Do you believe in the death penalty?

Question

And please dont say "not if the killer is insane" cause that is a very gray area. A few years ago Larry Robison was paranoid schizophrenic and recieved the death penalty for killing 5 people, his parents went to my unitarian church. (i do agree with life in prison for the ill, or not ill)

PS it cost more to go through the death penalty than to keep a person in jail for life (for taxs payers)

Answer 1

I was pro-death penalty 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 2

While I believe that the death penalty should be an option, I would be less likely to vote for it as a jurer if life in prison actually meant that the criminal would spend the rest of their lives in prison. Too often we have cases where someone gets out after 15 or 20 years only to turn around and kill again.

Answer 3

Yes, the existence of a death penalty is a good thing and, sad to say, a deterrent in a many cases. The problem with the death penalty in the United States is its arbitrary and capricious application. The concept itself is sound...

Answer 4

Life in prison - that is its own death. Life in prison with or without parole wastes our money that could be better used to feed the starving children living here in America.

Why give life without parole? They should get the death penalty also. Yes........I believe in the death penalty!

Answer 5

No, I don't think we as ordinary people, have the power and right to destroy what we did not create, that is nobodies decision but the Lords, jail is punishment enough, besides I view killing a killer as murder in itself, two wrongs don't make a right

Answer 6

Yes. I firmly believe in the death penalty and do not think it is used enough. There is no reason violent criminals should be sittin in jail wasting so much of our money. It is just insane to me. I also think that people should die they way they killed their victim/victims!!

Answer 7

I believe in the death penalty. It should be reserved for the worst of the worst possible crimes, but it should be used. I cannot think of a more fitting punishment for those who abduct, rape and murder innocent children. They have taken those lives, so they have forfeited their own in doing so.

Answer 8

I do indeed believe in the death penalty. Some people just deserve to die.

Answer 9

Yeah Im for it, but I would like to see it be mandatory for any corrupt politicians because if you have betrayed the trust of the American people you should be punished severly.

Answer 10

there are certain unpardonable sins--at least for me. in particular....involving children. for those who kill, mutilate, torture, bury alive or rape children--yes---i think there is no room for them in society. but as is with all laws then you are asked how young was the child---and this one kills me---did the child do something to bring it on themselves. to me any child younger than 14 who is sexually abused, prostituted, or any of the above has the right to their innocence and NOONE has the right to take that away from them.