The Death Penalty

[Actingman00]

Wow, it's kind of sick and cruel.  Just because somebody did something wrong does not mean they should be killed over it.  What really sent me over the edge is when I was reading an article and a man said, "I was mad that they post-poned this man's death sentence as I wanted to see the man who killed my son die.  I told him I would sit in the front row".  Now I paraphrased that but it was the jist of it.  That is sick, you want to see another human die because they did something to you? No, that's wrong.

I believe the Death Penalty should be outlawed completely, like it is in Canada.

[Himu]

It depends on the crime for me.

[ncba93ivyase]

Anyone that says stuff like "I CAN'T HAVE PEACE UNLESS THIS MAN IS PUT TO DEATH" or "MY GRANDFATHER WHOM I NEVER VISITED DIDN'T HAVE A SECOND CHANCE NOR SHOULD HE" is a nutjob.  I don't understand how knowing you pushed the court to decide to kill a man makes you feel any better than knowing the man that did whatever harm to you will never get out of jail and never be within 1000 miles of you. I think the problem is people seek revenge instead of justice.

Also, I mostly disagree with the death penalty, but there are some exceptions. If a person is completely and utterly crazy, committed dozens of heinous crimes (such as blowing up random buildings throughout a city and murdering hundreds), and they can't provide any understanding for why they committed such an act, taking them out might be okay. Now, if a person can truly show that they've changed for the better or can possibly write a book or something about their actions, fine. Then that person has some use.

also probably my biggest problem is with the way executions are carried out today ie lethal injection which paralyzes you and forces you to stop breathing followed up by your heart stopping which really does sound pretty damn scary making your last few second of life complete hell. maybe carbon monoxide poisoning would be a bit more humane i don't know

Also, I still don't like the prison system and I doubt I ever will. 20 years for a single aggravated rape charge? Idiotic.  A heinous crime, yes, but I'm sure most people would drastically change within 3 years; longer than that will make a person begin dissociate from society and it's hard for them to be brought back in. Sentence them for 10 years if they're an idiot; reduce it by up to 90% if they've shown they can truly become a good person.

[Selkie]

No, I believe that if it could be proven 100% true, like, there is NO doubt whatsoever that the person is guilty,

Then again, sentencing an innocent man to a lifetime in prison isn't much better than killing him...

and if the murder was TOTALLY unprovoked, then the family should be able to decide the fate of the murderer and be able to sell tickets to his glorious death.

Just no torture, any form of death that lasts let's say under 15 seconds.

[musica.cards]

Wow, it's kind of sick and cruel.  Just because somebody did something wrong does not mean they should be killed over it.  What really sent me over the edge is when I was reading an article and a man said, "I was mad that they post-poned this man's death sentence as I wanted to see the man who killed my son die.  I told him I would sit in the front row".  Now I paraphrased that but it was the jist of it.  That is sick, you want to see another human die because they did something to you? No, that's wrong.

I believe the Death Penalty should be outlawed completely, like it is in Canada.

I wouldn't say that, as true murderers should get the death sentence.

[Selkie]

I wouldn't say that, as true murderers should get the death sentence.

What defines a true murderer?

Generally people who are serial killers, who just kill people for fun, have some mental illness, and probably don't have perfect judgment of right and wrong. Does this mean they should run free? No, but maybe they should get some help.

As for 'murderers' who kill someone for a reason, we should take into consideration the reason.

If the reason is "oLo he stole my toasteR" then yeah, maybe consider death penalty.

If the reason is, he was defending his family from an armed burglar, then he shouldn't get penalized.

[bluaki]

It depends on the crime and the motive, along with whether or not the person is completely proven beyond a doubt to be guilty. I also think that anybody in prison should have the right to death if they'd rather die than live through their sentence (I'm not sure if they do or not).

[guff]

No, I believe that if it could be proven 100% true, like, there is NO doubt whatsoever that the person is guilty,

how would you do that

I think the problem is people seek revenge instead of justice.

holy shit that wasn't retarded cook

20 years for a single aggravated rape charge? Idiotic. 

