Are you Pro Death Penalty?

Question

I am..especially here in Texas..I mean, when people are animals and dont know how to act like humans, I feel like the death penalty is the only solution. For all the liberals that are against death penalty, why dont you go to the death row website-http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/stat/deathrow.htm and do your own research. Inmate Johnny Conner is going to be executed tomorrow, here is a little description of what he did "On 05/17/98, during the nighttime in Houston, Texas, Conner robbed a store at gunpoint. A male customer entered the store and heard the suspect say, "Give me the money." The male customer came upon Conner and Conner fired one shot from a 32-caliber pistol, striking the adult male victim in the chest and arm. The customer then fled the scene on foot. Conner turned and fired 2 shots striking the adult female clerk in the head, causing her death. Conner fled the scene without any money." Like I said, certain animals dont deserve to live in civilized society.

Answer 1

I am **very** much a social liberal. I stand up for ALL girls and women forevermore having safe and legal access to the hugely-beneficial remedy of abortion. And I 100% support EQUAL rights, across-the-board for gays (including same-sex marriage) -- even though I'm straight. And I **also** am totally supportive of the death penalty, whenever intentional murder has been committed, and has been proven beyond all shadow of the doubt. Their executions are the equivalent of society's very legitimately taking out the trash.

That said -- WHY do so many people have this nonsensical stereotype that social liberals have to be opposed to the death penalty? MOST social liberals are intelligent people who are well-endowed with common sense... or they wouldn't BE social liberals. And taking out the trash (death penalty) IS common sense.

Answer 2

Yes I am pro-choice and mostly anti-death penalty. It is funny, I noticed the same as you. Most pro-lifers are also pro-death penalty. My personal belief is that the death penalty is barbaric, and we don't have a right to kill someone unless they pose immediate danger to us (kill or be killed). Anyways I think the death penalty is pretty unnecessary now-a-days once a guy is caught and locked up the threat is pretty much gone. As for abortion I think the woman has a right to choose to a degree (I mean no late term abortions or anything) but in the first short while 24 weeks or so when the baby hasn't formed then if the mother doesn't want the kid don't force her to have it. Personally I wouldn't have an abortion, but at this point in my life I could care for a kid, also I've never been that irresponsiblee.

Answer 3

I also live in Texas, and 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 people who have been 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 4

this doesn't look like a question...this looks like a commentary.

For the record, yes, I am very pro-death penalty because I don't like the idea of my tax dollars going to support keeping hardened and vicious killers alive when they will never see the outside world again and, most likely, never again do the world any good. The jury has the decision based on the action of the individual and the supposed remorse that he shows during the trial and during the impact statements at the end...which means even though the capital crimes laws allow for the death penalty, they do not dictate it in any way.

I do believe that biological evidence should be a requirement for the death penalty to come into play (which means DNA/fingerprint evidence), so that there is minimal chance of executing the wrong person, and I believe that we should execute criminals by the closest method as possible to the method in which they killed their victims. Sticking a needle with a lethal solution in it in someone's arm will never deter any criminal, anytime, any place. I am, however, very much for a minimum waiting period (probably somewhere in the neighborhood of 15-20 yrs) after conviction where the case will continue to be left open and new leads investigated, so that if something does unexpectedly come up, it can be investigated and the governor can order a stay on the execution as the new lead is being pursued, if necessary.

The Eighth Amendment bars any cruel or unusual punishments from being used, but we must assume that if they think enough of a method to use it in the murder of another person, they have no problem with seeing how it feels when the U.S. and state governments use it on them.

Answer 5

I think that people who commit outright murder should have there lives taken as well. However, I also feel that until the US Justice system can get it's facts straight when considering the death penalty, there should be no capital punishment. There have been way to many inmates going to the chair etc without solid proof of their involvement in an alleged crime. Life is very precious so until all DNA testing has been done in each case to determine if the person in question is in fact guilty of the alleged crime, put them in jail, not in the ground!

Answer 6

The problem with the death penalty is not about excusing brutal criminals like Connor but about how the death penalty doesn't prevent or reduce crime. You may already know that Texas and other states with the death penalty have higher homicide rates than states which don't.

The death penalty has not been shown to be a deterrent. To deter others a punishment must be sure and swift. The death penalty is neither. We have a better alternative. Life without parole is now on the books in 48 states, including yours. It means what it says. It is sure and swift and rarely appealed. Life without parole is less expensive than the death penalty.

BTW, many people don't realize that the death penalty costs much more than life in prison (because of legal costs, not the cost of the execution.)
The discussion should not be about what awful things we can do to avenge a killing but how we can prevent others.

Answer 7

First, to the “Gentleperson” and I use the term loosely, who would have the asker falsely accused. I hope you have to go to the morgue and identify your whole family after one of the falsely accused people are done having fun with them. Especially that cute little 14 year old girl of yours.

