Should the death penalty be allowed?

1. 61

   CanadaCassposted 9 years ago

   Should the death penalty be allowed?
   
   One topic that is so hard to talk about is whether the death penalty should be allowed, some people say no because you should never have the power to take away someones life, while others say yes because some individuals are never able to learn from there past actions. What do you think on this issue, is it something that should be abolished?
   
   

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2. 92

   davidlivermoreposted 9 years ago

   Yes I think so.  If someone takes a persons life and they are found guilty of that, shouldn't be punishment be equal?  How fair is it to spend a lifetime in prison draining money, food, etc., from those who deserve it?

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3. 61

   CanadaCassposted 9 years ago

   I agree, but then it raises the question, what if the person feels remorse for their actions after, or what if the person who was convicted was actually innocent?

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4. 41

   ChristinSposted 9 years ago

   This is indeed a tough question, but if as a society we believe murder is wrong - then state sanctioned murder is also wrong.  You can't have it both ways.  That being said, there are some truly horrific criminals who I have no sympathy for.  I do not relish the idea of keeping them on this Earth because they do not deserve compassion.  The problem here is that murder is wrong - no matter how deserving the recipient of a death penalty might be.  We can't say it's akin to self-defense, because if they are jailed for life they are not a threat to society.  In that respect it becomes more of a "revenge" thing than justice - so no, I do not support the death penalty.

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5. 0

   TheBizWhizposted 9 years ago

   I really go back and forth on this issue a lot. I respect human life and do not feel that any human has the right to take that away from another, i.e. murder, abortion, and the death penalty. Under normal circumstances this seems pretty cut and dry to me. That is until I read about some awful act that someone does and then I get a bit emotional, but overall I am against taking another life.
   
   The right-to-die issue is something I am also softening up on. It is hard for me to say whether or not someone has the right to take their own life when I am healthy and happy. The problem I have is the slippery slope of where and when to say yes or no. Cancer patient? Extremely old? Paraplegic? Schizophrenia?

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