A heinous crime, yes, but I'm sure most people would drastically change within 3 years; longer than that will make a person begin dissociate from society and it's hard for them to be brought back in.

Sentence them for 10 years if they're an idiot; reduce it by up to 90% if they've shown they can truly become a good person.

well i had trouble finding information on the issue but it doesn't seem like that's the minimum sentence
if you were referencing a specific case, then maybe the offender had a record of some sort
or maybe you just pulled the number out of your ass dunno

well, it's more than just sentencing; therapy for sexual offenders does seem to lower the rate of recidivism (see paragraph starting with "In Vermont"), but doesn't bring it to zero of course (remember: prison am supposed to be not only punishment, but rehambiliatoning)
don't think anybody knows how well prison or any alternative can change a person over any given period of time

uh wait wouldn't it make a little more sense for them to show that they already have become a good person, rather than releasing them back into society halfway through

maybe carbon monoxide poisoning would be a bit more humane i don't know

uh probably not

oh and sodium thiopental is administered in lethal injections so as to induce a coma-like state so in theory the executee would not be aware of said paralysis and respiratory failure but that doesn't always work right (see: guy that took two hours to kill) possibly because the doses used are screwy and consciousness might return before the other drugs take their course in some cases dunno

I also think that anybody in prison should have the right to death if they'd rather die than live through their sentence (I'm not sure if they do or not).

uh what would be the purpose of their punishment (or rehabilitation, if their sentence isn't life without chance of parole) if they could chose to end it at any point, thus effectively wasting the tax dollars used to house them up to that point why do you hate the taxpaying public >:0

[Actingman00]

No, I believe that if it could be proven 100% true, like, there is NO doubt whatsoever that the person is guilty,

Then again, sentencing an innocent man to a lifetime in prison isn't much better than killing him...

and if the murder was TOTALLY unprovoked, then the family should be able to decide the fate of the murderer and be able to sell tickets to his glorious death.

Just no torture, any form of death that lasts let's say under 15 seconds.

But anyone who would want to see another human die has to be as fucked up in the mind as the guy who did the murder.  It is still inhuman no matter what they did, they may be able to change.  Sure they messed up but it doesn't mean they should be killed for it.

[spaceman]

Yeah I really think it depends on the crime.

[Selkie]

But anyone who would want to see another human die has to be as fucked up in the mind as the guy who did the murder.  It is still inhuman no matter what they did, they may be able to change.  Sure they messed up but it doesn't mean they should be killed for it.

Guy 1: Rapes and kills little girl for no reason

Guy 2: watches his little daughter getting raped and killed by guy 1, and can't do anything because he is tied to a chair(or something)

Guy 2: breaks loose from bonds and kills Guy 1.


Now...

Guy 1 and Guy 2 are absolutely NOT equally wrong, no matter what you say. Guy 1 has to be messed up more than Guy 2, and deserves much more severe punishment.

Hell, it can even be applied legally, Guy 1 would have committed first degree murder, Guy 2 would have committed first degree manslaughter.

It doesn't matter how many morals you have, Guy 1 deserves more severe punishment.

[guff]

It doesn't matter how many morals you have, Guy 1 deserves more severe punishment.

okay, who's arguing against that, exactly? 

also, i see your four morals and raise you two consciences

[InbredPsychosis]

"I was mad that they post-poned this man's death sentence as I wanted to see the man who killed my son die.  I told him I would sit in the front row"..

If someone killed someone in my family I would kill them myself.

