why cant we have a death sentence to deter murders and rapings?

Answer 1

Capital punishment is not a deterrent. It is a punishment. The major flaw in capital punishment is that so many innocent people get killed and the guilty people are walking around free committing more crimes.

Answer 2

For a deterrent to work the following must be in place:
- an understanding that actions have far reaching short and long term consequences
- An understanding that these consequences can have profound effects on self and others
- a degree of empathy for the potential victim
- an understanding that the individual has something to lose
- an understanding that the indivudual will be caught and will lose that something
- a value basis that does not support anti-social/offending behaviours
- a mind free from significant influences such as alcohol and drugs (or other intoxicants or addictive behaviours)

In other words, deterrents only work as a scare tactic for those who aren't likely to do it anyway.

Answer 3

Because we dont have a legal system that would truly deter murders.

To many people are overly sympathetic to the criminals, they forget about the victims and the greater safety of the people.

HOW MANY HEINOUS CRIMES ARE COMMITTED BY REPEAT OFFENDERS IS THE KEY QUESTION HERE??

How many are performed by people who have served previous jail time?

AN overwhelming amount.
And with this over population get out sooner serving half your time for good behavior is B.S.
Take a look at the Celebrities getting 1 hour in jail for repeatedly comiitting just driving offfenses.

Now if celebrities knew they would go to jail for 2 years nomatter how great a lawyer they had..would you really think they would think twice before they acted?

Or if a gang member knew before hand that for every bullet he shot off would be a mandatory 10 years..serving all 10 of those years.
If drug dealers knew they would serve 5 years mandatory for first time offense...20 years for 2nd....
do you think we would have people changing from their ways, or rotting in prison.

As long as they are off the streets, should be the only focus.

But what we have here is one side challenging strict LAWS that would deter people if they had stiff penalties.

Its not the death penalty that will deter criminals alone, its stiffer penalties.

Right now people walk away with murder.
Theres so many ways to get a lighter sentence..heck just ask the guys that helped O.J.
Armed robbery...

Heck Michael Vick...18 months at most probably for his killing of animals.

Any heinous crime (kidnapping chidlren, raping, torture, premeditated) death penalty.

Child molestors (15 years in jail)
2nd offense (life in prison..because you showed you cant change)
Multiple counts -- death penalty

Drive by shootings and home invasion robberies (Life in jail, possible death sentence)

Robbery - depending on how much you took
2 years for every $1000 of merchandise you take that isnt yours.

Jenna 6 - group beating another person
5 years each.

In my country you will think before you act or you will spend the rest of your life away from hurting people, or die period.

Now some would argue well if a prisoner knew he was going to get death penalty he would jut kil his victims then.

Well thats the sort of arguement that only stalls the decisiveness required to start preventing crime.

Its basically saying theres no right answer so we have no decision....and meanwhile the crimiansl are never sent a clear concise message..you will ruin your life.

But then, punishment goes hand in hand with prevention and treatment rehabilitation.

So when one is failing, then the entire system fails.
Which is exactly where we are now.

But all these people who side against cruel punishment for the criminals, forget all the cruel punishment these same criminals showed their victims.
And would more than not show others if given the chance.

Crimes of Passion.....
yeah right.

If someone was raised with the knoweldge they would get the death penalty, they would think twice before committing a crime of passion.
But as it is now, people actually think they can argue against a crime of passion and get off or get a light sentence.

I dont know whats worse..the intial crime, or those people that argue for the criminals because they werent the ones affected by the crime.
.

Answer 4

It wont deter murder or rape or any other crime thats done in the heat of the moment because in those circumstances you dont consider consequences.
However, what happens if, in a rape case a man is maliciously accused and convicted wrongly? It does happen and people spend years in prison before they are cleared and then they have to pay rent out of their compensation.

Answer 5

Because they don't deter murders and rapings. Those are crimes of passion. Almost no one who is about to commit a rape or murder ever stops to consider the repercussions if they get caught. The best argument for the death sentence is that protects the general population from repeat offenders. Dead people can't escape.

Answer 6

because to many innocent people went to the gallows. either because they could not afford a good defence. or because they were railroaded by the state.

it does not deter any kind of crime anyway. this has been proved time and time again..
how would you like to face the death penalty for something you did not do. remember the public is quick to convict any and all suspects long before a trial. due to media sensationalising of story's about cases.

would you like to be in that seat and be Innocent

Answer 7

it's mainly an ethical issue - is it ever right to take someone's life, no matter what the reason? does this not make you as bad as the person who committed rape or murder?

there is also the problem of getting the wrong person - court cases are largely determined by which lawyer performs the best on the day and the OPINION of the jury - so there is a good chance of convicting an innocent - they can be released from a prison sentence if they are later found to be innocent, but they cant be brought back from the dead.

Answer 8

first can I answer Drusilla,it would certainly deter the ones who had that penalty applied to them.there is an urgent need for the return of capital punishment and that include the death sentence, for less serious but for those who's crimes justify it, and to blazes with Brussels. this is our land. and we want to able to walk about in the evening safely etc.

Answer 9

personally, i am in favor of the death penalty as whole, because i feel that there some circumstances in which a criminal's life must be taken from them to promote societal welfare and such, but there are many reasons as to why we shouldnt use the death penalty to deter murderers and rapists:
first, there is the question of culpability. we have to be sure whether or not the convict is FULLY guilty for the crime in question, and because there is no brite line in our justice systems, we cannot fairly administer the death penalty. also, because our courts are made up of imperfect individuals, we are bound to make mistakes in convictions, and if the gov't were to kill an innocnet life for no reason, this would cause people to question government legitamacy.
second, one can argue that the use of the death penalty would slow down the growth of civilization. mosern day society has been moving away from cruel and harsh punishments such as the death penalty, and by moving back to that way of governing again, we would be slowing down its growth. lets look at this logically- we went from beheading to hanging, to the electric chair, to lethal injections. the next step would obviously be to get rid of the death penalty all together.
third, and finally, we cannot use the death penalty because we would be giving the government right to biopower. the government cannot be seen as something that is more important than its people. normal human beings cannot take away lives of human, so why should the government be able to? giving the government the right to take away life would be considering them something of much higher standards than all of us, and that would lead to corruption (especially with regards to our current elected government officials)

as you can see, there are many reasons to abolish the death penalty, but im sure that you would be able to find plenty reasons fro keeping it as well. lol i hope this helped
im only thirteen, so please dont think of me as an idiot if you disagree with some of my arguments <3 je suis lizzie

Answer 10

There are a lot of reasons as to why we do not have the Death Penalty anymore,there is a strong movement for some crimes for it to be put back in place however,with so many mistakes & self defence an issue as well, it is highly unlikely that the law will be overturned in favour for it within the next 5years,some of us hope it is sooner.