Do you think capital punishment should be allowed?

Question

What are your REASONS and OBJECTIONS?

Answer 1

I don't. Your question deserves some facts, not just soundbites. Here are answers to questions about the practical aspects of the death penalty system, with sources listed below.

What about the risk of executing innocent people?
124 people on death rows have been released with evidence of their innocence.

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 and regions 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, largely because of the legal process. 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?
Over 50 of the innocent people released from death row had already served over a decade. 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 2

In some outlandish cases, yes, capital punishment should be implied. But, with all the high-tech super secure prison(s) today, leaving a person to sit it out the rest of his or her life to reflect on the crime and consequences should never be ignored. It actually is more of a rigid punishment (physically and mentally), then one that is absolute(death sentence). Also, anything can happen in jail and you or I cannot foretell what other prisoners may think of the person according to his/her crime. It may be a living hell for the persons remainding life in jail. As you can see I am divided on this issue, I think no-one is really comfortable in taking a life and then again some people don't deserve to live. Jeez, I could never get this one straightened out with my thought process...lol!

We cannot forget or ignore that also we have to deal with human error, where innocent people were jailed and are now being released since the induction of DNA science. Now that is a mistake that I or you would not want to live with, killling someone innocent.

Answer 3

This is a difficult one. When I think of some crimes that have been commited I think they should be hanged. Then thought you have to concider are those that think as I do as bad as the ones doing the crimes. Because it might be made law to take away some's life for certain crimes, but is that not that the same and is the taking of a life ok for what ever reason? I think that life in prison as in life would be proper punishment as they would know that they are never going to be free, but then theirs the cost to concider, so it's a very difficult argument to answer and what if an inconect person died throught bad evidence? I think I feel a bit uncomfortable with the idea.

Answer 4

Allowed? It should be mandated!

I've heard the argument that capital punishment doesn't deter crime. I don't believe it but it really doesn't matter in any case.

When a murder is put to death, that prevents that person from ever killing again. And statistics show that murders who get out, kill again.

Second, we have a social contract. If you commit a crime you accept the consequences of your action. When a murderer kills they know the penalty is to be put to death. When a society can not or will not enforce its own laws, that society is in decline and less and less capable of civilized life. We are not less civilized by the use of capital punishment. We are more civilized and in less danger.

Evil thrives when ?good? citizens do nothing.

Answer 5

Yes.

Because there are some crimes that are so heinous that Society has no alternative but to ensure that the perpetrator never has the opportunity to become a repeat offender.

My objection would be to using the method of "death by old age" with endless appeals. The verdict should be something like "guilty, sentenced to die at sunrise tomorrow."

Answer 6

I used to think it should be allowed but in the light of experience with the 'justice' system I think it should not.

There have been too many miscarriages of justice that we know about. We have no right to execute a person who may possibly be innocent of the crime for which he or she is convicted. Except in very rare cases we can never be absolutely sure that a person is guilty.

Answer 7

Yes, I support capital punishment. My bottom line is that if you deliberately take someones life away, then its only fair that you pay with your life. Of course, this wouldn't apply to accidents where there was no intent to kill. However, if the person that committed the murder, was mentally disturbed, I believe they should still be put to death.

Answer 8

Yes but only when the criminal is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. We give too much leeway to criminals especially if they are repeat offenders with a long criminal record.
Why should criminals be treated better than the victims? That is simply wrong.

Answer 9

my take is that if a person is guilty beyond reasonable doubt of something very heinous instead of putting them to death they should be used as Guinea pigs...exp..give them aids and experiment news drugs on them. only in worst cases though

Answer 10

Some people are beyond redemption,they are so evil it is in societies best interests to execute them.I don't see them as human beings,but as cancerous cells that need to be cut out.