Provided the initial bloodlust is there still. So if they were within murdering range when they committed the act they would die. I'm not all bad-ass and "rawr I'll hunt you to the ends of the earth" or anything. But I'd most certainly go into a berserk rage if I witnessed that happen and had the ability to kill the person who did it. It wouldn't bring my family member back, but natural instinct takes over and I avenge them.

um yeah

Anyway, I don't like the death penalty. The government has no right to dictate who dies and who lives. If someone commits a heinous crime, give them rehabilitation, don't just throw them in jail and leave. Then when you let them out they will just do the same thing. Unfortunately the shit hole that is prison doesn't make everyone rethink shooting someone in the face for a second time. If they aren't rehabilitated from the therapy, then just lock them up forever or something. I'd say continue to try and straighten them up. Of course that would cost money that the government doesn't want to put out. Then again I am sure killing a bunch of people isn't very cheap either.

And don't say "well why do you get the right to kill someone". Immediate retaliatory vengeance isn't like dragging someone through months or maybe years of court deliberation and then inevitably killing them in the name of justice, even if they find out a few months later that person was innocent. Or in Tookie Williams case, nobody was intelligent enough to realize that they were making a mistake. Except the protesters.

It's complicated. Neither the spectacle of capital punishment nor my frenzy murder is justified because taking a human life is taking a human life. But then again, I would like to have someone say that they wouldn't react in a similar fashion after watching someone kill their son/daughter/wife/husband/mother/brother/sister/father/etc.

IT'S ANIMAL INSTINCT. Capital punishment is...Well, I am not sure. What does it solve that couldn't be solved in a more civilized manner?

[Daddy]

Like SMXX said,  if some one killed some one in my family I would probably try to kill them. 

But I don't think capital punishment is right.   What kind of message does it send when you kill some one for doing something wrong?  If a person wants to go for the maximum punishment for a crime, life in prison is far more harsh.   Humans are social animals, so locking them up in a cell for the rest of their lives letting them know that they will never see the outside again, never will make contact with anyone other than guards, and have no hope of it changing, is a much better punishment then giving them the benefit of getting out of that 20 years early by killing them.

I find it even more ironic that most people who support the death penalty are conservative and pro-life.    They believe that something whose status of living is debatable has the right to live, yet they are fine with killing a person that is obviously alive. 

[Actingman00]

If someone killed someone in my family I would kill them myself.

Provided the initial bloodlust is there still. So if they were within murdering range when they committed the act they would die. I'm not all bad-ass and "rawr I'll hunt you to the ends of the earth" or anything. But I'd most certainly go into a berserk rage if I witnessed that happen and had the ability to kill the person who did it. It wouldn't bring my family member back, but natural instinct takes over and I avenge them.

um yeah

Anyway, I don't like the death penalty. The government has no right to dictate who dies and who lives. If someone commits a heinous crime, give them rehabilitation, don't just throw them in jail and leave. Then when you let them out they will just do the same thing. Unfortunately the shit hole that is prison doesn't make everyone rethink shooting someone in the face for a second time. If they aren't rehabilitated from the therapy, then just lock them up forever or something. I'd say continue to try and straighten them up. Of course that would cost money that the government doesn't want to put out. Then again I am sure killing a bunch of people isn't very cheap either.

And don't say "well why do you get the right to kill someone". Immediate retaliatory vengeance isn't like dragging someone through months or maybe years of court deliberation and then inevitably killing them in the name of justice, even if they find out a few months later that person was innocent. Or in Tookie Williams case, nobody was intelligent enough to realize that they were making a mistake. Except the protesters.

It's complicated. Neither the spectacle of capital punishment nor my frenzy murder is justified because taking a human life is taking a human life. But then again, I would like to have someone say that they wouldn't react in a similar fashion after watching someone kill their son/daughter/wife/husband/mother/brother/sister/father/etc.

IT'S ANIMAL INSTINCT. Capital punishment is...Well, I am not sure. What does it solve that couldn't be solved in a more civilized manner?

True enough, I would want to kill them myself but it still doesn't make it right.  And as much as I would want to if I hear someone else wanting to see someone die it just sounds...sick. 


@Super Mario Galaxy: Yes, Guy 1 does deserve a bigger punishment but Guy 2 deserves a punishment of some kind as well, at least he should get some kind of therapy.