how does the death penalty show weakness in our society?

Answer 1

Interesting point of view. I think that support for the death penalty goes along with a belief that we are are a frontier society without the means to protect our citizens without killing criminals and that frontier justice is still appropriate.

You don't have to condone brutal crimes or want the criminals who commit them avoid a harsh punishment to ask whether the death penalty prevents or even reduces crime and whether it risks killing innocent people.

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 and can’t guarantee we won’t execute 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, mostly because of the legal process. When the death penalty is a possible sentence, extra costs mount up even before trial, continuing through the uniquely complicated trial (actually 2 separate trials, one to decide guilt and the second to decide the punishment) in death penalty cases, and appeals.

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.

Answer 2

The death penalty doesn't prevent crime or deter crime. I don't care. But it sure does punish crime. To those that say life in prison is so much worse than death, I would ask then why do the death row inmates (those with the most intimate stake in the outcome) pursue stays and appeals so fervently?

Answer 3

the death penalty in the u.s. is a joke in my opinion, you convict one to death and it is delayed for years. most times by the time the verdict is carried out the family is gone. it really is not a deterrent to gruesome crimes like it was meant to be in the beginning, but now is quite archaic. if it was carried out as a deterrent as it was supposed to be there would be far less inconceivable destruction to innocents that we see now. the weakness is in the inability of the law to take care of the incorrigible of our society in a more timely manner.

Answer 4

If the penalty is "immoral" isn't the killing of unborn babies also a crime and shows a "weakness in society"?

Answer 5

Death penalty is immoral. It doesn't prevent crime at all. Death penalty existed for many centuries and the crime rate was only getting higher and higher. Crime rate is much lower in countries where they don't have death penalty.

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Answer 6

If all education was free to all Americans,crime would be close to zero.
If the children have trouble learning help them through it.Don't just push them alone or demean them for what they don't know.
Higher education is the answer to rise above ignorance.The sooner our government gets it the better off we will all be.

Answer 7

Depends on the country, some country have law above titles that means no one can rob and murder anyone and law will control them and make everyone good, some country has special titles above the law and they can do all sorts of guilty things they like since law has no foothold on them. See it in the world news, they will tell you about the country

Answer 8

It is a common held "left wing" view that a country can be measured by how it treats its prisoners. I don't subscribe to the view but many people of moderate and left wing views to and thus label us a weaker society for executing criminals.