Next, to the “Hate Crime” person; why don’t you collect your half dozen I.Q. points and find us a bunch of “Love Murders”.

Now finally to the asker; aside from this being a pending execution I fail to see why you chose this individual for your example. We, the State and Citizens of California recently executed a man. He sat on death row for about 22 years awaiting execution. His crime: He killed two teenagers. I believe they were 16 and 17 years old. Just a couple of kids who stopped and bought some burgers and found a quiet place to eat them and maybe engage in things a boy and girl of that age engage in. The reason for the killing, the ANIMAL wanted their hamburgers. This piece of excrement lived longer on death row than his victims did in their whole lives. That isn’t justice.

In my opinion the scenario should go something like this: 30 days to appeal to the State Appellate Court and 60 days for them to respond. Then 30 days to appeal to the State Supreme Court and 60 days for them to respond. Then 30 days to appeal to the US Circuit Court of Appeals with another 60 days to respond. Finally 30 days to appeal to the US Supreme Court with another 60 day period to respond. All that takes one year. The execution would then be scheduled on the 13 day of the 13 month following initial sentencing. And DO IT DAMN IT.

Now a message to the limp wrested among us. You will argue that “Life without Parole” is a viable option. I submit there is no such thing as “Life without Parole”. Many years ago a US Air Force NCO was convicted of the 1st Degree Murder of his wife. The reason, get her insurance money to use as a nest egg to marry his mistress. His sentence: “Life without Parole”. He was released after 16 years. So there goes your “Life without Parole” right down the old crapper.

And finally, how many in the anti-death penalty crowd are pro-choice? Execution of a mass murderer or a serial rapist and murderer is a NO NO. But euthanizing a child while it is still in the womb is not only OK, it is encouraged. My God, most of the men on death row didn’t kill a child until after it was born. Oh that’s right, partial birth abortions call for a sharp object forced into the brain cavity to stop that pesky crying. I guess that brings some abortionists up to the level of those on death row.

Texas: I’m sorry; I got a bit carried away. I hope you don’t mind me standing on your soap box for a few minutes. BTW, cruel and unusual, they have no idea. If it was left to me I would nail their testicles to a stump and set the stump on fire.

Answer 8

The Bible teaches on the death penalty ,certain stipulations , certain manors and certain crimes. Quick
Theft calls for the right hand to be chopped of. in todays sociaty I may be a bit more leneant first minor offinse , some jail time or public service plus restitution of the loss,
Second more jail time and maybe a finger lost no anisthetic plus restitution.
Third well he has proven he is a carrer criminal so "OFF GOES THE HAND". no public assistance ever. plus restitution.
If the thief steals someones tools of his trade , That's the same as attempted murder. life in jail or at least many years plus restitution

All the death row inmates are tried and have automatic appeals done so when it is all said and done 'basically' they are tried four or five times. this lasts for twenty to thirty years.

There are people in prison for RAPE that are later found to be Innocent. , via DNA. they should be exonerated but many are-not.
I also believe that any prosecutor who knowingly prosecutes anyone who is innocent should do the time himself.

Johnny Frank Garret (#44 on deceased list) we told the cops his cousin was in town and bragged about raping and killing the nun. They didn't want the cousin because he wasn't a local trouble maker. They repeatedly stated they wanted Johnny dead. true he was a bad person , and he was on the way himself of being killed .
The DNA was stricken from the record for the trials , the security vidios were conveniantly missing , the witnesses were given the wrong trial dates to be there , He was railroaded plain and simple. now he is gone and I know of few who miss him , in fact several are pleased he is gone.
He was not one to deal with but in fact to avoid .
The fact still remains he was not guilty of this crime.
Now his family has gotten $$$ to keep quiet about this matter forever. That is the best thing to ever come from him.

Answer 9

I say no because:

The death penalty risks executing innocent people (124 already exonerated) and DNA is available in less than 10% of all homicides. It is not a guarantee against the execution of innocent people.

No reputable study has shown the death penalty to be a deterrent. In fact, homicide rates are higher in states with the death penalty.

Life without parole is now on the books in 48 states. It means what it says. Supermax prisons are terrible places to spend the rest of your life.

The death penalty can be very hard on families of murder victims. Many 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.

The death penalty does not apply to the worst of the worst. It applies to defendants with the worst lawyers.

Last of all, to avoid executions of innocent people, the legal process in death penalty cases is very complicated. It costs much more than when the death penalty is not on the table, and can be a long process. Speeding up the process would certainly lead to executions of innocent people (over 50 of the wrongfully people sentenced to death had served more than a decade.)

Answer 10

To "The Dog Abides" -- I ask YOU *this* question:

How many people on death row have been acquitted per DNA evidence -- whose convictions were open-and-shut cases wherein guilt was completely indisputable? I'll bet NONE.

And THOSE are the criminals who SHOULD be put to death. WHY would you dispute that???