Why do people insist that we abolish the death penalty? If we dont have it, we'll spend all of our tax dollars paying for murderers to keep living in prison. Its a waste of money. If you kill a lot of people, what gives you the right to live?
2007-05-31 04:01:09 · 10 answers · asked by ericthesmartest 3 in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
Actually, we still spend a lot to keep them housed in prison. The national average time spent on death row after conviction is about 15 years. And during that time, tens of thousands are spent, by the state, paying for appeals for these criminals.
The point of the death penalty is to punish. It needs to be swift and fair.
2007-05-31 04:07:11 · answer #1 · answered by Dog Lover 7 · 3⤊ 2⤋
Well, first of all, it is not only people who "kill a lot of people" who are subject to the death penalty. That is part of the problem. Theoretically, the death penalty is supposed to be reserved for the "worst of the worst" of murderers. This assumes a continuum of "badness" even among murders. As you allude to, someone who kills multiple victims SHOULD be viewed as a "worse" murderer than someone who kills only one. However, in its practical application, it doesn't necessarily work that way. My state, for example, has a felony murder rule that means that you can be subject to the death penalty if the murder occurs in the course of committing another felony. This can mean that the driver of a get-away car in an armed robbery, who never even enters the building can be subject to the death penalty if his accomplices in the crime who DO enter the building end up killing someone in the process.
Secondly, study after study has demonstrated that it is far more cost effective to keep a inmate in prison for life without parole than it is to have the death penalty. The cost of capital trials far outweighs that of non-capital crimes, and the costs of incarceration on death row, the appeals process, etc. drastically increase the overall costs of having the death penalty. And for those of you who would suggest limiting the appeals process to cut costs, understand that approximately 80-85% of ALL death sentence cases are overturned on at least one appeal. And it is not just for legal "technicalities." Many are for significant legal errors, prosecutorial misconduct (withholding exculpatory evidence, etc). And over 100 people have been removed from death rows as a result of the current appeals process. To limit those appeals significantly raises the likelihood of executing a factually innocent person.
2007-05-31 04:10:58 · answer #2 · answered by jurydoc 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
I think everything you just said is correct, why should they live, when they took away someone else's life. The part about the tax dollars is right, a lot of money goes into keeping the prisons running, and a lot of times the prisoners get privelages they dont really deserve.
2007-05-31 04:09:38 · answer #3 · answered by Mandy 2 · 0⤊ 3⤋
I suppose under your theory we shouldn't spend all that money on drugs for lethal injections and the pay of an executioner. Why don't we just starve them to death and save the money on food as well?
2007-05-31 04:21:54 · answer #4 · answered by webned 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
One innocent person dying makes the death penalty immoral. And at least one innocent person has died.
Therefore, I, and many others, fund it immoral.
End of story
2007-05-31 04:27:54 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are some people that believe that no one should be able to take the life of another person except for God. Of course, this usually doenst hold water because the person who committed the crime didnt believe that to be true. I firmly believe in an eye for an eye. If someone is mean and evil enough to take another persons life away from them and their family, they should have the same done to them. No excuses.
2007-05-31 04:10:05 · answer #6 · answered by floridasun5 3 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Actually, capital punishment costs more. I don't think it matters either way, people who would get capital punishment would get life in prison otherwise.
2007-05-31 04:15:26 · answer #7 · answered by Pfo 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
And who gives you the rigth to decide who shall live or die?
2007-05-31 04:13:53 · answer #8 · answered by Richard 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
If even one person is wrongly executed then the whole system is wrong.
2007-05-31 04:05:34 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 1⤋
I totally agree with you.They have no rights,an eye for an eye.
2007-05-31 04:05:26 · answer #10 · answered by julie d 2 · 1⤊ 4⤋