Do you..........?

Question

Believe in the death penalty..? and why?

I believe in life sentence's for suffering purpose's and feel the death penalty is a easy way out.........

Answer 1

I don't believe in death penalty because it's easy way out to some people and that nobody should be able to order another human being to its death.

Answer 2

I do not support the death penalty because it is not an effective way of preventing or reducing crime. Before you make up your mind you should have the facts about the system. Here are answers to some questions often asked about it. The sources are listed below.

What about the risk of executing innocent people?
124 people on death rows have been released with evidence of their innocence, many having already served over 2 decades on death row.

Doesn't DNA keep new cases like these from happening?
DNA is available in less than 10% of all homicides. It is not a guarantee against the execution of innocent people.

Doesn't the death penalty prevent others from committing murder?
No reputable study shows the death penalty to be a deterrent. To be a deterrent a punishment must be sure and swift. The death penalty is neither. Homicide rates are higher in states that have it than in states that do not.

So, what are the alternatives?
Life without parole is now on the books in 48 states. It means what it says. It is sure and swift and rarely appealed. Life without parole is less expensive than the death penalty.

But isn't the death penalty cheaper than keeping criminals in prison?
The death penalty costs much more than life in prison. Extra costs include those due to the complicated nature of both the pre trial investigation and of the trials (involving 2 separate stages, mandated by the Supreme Court) in death penalty cases and subsequent appeals. There are more cost effective ways to prevent and control crime.

What about the very worst crimes?
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??

Doesn't the death penalty help families of murder victims?
Not necessarily. Murder victim family members across the country argue that the drawn-out death penalty process is painful for them and that life without parole is an appropriate alternative.

So, why don't we speed up the process? (As suggested by the first two of your answerers)
Many of the 124 innocent people released from death row had already been there for over 2 decades. If the process is speeded up we are sure to execute an innocent person.

But don’t Americans prefer the death penalty as the most serious punishment?
Not any more. People are rethinking their views, given the facts and the records on innocent people sentenced to death. According to a Gallup Poll, in 2006, 47% of all Americans prefer capital punishment while 48% prefer life without parole.

Answer 3

That's basically what the death penalty is!

At the rate it takes one to ACTUALLY GO THROUGH THE PROCESS!
If a person doesn't care about taking another persons life, THEN HE PRETTY MUCH can take any kind of suffering even a life sentence in a prison that gives him three meals a day and TV TIME!! to me that would be the EASY WAY OUT!

I say after 2 years on death row that's good enough suffering....let's hurry the process up already! It's costing tax payers more then needed, not to mention we don't have any more room for these nut balls we don't need more prisons. We need to start enforcing laws and quit the crap already.

Answer 4

I think that the death penalty should be used only if they are 100% sure that people did the crime. There are so many people now a days that are getting out of jail because they proved they did not commit the crime by DNA. Also, life in prison is not exactly boring, they get to exercise, watch tv and other things which people do in everyday life, of course it also depends on what jail they are in. But that is my stand, death penalty if they know they commited it and life if they are convicted but not with all the evidence.

Answer 5

I think it depends on the crime. I do believe in the death penalty for people that have raped or murdered, this way we know it won't happen to anyone else. and I also think the victim should be able to watch .

Answer 6

I feel that if quickly administered, the death penalty could have a detering effect. Additionally, the families of the victims may find resolution to their grief in certain instances with the dealth penalty in place.