Capital punishment-for or against?

[Moridin]

I am 100% for the death penalty!

Sure there are a very, very small percentage of those on death row that are proven innocent, but should we scrap the entire thing b/c it might save 1 or 2 lives. Look at the number of innocent lives that are taken b/c of mistakes (wars, accidental shootings...) yeah it is tragic, but mistakes are going to be whether the person is given death or given life in prison....how many innocents died while in prison from natural causes or at the hands of other inmates?

Plus the only 'worse' thing about giving people life in prison over the death penalty is the waste of our tax dollars! Life in prison is not a worse punishment...so what if they have to sit and think about what they did...that is a bad punishment? They are going to die in prison, who cares if they have to sit and think about their crime for 10 years or 60!



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Never try to teach a pig to sing; it wastes your time and it annoys the pig
I've got to admit it's getting better, it's getting better all the time
Bossman of Better Funny Stuff.....of the Laughing Hyenas!

It's more like an ethical thing
Those people should be out of sociaty
Throw them in a cage with 10 people in a 30 m2 area for all i care
but to kill is just something i cannot do
At least i think i cannot do
I hope I'll never have to find out....

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I Am The SunGod
Here To Enlighten You

What is exacly life in prison? How can one get several life sentences? I really wish that I knew how that works in our country. As far as I know a manslauter charge will only get you up to ten in some places ...mybe under?? In and out, play the game.
If I say human rights will you think of a larger veiw or your part of the world. In Germany, will the police take any crap.. Flailing or brandishing a weapon will get you dead on the spot.Many other countrys where automatic weapons are standard gear for the authoritys as well.
What if America or other countrys didnt have a death penalty law??? I know one thing..I am already watching my back as the laws stand now. I do hate false accusations and wrong doings...so far the majority of people here are very much against the ultimate penalty..which I am against also...but repealing DNA testing over and over again is where I would spend my energies. Not taking these laws off the book.

*\Conan/*

[Aelia Jusa]

Originally posted by MILAMBER: I think one of the primary benefits of the death penalty is as a deterrant to those who kill. It is a warning that tells them: "if you kill, you will be killed". It can make a lot of people seriously think. The problem is when it is administered like it is in America today. It happens YEARS after the crime was committed if it happens at all. There is no threat of immediate consequence. As it is today, I think it's completely useless and ineffective. In theory I'm not completely against it, but I am completely against how it is administered now.

I think you'll find that people who commit crimes never think they'll get caught. So no punishment is a deterrent. Countries with the death penalty have no less crimes than countries without.

[Tuor]

Originally posted by Diogenes Of Pumpkintown: A few points/questions: Fingerprinting and especially DNA evidence are not the fool proof gifts of God to law enforcement that it is fashionable to assume nowadays. Assuming a useful sample can be found in a serious case, we must always remember that the laboratories which do the analysis are run by humans, and the results interpreted by humans. Mistakes can and do happen. That is even assuming that the underlying theories about DNA comparisons are valid -- the fact that people are quickly jumping on the DNA bandwagon as a tool for law enforcement does not mean they are correct in doing so. There is actually reason to question the underlying theories, but the voices of those who do so are being drowned out in the rush to adopt this latest quick fix fad. Regarding the right to 3 appeals -- I am not sure I understand you. What would be the point of that? Are the appellate judges going to change their minds the second and third times around?

The point of three appeals is so that if there is a really contentious crime which disgusts everyone (including a jury say) the person convicted gets another chance at being proved innocent when emotions are not running quite as high-Timothy McVeigh, Jill Dando, Meg Russell, Rosemary West cases for example.


As far as DNA and fingerprinting is concerned yes they can be flawed but this is another reason why you get the appealsso if there is any doubt (and believe me the defence would have raised its concerns about this evidence) can be double checked. I'm intrigued to know exactly what problems there are with dna testing perhaps you could enlighten me.

I don't want to cause offence but you are being a touch selective in your criticism. As I said earlier you should only pass the death sentence on someone where there is incontrovertible proof they have committed a crime,that dna evidence should be backed by eye witness accounts, cctv footage and circumstantial evidence before you even consider putting someone to death.

You would not just say ok we've got a dna match you're guilty lets execute you.

On a slightly different note the taking of a human life IS murder in the UK-can't remember his name but a farmer got life recently for shooting a burglar who was robbing his house.

[Epona]

Execution is murder. It is wrong to deliberately take the life of another person, whatever that person may or may not have done.

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Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so.

Epona of The Laughing Hyenas
Proud winner of the 'Most Useless Post 250 Has Ever Seen' Award 2001. "I'd just like to thank my friends and family, without whom none of this would have been possible..."

[250]

in that case, they should shoot the lawyers who provide false testimonies

[Memnoch]

Against. As a Catholic I don't believe that we have the right to take a human life, no matter what that human being did. Lock people away for a hundred years without hope of parole if you want to, that is probably worse punishment than death. Death penalty only makes the victims feel better IMO.

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