do you support the death penalty?

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imbatshitcrazy
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20 Nov 2010, 11:18 pm

yes or no?

SuperApsie
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21 Nov 2010, 12:00 am

I think it is wrong on all counts:
- do not prevent other crimes to occur (even institutionalize murder)
- risk of executing innocent people (http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/execute ... y-innocent)
- is more expensive than a life sentence without parole (Kansas study, page 13 http://www.kslegislature.org/postaudit/ ... 4pa03a.pdf)

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Zara
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21 Nov 2010, 12:07 am

I'd still keep it around for the serial killers with no hope of rehabilitation.

I'd be favor of more restrictions on it though since there are still understandable concerns about it.

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skafather84
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21 Nov 2010, 12:24 am

This becomes a question of whether our justice system is that of revenge or that of rehabilitation.

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Philologos
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21 Nov 2010, 12:24 am

The real question : would I have responded to this "poll" if the question had simply been put straightforwardly without tossing ridiculously provocative statements into the mouth ofthe respondents?

My answer - probably not, I see much more point in reasoned respectful discussion than in even the best headcounts.

Orwell
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21 Nov 2010, 12:29 am

skafather84 wrote:

This becomes a question of whether our justice system is that of revenge or that of rehabilitation.

There are other possible motives for a justice system, such as deterrence or protection of society from further harm by eliminating the problem.

But revenge certainly has no place in the justice system (at least in my mind it should not) and attempts at deterrence are never terribly successful, so the focus should be primarily on rehabilitation, and isolation/removal of the problem when that fails.

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Squirrelrat
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21 Nov 2010, 12:33 am

Many innocent people have received the death penalty. That by itself is enough to make me oppose it.

91
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21 Nov 2010, 12:53 am

I think that the state should not have the power to kill it's citizens.

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skafather84
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21 Nov 2010, 12:57 am

Squirrelrat wrote:

Many innocent people have received the death penalty. That by itself is enough to make me oppose it.

^This is also an important point: how many innocent people killed as a result of the death penalty is too many? How many killings because of a wrong verdict are acceptable?

I'd say none but there'll probably be a person or two who'll try to rationalize such a thing.

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21 Nov 2010, 1:35 am

I strongly support the death penalty in all murder cases and also have it reserved for the most heinous rapists, torturers, child predators, and other special cases like Bernie Madoff. Now the burden of proof should be high and if there is reasonable doubt they should get life in prison instead but I don't think that is the case with most murders.I don't believe in parole or early or anything like that either, you should have to serve your sentence no exceptions. I think the sentences should be the same for all criminals, no way one guy should get less or more than another, it shouldn't be at the judges discretion. Now I don't believe in any drug laws or incarceration for petty non-violent criminals but the worst of the worst should be dealt with very harshly.

Boom. This should be fun.

Sand
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21 Nov 2010, 3:55 am

Jacoby wrote:

And anybody who picks his nose in public or farts in the elevator should be shot on the spot.

Descartes
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21 Nov 2010, 8:23 am

I don't really have much of an opinion on the death penalty, but as of right now I'm leaning toward being okay with it, just as long as we use it in a civilized manner. Just because a state does have the power to execute somebody doesn't mean it should go all execution-happy (think Texas :wink: ).

Sand
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21 Nov 2010, 8:46 am

Descartes wrote:

So many people have been sentenced to death and then freed when it was discovered someone else was responsible that the legal procedures are too inaccurate to be sure that innocent people are not being murdered by the state.

montjuic
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21 Nov 2010, 8:49 am

91 wrote:

I think that the state should not have the power to kill it's citizens.

Descartes
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21 Nov 2010, 8:52 am

Sand wrote:

I understand that those things happen. That's one of the reasons why I remain conflicted with the issue of the death penalty, even though I previously stated that I was leaning toward being okay with it. I would like to believe that our advanced forensic technology could, beyond any doubt, exonerate or condemn someone; but, given cases like these, it clearly hasn't gotten that far yet.

Either way, it's not really an issue I care much about.

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21 Nov 2010, 8:56 am

I support the death penalty but they need to make sure the evidence does not leave any doubt at all.

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