Should women who have murdered get the death penalty?

Question

I'm against the death penalty for Women criminals, it just doesn't seem right. I think it should only be given to male criminals. Most Women who murder don't mean to do it because it was probably an accident or a male told them to do it. Women don't murder for the sake killing another person.

Answer 1

It slays me how women want equal rights except when they commit a crime, then they desire to be treated different than men. You commit a crime, regardless of your gender, you pay the consequences. If the consequence is death, so be it.

Answer 2

I'm not sure you're giving women enough "credit." I think a visit to a female prison might show you that SOME women can be just as tough and ruthless as any man.

I was pro-death penalty (regardless of gender) for a long time, but I have changed my stance over the years, for several reasons:

1. By far the most compelling is this: Sometimes the 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. Unfortunately, DNA evidence is not available in most cases. No matter how rare it is, the government should not risk executing one single innocent person.

Really, that should be reason enough for most 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, and there are many theories about why this is (Ted Bundy saw it as a challenge, so he chose Florida – the most active execution state at the time – to carry out his final murder spree). Personally, I think it has to do with the hypocrisy of taking 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. When Ted Bundy was finally arrested in 1978, he told the police officer, “I wish you had killed me.”

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. James 4:12 says that God is the only one who can take a life in the name of 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

I think it would depend on the circumstances of the crime rather than the sex of the offender.

If the court proves a man killed another by accident he shouldn't be considered for the death penalty anyway.

Most violent crimes are committed by men, but some women can be just as violent as men.

Like that white woman who killed her two boys and said "a black man did it." I think she deserved the death penalty unless the court could prove she was criminally insane and was unable to tell the difference between right and wrong. That would be hard for me to believe since she lied to cover up the story. That was several years ago and I can't remember what sentence she got--I think her name was Susan Smith.

Sorry, but I think your reasoning is sexist.

Answer 4

The death penalty makes no sense. It is not an effective way to prevent or reduce crime and it risks executing innocent people. Eye for an eye slogans are no substitute for the facts.

124 innocent people have been released from death row.
Human beings are not perfect and most of us believe that the execution of a person we later find to be innocent would be a nightmare. DNA is available in less than 10% of all homicides and cannot guarantee we will not execute innocent people.

The death penalty is not a deterrent. Homicide rates are higher in states and regions that have it than in those that don't.

48 states now have life without parole on the books. It means what it says and is rarely appealed. Life without parole is sure and swift (necessary for a punishment to deter others)while the death penalty is neither.

The death penalty costs much more than life in prison, largely because of the legal process. Death penalty trials are much more complicated and take longer and are followed by mandatory appeals and more.

The death penalty doesn't apply to the worst crimes but to people with the worst lawyers.

Answer 5

It's called equality in everything, you carpet munching dyke.

Women can be cold blooded murderers just like men. There are women serial killers in history. Don't go into "oh, they didn't mean it". Susan Smith made an independent choice to kill her babies(and then blamed someone else and lied about it for days- that's cold blooded). Diane Downs fully intended to kill her 3 children, but only succeeded in killing 1, Lizzy Borden willingly picked up the axe and gave her parents 40 whacks, and there are many others out there, who killed because they meant to and wanted to. The law gives these women leniency because they are women, which SUCKS ROCKS. Just like women who like to "mess" with children. If they commit the same crime as any man would, they need the same treatment. If what they do qualifies for the death penalty, then they need to die for what they did, just as any man who committed the same crime would have.

Answer 6

Well, although I'm against the death penalty, If a woman kills someone, it's still considered murder. You can't kill a man for murder but not a woman, that isn't equal rights.
Man or woman, it doesn't matter; a murder's a murder, and when it comes down to that, black, white, christian, Muslim, man or woman, we should all be punished equally.

Answer 7

Women are just a guilty as men. I have no idea why you'd think women don't murder for the sake of killing. A woman intentionally killing somebody is just as deserving of the same penalty as men, whether it was for money, freedom, or the sake of killing. Women can be vicious, even if statistically they don't kill people as often as men do, when they do kill, it needs to be equal judgment against them.

Answer 8

1. That's narrow minded and very, very ignorant of you to suggest. 2. While men are the main culprits of murder due to testosterone and anger issues, there are about an equal amount of women who kill - without being provoked or told to by a male partner. 3. "A life for a life," I believe is the term - if you're a murderer, you should be given the same punishment as your victim was put through.

Women are just as relentless as men, except that women usually plan it out better, and milk the sympathy stories a lot better than men.

Sexist much, are you?

Answer 9

i think if a woman murders someone, she wanted to murder that person, unless she was protecting herself. i dont believe in the death penalty, but if a man can get executed for his mistakes a woman should also... so how do you feel about these pathetic women that kill their kids? NOW that i believe deserves the death penalty

Answer 10

Women have been fighting for ages to be treated like men, so why not? A murderer is a murderer, it doesn't matter if they're male or female. Everyone should have the same treatment.