whats your position on the death penalty and?

Question

i was watching this thing on CSPAN last night and they were talking about various negative factors of capital punishment from racial prejudice, costs, false prosecution, the bush administrations trend of pushing state officials to take unnecessary trials to the federal level and death penalty, etc. IM TOTALLY AGAINST IT. ive heard every argument out there and thats just how it is. so whats your opinion?

oh also....abortion? gay marriage (NOT THAT CIVIL UNION BULLSHIT)? iraq war? immigration reform bill? thanks loves!

Answer 1

We don't have the death penalty here in New Zealand, and we haven't had it for a long time. It just seems barbaric to me, not something a civilised society would do. I don't think there is any excuse for killing someone, whatever they have done. And what if they get the wrong person? You can't just apologise and pay them compensation. Beyond reasonable doubt is not acceptable when it comes to someone's life.

Abortion? What about it? You can have elective abortions here, there isn't a big fuss over it in the media like there is in the US. It's practically a non-issue. There hasn't been any political debate about abortion over here for as long as I can remember. They don't have huge restrictions or require minors to have parental permission, and they are all government funded. And that's the way it should be as far as I'm concerned. I don't understand what all the hoo-ha is about in the US.

Gay marriage? Of course it should be allowed. I don't see how it's hurting anyone, just let them do it!

Iraq war? Sick to death of hearing about it quite frankly.

Immigration reform bill? Obviously doesn't concern me!

Answer 2

I won't get into the other issues (though I think would I agree with you on them as well), but as far as the DP is concerned, I used to be staunchly pro. However, I have changed my stance, for several reasons: 1. By far the biggest reason is this: Sometimes our legal system gets it wrong. Look at all the criminals who are being released after years of imprisonment because they were exonerated by DNA evidence. No matter how rare it is, our government should not risk executing one single innocent person. Really, that should be reason enough for most reasonable people. If you need more, read on: 2. Because of the extra expense of prosecuting a DP case and the appeals process (which is necessary - see reason #1), it costs taxpayers MUCH more to execute prisoners than to imprison them for life. 3. The deterrent effect is questionable at best. Violent crime rates are actually higher in death penalty states. This may seem counterintuitive, but think about the mixed message it sends: we’re trying to take a stand against murder…by killing people. The government becomes the bad parent who says, ‘do as I say, not as I do.’ 4. There’s also an argument to be made that death is too good for the worst of our criminals. Let them wake up and go to bed every day of their lives in a prison cell, and think about the freedom they DON’T have, until they rot of old age. 5. The U.S. government is supposed to be secular, but for those who invoke Christian law in this debate, you can find arguments both for AND against the death penalty in the Bible. For example, Matthew 5:38-39 insists that violence shall not beget violence. 1 Peter 3:9 argues AGAINST “eye for an eye”-type justice. Leviticus 19:18 warns against vengeance (which, really, is what the death penalty amounts to). In John 8:7, Jesus himself says, "let he who is without sin cast the first stone."

Answer 3

Wow, you hit the jackpot!
First, I am "for" the death penalty. I served in the Army; believe me, if someone is coming at you firing their guns, you will be FOR the death penalty. It is the same thing in Civilian life. BUT, the officials need to open-minded, try to find out the "truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth", even if that hurts their collective tiny little minds!
Abortion is, by definition, MURDER. Any one commiting murder should be tried for same. It is obviously "first degree". (yes, there are mitigating circumstances, but it really is not a woman's health issue: women do die having an abortion!)
Sorry, "gay" means "joyous". Sexual perverts are just that. As scientists say, it is a disease (because they can not procreate).
Iraq war? First, Saddam had it coming. As far as I am concerned, we rescued people from torture and death just because some were Kurds and what not. It is time to tell the Iraquis it is time to stand up and do your part, and we come home.
Immigration bill? Simple. Make all employers who hire illegals pay for their crimes. Make Mexico (and other countries) take care of their own people
This is my life (and yours and everyone elses; it is time to say "No" to the Government and do what is RIGHT.

Answer 4

How about that black kid that Hijacked that young ladies car, raped her then killed her.
How many years would be considered for you to be an even punishment? He was given the death penalty by the way, he'd been in felonies before, he was a convicted felon.

If he got out of prison in say five years due to a fluke, would you allow him to live next to you? now that you heard all the arguments, would you?

On the Iraq war, I was in 'Nam for two tours, 101st Airborne Rangers, wounded twice. War is hell, if you weren't there, you have no right to an opinion, I'm sorry, that's how I feel.

Answer 5

If you have ever had friends murdered, you might support capital punishment. There have been a few I wanted to pull the switch on myself. There is a guy in LA on death row for aggrivated rape of a child....cant wait to pay the electric bill for that one. We one of only 3 or 4 states that allows death penalty for rape of child under 12 and Im all for it. They wont do it again, thats what counts.

I agree with cowboydoc....if you have never been in the military( I was in the navy but never in a war) you have no right to *****. these people die to give you liberal wimps the rights you enjoy. I for one salute you Doc, and all the others who have served.

Answer 6

The problem with the death penalty is so much legal bureaucracy and clutter has been piled on it so that courts and attorneys can make money off of it that the death penalty has been rendered useless.

The death penalty needs to be fast and public. Here is one indisputable fact: The death penalty prevents rescidivism. Not one executed criminal has ever committed another crime. Considering the rescidivism rate for other crimes, we ought to look into the death penalty for a wider range of crimes.

Answer 7

As a child I saw completely through the claim that death penalty doesn't deter (such) crime. Of course it does and of course it would. If the sentence for crimes America wants to vigorously discourage were rapid death, these crimes would drop 90% overnight. That's my opinion. If we want to be compassionate, we should vigorously reward bad behavior with what it calls for. How many murders would have been prevented?

Answer 8

Im against it, although look at singapore. If you chew gum you get a $500 fine.

Abortion against it.

iraq war is actually the called the us invasion

Answer 9

I am against the death penalty and abortion. We should not try to decide who lives and who dies. Once you start down that road, who gets to determine the criteria? Who deserves to die? Rapists, child ,molesters, HIV positive people, drug addicts, Christians?

Answer 10

when they murder your family and you sit through the trials, the appeals, the 15+ years of torture for justice for the killing of your loved ones....and then they finally get what they deserve......

you feel nothing.

had the murderer been killed 15 years ago i would not have to think about them sitting there...i wouldn't of had to of heard all the motions for appeals....i wouldn't of had to of dealt with over a decade's worth of confusion about how i would finally feel when it was all over with.

i would've preferred to of fealt nothing a long time ago and so would the rest of my family.

for what purpose does a man serve a life sentence in prison? to drive himself even more insane? to paint pictures and sell them to serial killer art collectors? to hope for escape? to make license plates?

and can you rehabilitate a homicidal sociopath without completely destroying his mind so that he becomes a wandering zombie that is still a burden on society?

and if you could turn that person from killer to joe citizen, how would you feel when you passed him in the street knowing he cut your mother's throat and drew happy faces with her blood on your father's forehead before he tore his heart out?

some people need to be put down. if you don't believe that, you've likely never had to face it the way too many of us have.