Capital Punishment

November 20, 2007, 1:21 PM

Should the death penalty be allowed in any society? Is it humane or is it merely barabaric? If it should be allowed, what should be capital crimes? Furthermore, what method of punishment should be allowed? Just thought I'd get the blood pumping on this one.

November 20, 2007, 1:46 PM

I'm not sure on this one, I was reading a story about a man who was freed after 16 years in prison who was innocent. If the death penalty had been around then this would of been an instance where I was against it. 100% guilty then give them the death deserved.

November 20, 2007, 2:04 PM

I think that life in prison is a much better punishment then death, death would just be an easy way out in my opinion, better let them rot behind bars for ages.
So I'm against it, not because it's morally wrong, not saying that it isn't, just that I think that there are worse things then death.

November 20, 2007, 5:39 PM

Definitely against! I don't think that any amount of power or authority should give someone the control over somebody else's life, even if they are a criminal.

Where is the line between moral and immoral murder? If it's not ok for the convict to murder someone, then why do the rules suddenly change for the executioner???? If you sentence a murderer to death then you are just stooping to their level, and they have no opportunity for rehabilitation, and in lots of cases people are wrongly accused.

In Yemen, homosexuality is punishable by death, as are things like possession of drugs, adultery and environmental pollution in other countries, in which case the criminal has no chance to learn from what happened and redeem theirself.

November 20, 2007, 7:18 PM

I don't think anywhere should be permitted to use Capital Punishment. It's barbaric and certainly goes against the law of nature. And that's coming from a non-religious perspective.

However, some people might pair Capital Punishment with euthenasia. I feel they're very different but I can see where these people are coming from.

When Capital Punishment is used as a sentence for murderers it's total hypocracy. Murder is murder, whether it is done for the law or against the law. But life should mean life in terms of a prison sentence. Murderers should always be made to stay in prison 'til death. I don't think those kinds of people deserve to live among others since they're a danger to everyone.

Many countries abuse Capital Punishment, imo. I think it's used too widely as punishment if at all. Some countries that allow it use it in cases like adultry and pregnancy outside marriage too. It's too risky.

I say no to Capital Punishment. In all cases.

November 20, 2007, 8:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sephirothalpha

I'm not sure on this one, I was reading a story about a man who was freed after 16 years in prison who was innocent. If the death penalty had been around then this would of been an instance where I was against it. 100% guilty then give them the death deserved.

Well, all those declared guilty were declared 100% guilty by the judicial system...it's a part of how it is built.

And what of the argument that it is too much of a burden to keep them in prison? How much money in taxes are being wasted on a criminal that couldn't even value another's life?

November 20, 2007, 9:27 PM

I think the death penalty should be used in extreme cases - like someone that will NEVER be released. Why clog up the jails?
I also think that our justice system is ridiculous, people just seem too get away with multiple offences altho I wouldnt go as far as the death penalty, abit of public humiliation might make them think twice. If I have to suffer the traumas of a break in, why should the crimal get let off or have a cushty life in jail for afew weeks?? It doesn't have to involve pain... but if you abuse my human right to live safely/go out safely without being attacked then I think it's only fair that their rights are taken away. Alternatively they could take the bloody t.v's and games rooms out of the bloody jails.....It's like a holiday camp

November 21, 2007, 12:58 AM

My views stands the same as it has been many years ago - yes, death penalty should be allowed in society, but should never be used carelessly since there is the possibility that someone could actually be an innocent. It's a terrible fate for those innocents, I know...and I do feel sorry for the people who had to take the consequences not meant for them.

A solution to that is to prolong the case until they are sure that the victim is really guilty. Our advanced technologies should be enough to determine the truth.

Now, I already stated my views some months ago, but I'll state it again. In fact, I'll copy and paste, with changes here and there. xD

Well, first of all, we have to think about where some of our tax money go to. In a sense, we are actually helping these criminals get an education, giving them food to eat three times a day, make their living situations better (like bambi implied, they are living like they are more fortunate than the poor who has no such valuables) - and all because they're in prison and obviously committed crimes. And by crimes, I mean cold-hearted murders, rapes, cannibalisms - along those degree. However, if it's such a small crime, then the jail should do.

