"If someone come to your home, rob you clean, rape your wife and daughter, cut their throats and you were sitting there helplessly watching them bleed to death."
Will you still be against it????
2007-09-19 04:43:50 · 30 answers · asked by Samm 6 in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
When I think about that those criminals get to live to their normal life, free meals and free health care when I am suffering. NO WAY. If they are not punished by the law, I will do it myself.
2007-09-19 05:08:32 · update #1
I won't try to speak for them, but you should take a look at the Journey of Hope. This a group of people who have experienced things like what you describe and who do not support the death penalty. Their stories are worth reading. www.journeyofhope.org.
Many people don't realize that murder victim family members across the country have testified that the drawn-out death penalty process is painful for them and that life without parole is an appropriate alternative. And, they know that speeding up the process is likely to lead to the execution of an innocent person.
2007-09-19 05:49:10 · answer #1 · answered by Susan S 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
That's a toughie. I'm not really sure where i stand on the dealth penalty. I know if somebody ever hurt my little girl i would want to kill them myself, but that doesn't necessarily make the death penalty right.
Alot of my fellow christians dissapprove of the dealth penalty because they think the bible says "thou shalt not kill", but a more accurate translation is "thou shall do no murder" which seems to me to leave the door open for things like the death penalty.
Another matter here is forgiveness and mercy. As a christian, i am to forgive others as christ forgave me.... but then i wonder is it really merciful to let a convicted murderer back out on the streets after a few measly years in prison? Is it merciful to give them the opportunity to attack another family?
But then who is to say whether a person is rehabilitated or not? And what if the legal system screws up and the wrong man gets pegged for the crime?
Like i said, it's a toughie.
2007-09-19 04:59:24 · answer #2 · answered by kellyoribine 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
You have basically asked 2 separate and distinct questions. The first, under the circumstances you describe would I want to kill the person responsible?? Absolutely! HOWEVER, the death penalty is a matter of State civic policy. Therefore, it should NOT be decided based on a single emotionally-charged incident by a person directly involved. We already have too many "knee jerk reaction," feel good laws put into place in the aftermath of a highly emotion laden crime. While these placate the feelings of some people involved and allow politicians to spout that they are "tough on crime," I prefer establishing public policy on the basis of more objective, research-based information. Therefore, I stand opposed to the death penalty as public policy due to the biases inherent in the system and the inability of humans to administer an error free system.
2007-09-19 04:55:19 · answer #3 · answered by jurydoc 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
People say that living their life in prison is torment enough because they have to live with what they have done. That is only assuming that a person feels bad for what they did. People that are serial rapists and/or murderers have commited their acts numerous times. I find it hard to imagine them being able to continue doing these horrible things while feeling any remorse for their other victims.
Also, we have standards of living for our prisoners. We take care of them by providing food and entertainment (they have books and are given jobs). All of this costs a hell of a lot of money. When it comes to people that should be sentenced to death, why should taxpayers pay to keep these people alive?
if you can't release someone back to the streets because they are dangerous, the money could be used to help people that haven't commited crimes.
Of course it is a very touchy subject. What if they are innocent? One innocent life saved is worth not having the death penalty. However, there are ways to prove that someone is guilty beyond any doubt (someone mentioned DNA and other forms too).
2007-09-19 05:13:49 · answer #4 · answered by cheezbawl2003 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
i understand where you are coming from,............but those who are against the death penalty usually reason that there are mistakes made.
and it is true that many people were sent to 'death row' to only be found innocent later.
if we have already 'exterminated' a person because he/she received the death penalty, and they are found to be innocent later, well - now how are we going to make that right?
that is the most common reason for people who don't support the death penalty.
i would hope that if someone came and did what you are suggesting and there were eye witnesses, then i would advocate the death penalty, yes, but unfortunately laws are not situational and mistakes can be made.
tough call.
2007-09-19 04:51:46 · answer #5 · answered by The French Connection 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
God will dole out the punishment for that person.
Personally I'm against the death penalty for that reason, but people who commit heinous crimes in states where the death penalty is legal know that it is a possible consequence of their actions, so I cannot be responsible for them.
On moral grounds I oppose it, but I also submit to the laws of my government as the bible says we should.
I would heavily mourn the loss of my wife and daughter(s), but I also know that our time on this earth is but a blink of an eye in Heaven, so I would be reunited with my family soon enough.
Love God, and love your neighbor as you would love yourself. Those are the two greatest commandments according to Jesus. I'll put my eggs in his basket, let him sort the rest.
2007-09-19 04:51:21 · answer #6 · answered by samans442 4 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Nope, I would kill them. But protecting your family and the death penalty are two different things. And my reasoning behind being against the death penalty is not rooted in emotion, but rather the reality that we have put innocent people to death, that it costs more to put someone to death, than up for life in prison, that states that have the death penalty do NOT have less crime (so it is not a deterrent), and because I don;t think that government should be in the business of telling states what to do.
2007-09-19 04:48:53 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 2⤋
That's a question that I have thought of before. And I can't tell you the answer before it happens. Your question is really more about revenge than justice.
It does make me think about the Amish community that had the gunman kill children in their school. They said that they forgave him. How many other Christians would respond this way?
Until we can 100% guarantee anyone we execute is guilty, we should not have the death penalty.
2007-09-19 04:50:13 · answer #8 · answered by wooper 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Wow that would require some thought, I don't know how I would feel in that situation. Right now I am against it. Death would be to easy, If they live locked away for the rest of their natural life then they would have to live with the torment of what they have done.
2007-09-19 04:50:25 · answer #9 · answered by Rev.Michelle 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
I think lots of people who are against the death penalty probably would not be if something terrible were to happen to them or their family. However lots of people really do believe that no-one besides god has the right to take someone's life.
Here's my problem with the death penalty. Why are we okay with putting our own citizens to death but when it comes to the war in Iraq we have all these rules about soldiers can't shoot at someone pointing a gun at them until they are shot at first and all these other crazy rules. Why do we value terrorists and our enemies lives more than our own citizens?
2007-09-19 04:48:23 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 3⤋