Is the death penalty appropriate? Or should it be banned?

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   Edmar Sardonposted 10 years ago

   Is the death penalty appropriate?  Or should it be banned?

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   JThomp42posted 10 years ago

   Our judicial system is so corrupt I would not feel comfortable condoning a death penalty simply because they may not have the "guilty" person. Prosecutors are so anxious to convict someone; as well as the police, they could easily convict an innocent person to death for a crime they did not commit.

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3. 69

   dashingscorpioposted 10 years ago

   My position on this has evolved over the years. I've always been a "pro death penalty" kind of person in the past and I still believe in it in some respects when there is 100% without a doubt instances like Charlie Manson, The Night Stalker, and the like who clearly are evil people not deserving of taking up space.
   However in recent times there have been quite a few number of inmates who either had served many years in prison for a crime they did not commit or were sitting on death row innocent of the crime. Clearly it means our justice system is either corrupt or our witness/jury system is far from perfect.
   Lastly it was once thought that the death penalty was a "crime deterrence". However it seems not to effect the number of people willing to kill in the U.S. In fact we imprison more citizens than any other industrialized country in the world. If the death penalty doesn't deter murder than we might as well just lock them up and throw away the key. If we later learn they are innocent at least we would not have put to death the wrong person.

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      James R Cullinposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I was going to comment, but you've pretty much nailed my opinion as well. Good in theory or for special cases, but I can't be "for" it as-is unless there are assurances that the convicted is 100% guilty.

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   Che Rogersposted 10 years ago

   I would say I lean more towards no death penalty. We are an advanced civilization with many tools to help reprogram and rehabilitate those who have strayed from the path or reason, logic and love. The problem to me is how we as society have allowed those who control the media and other highly influential positions to bombard it with violence, sex and ignorant living. This in turns brain washes those who watch it religiously into thinking the norm is to live like what they see on t.v. and what they hear on the radio. Imagine if we as a society weren't allowed to promote violence, sex and other bad behaviors in movies and music. Imagine if these same highly influential outlets were teaching us to maximize our talents and make right decisions. Would we even be talking about killing another citizen for bad behavior?

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   LisaKeatingposted 10 years ago

   I would like to see corporal punishment outlawed in the US. We are a civilized society and have no right to take the life of another human being in the name of punishment. Although there are many people who do not deserve to live based on their despicable acts, it is not the place of the government to take a life.

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   jamesjacquesposted 10 years ago

   The death penalty should never be used since there is always a degree of uncertainty in ANY criminal case. So many people have been executed before forensic improvements cleared them of all charges. Who knows, there could be a new forensic technique in the future that exonerates quite a few people that are being executed right now. Life in prison seems to be an equally, if not more harsh, punishment to me. Don't even get me started on extended sensory deprivation which is arguably more cruel and unjust than the death penalty.

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   Daveadamposted 10 years ago

   There are plenty of cases where the accused have been "banged to rights" as we say in the UK, & there was one recently on the news where 2 men we're clearly caught seen, & "clearly identified" on camera "in action" killing an innocent victim in broad day light....So would a civilised society lock them away indefinitely, & then feed them etc....When sat at home grieving would be the victims relatives, & friends & people that knew said person....So lots of people sat their indefinitely grieving & always looking back, because they "KNOW" that the evil person that killed their loved one, is alive & well & probably eating better than them, & working out every day waiting for the day they get out.....I say kill those murderers etc that are "banged to rights" "caught on camera", & at least the victims relatives etc will "KNOW" the the murdered was punished & will never ever get the chance to do it again....I mean why give them another chance at life, when they just took someone else's chance which means they don't value life itself....A civilised society would kill them asap, & the murder rate would dramatically drop over night.

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      JThomp42posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      A civilized society??

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8. 77

   chef-de-jourposted 10 years ago

   I think it should be banned because its barbaric and does not deter would be murderers. But I'd prefer a democratic process to ensure its removal.
   Perhaps the USA should follow the UK and either have a referendum or a thorough debate on this controversial topic, which the UK had some decades ago following the hanging of a completely innocent man. The recent horrific incident involving a botched lethal injection execution should set people thinking about the death penalty and its purpose.
   
   Each state with the death penalty still active ought to have it as a priority political issue because such things are at the heart of a civilised nation and reflect its moral stand. An eye for an eye should no longer be the case, this is outmoded thinking and belongs back in the middle ages.
   
   The death penalty, according to all reports and statistics, doesn't lower murder rates so what argument is there for retaining it on deterrent grounds?
   
   Death row is cruel and mentally torturous.

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