But criminals who have committed heinous crimes...that I cannot tolerate or forgive. Imagine one of your loved ones as the victims...how would you feel about it? Yes, I am saying that I am not against the death penalty. I used to be, but my views changed when the situation involved me and my loved ones. Everything changes then.

There's criminals that pleads innocent, for they claim that they are not right in the head, so that should be an enough excuse to not face the death penalty. And these people actually get away with it. That's not right at all. Right in the head or not, those people are like the rest of us, with choices. Why give them the special treatment when they claim they are not right in the head? If someone is smart enough to actually say, "I'm not right in the head, so that is why I did what I did. Therefore, I plead not guilty."...then that tells me that person is surely right enough in the head to know what is going on and that they can indeed get away with that by stating they are mentally not right up there.

Now, take Jeffery Dahmer, for instance. His crimes dealt with sodomy, necrophilia, dismemberment, and cannibalism. Victims: Many...boys included. Children...

He convinced them that he needed therapy and was released with a five-year probation, only to screw up his already screwed up pathetic life by committing more murders. He did plead not guilty by claiming insanity, but they still found him guilty anyway and sentenced him 15 life terms. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't believe a damn word that comes out of criminal's mouth like Dahmer.

Then there's one (forgot his name) who kidnapped women, chained their feet, electrocuted them all at once (due to the chains, as they were all connected) and forced them to have sex with each other. Then he killed one woman, cooked her, and fed her remains to the others...who didn't know that what they had for dinner was one of their companions. He told them afterwards though...

How can we give people like that a second chance? I say that they should face death because life has nothing in store for them here on earth anymore. They are only tainting this world more with their mere presence...I cannot abide with such actions and have someone tell me that they're only human and people make mistakes. So why not a second chance...?

No, I believe that everyone has a sense of ethics and morals buried somewhere deep inside them, even if just a little. (Or at least, know the difference between right and wrong, generally speaking.) But whether they choose to follow it or not is their choice. And with a wrong choice, comes the consequences and they must face it. People like Dahmer has no room to change because sometimes, that's just the way it is. There are many changes in this world, yes, but then again, some things don't change at all. Cold truth.

Now, there's a difference between accidental and self defense murders to pre-meditated murders. Sometimes it can't be helped and someone will have to kill another in order to survive. That is why I stated earlier that it depends on the degree of crime and for what reason, mainly because situations like accidental and self defense murders are a different matter.

Now, if one of my loved ones happen to commit a pre-meditated murder that are seriously to the extreme, then yes, I would still feel that he or she deserves the death penalty, no matter how hard it will be for us. Easier said than done? Perhaps, but I will not side with evil for the sake of a loved one, no matter how cruel that may sound.

But that is why it is very important to teach your children and any of your love ones that killing is wrong and there will be severe punishment.

There are a lot of complicated scenarios that deals with murder...and while some are forgivable (very rare to some though), others are simply not tolerable in my eyes. All I know is that I'm against those who impose cruel intentions to others.

November 22, 2007, 11:45 AM

Definitely not. Capital punishment is flawed on so many grounds.

First and foremost: Courts screw up.
It's happened before and it WILL happen again. Every so often a person is accused and convicted of a crime they did not commit, if this happens then society bears the burden of homicide.

Secondly: It doesn't work.

The U.S. has the highest rate of executions in the world but look, crime is not decreasing. Obviously the previous offenders can't offend again but more spring in place, what are you going to; ban parenthood? That is about the level of madness, sinking to this level of barbarism is, in my mind.

Thirdly: Repercussions

You may make martyrs out of the criminal class and have an uprising on your hands. People will sympathise, apart from the sick bastards who would pass this punishment who are obviously so desensitised that they can hardly be called human.

Sorry if I speak out of place but it is barbaric, sick, unbecoming of any civilised nation and flawed to an inexcusable extent. This method sickens me.

November 24, 2007, 7:12 AM

Call me a barbarian, but I'm for the death penalty. I do think the United States misuses it, though. Giving people the death penalty for killing one person in a robbery gone wrong is rather misguided. I think the death penalty should be reserved for people who have commited heinous crimes and show no remorse (ie: people like Charles Manson).

Now, I know everyone likes to get all bleeding heart about criminals and claim they deserve a second chance. True, some do. However, there are certain people who do not