The death pentaly? Eye for an Eye?

Question

To me the "eye for an eye" idea of Capital Punishment is as ridiculious as sending a rapist to prison and having him intentionally raped as his punishment!

Answer 1

I strongly believe in the death penalty. Show me one person put to death who repeated his crime. Too many felons get out of prison (supposedly rehabilitated) and repeat their crimes over and over again. Let them pay the ultimate price and suffer just as they made others suffer. If you feel otherwise, you are the ridiculous one. Especially sensitive to me are pedophiles and rapists, the most heinous of all criminals, who repeat their crimes. They most certainly do not deserve to live.

Answer 2

Actually the concept of "eye for an eye" meant that the punishment to be exacted should not be more terrible than the crime, and this concept represented an advance in civilization.

You don't have to sympathize with criminals or want them to avoid a terrible punishment to ask if the death penalty prevents or even reduces crime and to think about the risks of executing innocent people. More and more Americans are rethinking their views about the death penalty.

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 3

I forget who it was who said 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth is the quickest way to an eyeless and toothless society'.

In the US, politics has corrupted Christianity into something Jesus wouldn't recognize. For 30 years now, politicians have tried to outdo each other on being 'tough on crime'. In that time we have doubled prison populations and doubled them again. We passed mandatory sentencing laws resulting in rapists and murderers being released to make room for causal drug users that got mandatory 30-year sentences. Here in California we spend so much on prisons that we can't afford needed improvements in education, and some politicians have seriously suggested we shut down a few state college campuses and convert them to prisons.

If you could make the streets safer by locking up more people, we'd have the safest streets in the world!

For years, those who favored capital punishment insisted it was a deterrent to crime. A century of statistics totally disproves this assertion. About the time of the first president Bush, the justification changed to 'just desserts'. Today the deterrence argument is creeping back in. You can't believe in capital punishment without some serious self-deception, but then you have to really suspend disbelief to be a conservative these days anyway.

Answer 4

I agree. If people want use the Bible as their justification then they must realize that the New Testament says "to turn the other cheek" which means to forgive. Ghandi said "an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind."

All the people who answered for the death penalty must have a blind faith in the justice system. I hope none of them ever get framed for murder. I also just feel that it is inhumane and if I had a family member murdered I wouldn't feel better killing the defendant. I would rather them rot in prison and think about what they did for the rest of their miserable life. Just my thoughts.

Answer 5

Im not for Capitol Punishment and I don't consider an "eye for an eye" an efficient disciplinary action... but the idea of sending a rapist to jail to be raped makes alot of sense. hmmmmmm.

Answer 6

So just what do you propose? Slapping them on the wrist and letting them go? I would like to hear your ideas on the subject if your had a loved one murdered or raped. Until then, you can have all the opinions you want.

Answer 7

Pretty much. Our Society still doesn't know what to DO with those who commit violent crimes... -So it keeps it's Subjects happy by extracting alittle "vengence" in the Sentencing Process... The Public of Caesar's day- would've been pleased. :(

Answer 8

Gandhi said "an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind."

Answer 9

neither strike me as ridiculous. perhaps inadequate. if someone steals a hundred dollars from you, and you get the hundred back, you are not even.

Answer 10

I believe what goes around comes around!!! Should you rape someone and then it happens to you. oh well!!!