass murderers, serial murderers and cop-killers because it is the law of the land, which has been decided on by the voters in times past. It can always be changed by a new vote.

Before doing that, we need to reflect on the strong likelihood that some murderers will kill again, no matter where they are, and even in jail. Maybe next time it will be a guard, or a chaplain, or another prisoner that they just don't like. What does a convicted murderer serving a life term have to lose?

Answer 2

A murderer, and certainly someone like Cho has no place in society and is not even worth the taxpayers money to feed, house, and cloth him... otherwise giving him a free ride for his entire life.

Also, if we started public hangings again, i would bet money that criminals would think twice before killing,

Answer 3

First and foremost it is NOT the police that "execute" death sentences nor is it the police who make the laws that include penalties with the death sentence therefore to say "police are murderers" is biased and absurd.

The first established death penalty laws date as far back as the Eighteenth Century B.C. in the Code of King Hammaurabi of Babylon, which codified the death penalty for 25 different crimes. The death penalty was also part of the Fourteenth Century B.C.'s Hittite Code, the Seventh Century B.C.'s Draconian Code of Athens, which made death the only punishment for all crimes, and the Fifth Century B.C.'s Roman Law of the Twelve Tablets. Death sentences were carried out by such means as crucifixion, drowning, beating to death, burning alive, and impalement.

Britain influenced America's use of the death penalty more than any other country did. When European settlers came to the new world, they brought the practice of capital punishment. The first recorded execution in the new colonies was that of Captain George Kendall in the Jamestown colony of Virginia in 1608. Kendall was executed for being a spy for Spain. In 1612, Virginia Governor Sir Thomas Dale enacted the Divine, Moral and Martial Laws, which provided the death penalty for even minor offenses such as stealing grapes, killing chickens, and trading with Indians.

Although some U.S. states began abolishing the death penalty, most states held onto capital punishment. Some states made more crimes capital offenses, especially for offenses committed by slaves. In 1838, in an effort to make the death penalty more palatable to the public, some states passed laws against mandatory death sentencing, instead enacting discretionary death penalty statutes.

The Supreme Court addressed the constitutionality of executing someone who claimed actual innocence in Herrera v. Collins (506 U.S. 390 (1993)). Although the Court left open the possibility that the Constitution bars the execution of someone who conclusively demonstrates that he or she is actually innocent, the Court noted that such cases would be very rare. The Court held that, in the absence of other constitutional violations, new evidence of innocence is no reason for federal courts to order a new trial. The Court also held that an innocent inmate could seek to prevent his execution through the clemency process, which, historically, has been "the 'fail safe' in our justice system." Herrera was not granted clemency, and he was executed in 1993.


As of August 2006, 123 people have been freed from death row after their exoneration of all charages.

Support for the death penalty has fluctuated throughout the century. According to Gallup surveys, in 1936 61% of Americans favored the death penalty for persons convicted of murder. Support reached an all-time low of 42% in 1966. Throughout the 70s and 80s, the percentage of Americans in favor of the death penalty increased steadily, culminating in an 80% approval rating in 1994. Since 1994, support for the death penalty has declined. Today, 70% of Americans support the death penalty.

In the 1970s, the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE), representing more then 10 million conservative Christians and 47 denominations, and the Moral Majority, were among the Christian groups supporting the death penalty. NAE's successor, the Christian Coalition, also supports the death penalty. Today, Fundamentalist and Pentecostal churches, as well as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons), support the death penalty — typically on biblical grounds, specifically citing the Old Testament (Bedau, 1997). Although formerly also a supporter of capital punishment, the Roman Catholic Church now opposes the death penalty. In addition, most Protestant denominations, including Baptists, Episcopalians, Lutherans, Methodists, Presbyterians, and the United Church of Christ, oppose the death penalty.

In 1994, President Clinton signed the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act that expanded the federal death penalty to some 60 crimes, some of which do not involve murder. There have been three federal executions under these laws: Timothy McVeigh and Juan Garza in June of 2001, and Louis Jones in March 2003.

In response to the Oklahoma City Bombing, President Clinton signed the Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996. The Act, which affects both state and federal prisoners, restricts review in federal courts by establishing tighter filing deadlines, limiting the opportunity for evidentiary hearings, and ordinarily allowing only a single habeas corpus filing in federal court.

Thus a short history on why we have the death penalty.

Best wishes.

Answer 4

We punish people with execution to show that murder is wrong. The punishment for a heinous crime should be forfeit of one's own life.

There is nothing noble about keeping them around, where they have the opportunity to kill other inmates, prison guards or possibly even escape and murder more innocents. I see no point in their continued breathing - send them to their Maker.

I don't even care to have them live a long miserable life. I have no need of vengeance. Death is a just punishment, and not just for murder, either. Violent rapists and pedophiles are incurable, and if released, apt to harm others. Why not just recognize the fact that they have violated other people too grievously to be allowed to continue living?

It doesn't make us any better to allow them to continue to live, it simply makes us foolishly sentimental.
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As for the deterrant effect - all I know is that it is 100% effective against recidivism.

Answer 5

Thats just not your definition of Justice.

What if a perfectly "sane" man comes to the conclusion that killing isn't wrong, but is deterred from killing by the possible punishment of death?

Where would that fit in your argument?

Answer 6

true if it was we would have to kill 32 members of his family if it was eye for an eye

but every decision one makes has prepercussions.. giveing them free room and board for the rest of their life is not the answer.. unfortunatly its not legal to drop them in the jungle in exile and let the tigers eat them so a painless death is fair IMO

Answer 7

There is nothing like justice in the true meaning of it!So don`t expect the world(people and government)to be fair!Evrything is very hypocrite!!!

Answer 8

There's a difference between the words "murder" and "kill."

Kill is what you do when you swat a wasp on the picnic table.
Murder is what you do when you deliberately take an innocent life.

Criminals are hardly innocent.

Answer 9

So that they never have the chance to Kill again.
So that others of like mind MIGHT be stopped from Killing Others.

Answer 10

I do not know. I do not think it works considering a life on death row is so bad people would rather die. Hence a high suicide rate.