should capital punishment be abolished or not?

Question

hey guys!, pls help!...i've got to prepare for a class debate and this is my topic..pls give me ur valued honest opinions with justifications...thanks:)

thanks guys!!..big help!!:)

Answer 1

Death Penalty.

Death Penalty Debate

http://justice.uaa.alaska.edu/death/debate.html

http://www.youdebate.com/DEBATES/death_penalty.HTM

http://archives.cbc.ca/IDD-1-73-625/politics_economy/death_penalty/

http://www.prodeathpenalty.com/

http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/state/

http://deathpenaltyinfo.msu.edu/

This site is being developed as a resource for those searching the internet for pro-death penalty information and resources. Capital punishment is a topic that brings up deep emotional reactions for those on both sides of the issue and conflict for those who are undecided how they feel.

This is a powerful site with very strong Pro Death Penalty contributors.

I hope that this is the kind of information that you are looking for. Good luck

http://www.missourideathrow.com/

http://dmoz.org/Society/Issues/Crime_and_Justice/Death_Penalty/

http://dmoz.org/Society/Issues/Crime_and_Justice/

http://www.hangmansknot.com/

Answer 2

I was pro-capital punishment 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. In the last 30 years, over 100 people have been released from death row 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 3

No. There are some crimes so heinous that this punishment is deserved. The way the appeals process works and with DNA technology so advanced, those who are found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and their convictions upheld on capital crimes are those who have proven that they cannot function in regular society and would continue to be a threat to others.

The prisons are full to overcrowded now with repeat offenders and those committing less heinous crimes that society has deemed are worthy of a chance to rehabilitate. There is no such thing as true "life without parole" these days in most cases, so taking away "death row" would mean that these convicts will one day be back on the streets. Do all those opposed to capital punishment want these folks living in their neighborhoods and communities?

The death penalty can be a deterrent to crime in some cases, and it is the ultimate deterrent for the person receiving that sentence. The families of their victims can at least have the peace of knowing that no one else will suffer the way they have at the hands of this same person.

Answer 4

Yes, it shoud be abolished.

Imagine not only being convicted for a crime that you don't commit, but actually being executed for it. How do prosecutors apologize for accidentally executing an innocent man? By saying "oops! I'm sorry!"

Now I know what people are going to say: that its okay to punish 100 guilty at the expense of 2 innocent. Ask them if they would feel this way if they were on death row.

They'll also claim that DNA and other advances in evidence make it almost impossible for an innocent person to be executed. This is flatly untrue. I'm a law student and I can tell you there's a national group called the Innocence Project that has gotten hundreds of prisoners released for crimes they never committed. Anyone in doubt that there aren't a lot of innocent people in jail should simply speak to someone who works for the Innocence Project.

Then there is the argument that keeping people imprisoned takes up too much room, and costs too much money. The truth is that it costs WAY MORE to execute someone than it does to keep them in prison for life. For example, in California there have been 11 executions in the past 27 years, and it has cost the state and federal government an average of $250 million dollars PER PRISONER to execute them. Also, the vast majority of prisoners end up spending a decade or more on death row - so they are still crowding up the prison anyway.

Good luck with your debate!

Answer 5

You will find a terrific resource on the death penalty especially for students and debaters at http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/article.php?did=1917

You don't have to condone brutal crimes or want the criminals who commit them to avoid a harsh punishment to ask whether the death penalty prevents or even reduces crime and whether it risks killing innocent people. Here is some information, with sources listed below:

124 people on death rows have been released with proof that they were wrongfully convicted. DNA is available in less than 10% of all homicides and isn’t a guarantee we won’t execute innocent people.

The death penalty doesn't 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 don’t.

We have a good alternative. 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.

The death penalty costs much more than life in prison, mostly because of the legal process which is supposed to prevent executions of innocent people.

The death penalty isn't reserved for the worst crimes, but for defendants with the worst lawyers. It doesn't apply to people with money. When is the last time a wealthy person was on death row, let alone executed?

The death penalty doesn't necessarily help families of murder victims. 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.

Problems with speeding 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 6

A lot of people are against capital punishment, and thats just stupid. If you don't believe in capital punishment in my opinion, you don't believe in justice. Yeah, you can imprison them for life, but what after that? A lot of prisons get full. In some cases, especially with an obviously guilty person, they need to quit waiting 20 years and execute them as soon as possible. Some people may perceive that as heartless, but you cant be choosey, You either believe in all forms of justice or none at all. I understand some people may accidentally get executed, but thats why the investigators need to get to the bottom of the crime and determine whether or not this person committed the offense. Of course, with our government, there is no such thing as justice. Since they themselves are evil in a lot of ways. Also, i must say, that when someone wants to get rid of capital punishment they are just stupid. I know a lot of people are going to hate me for saying that, but im often blunt about the truth. People seem to think that by being against the death penalty they have much higher moral values, which by the way is not true. Actually its the opposite, if someone murdered a good dozen people he needs to be killed. I believe your morals are pretty corrupt if you don't believe that. As crazy as it sounds when people talk about animal rights, its just as ridiculous stating that severe criminals be kept alive for the sake of feeling sorry for them. That is just my two-cents, good luck on your project!

Answer 7

Of course, just imagine somebody has made a mistaque and the accused has been killed then you have no chance of making it right, my view is to execute anybody is nothing short of barbaric and serve no purpose, the guilt feeling is far stronger than the quisk execution.

Answer 8

I think capital punishment should stay
I think Australia should have Capital Punishment

Answer 9

No! We just need to use every scientific method possible to make sure the person is NOT innocent.