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View Poll Results: Where do you stand on the Death Penalty?
I was 100% against the death penalty until recently. I thought there was no way it could help anyone. Then someone who wronged me died. I was very happy and let it go after that. I couldn't believe how good I was feeling after that. It changed my view on the death penalty completely. I don't have kids but I could only imagine how hard it would be to sleep at night if some freak killed your child, wife, or any person who is very close to you, knowing that the perp is sleeping in jail and that his first day in jail is his worst.
Things to change about it:
1) DNA, or video evidence must be in play.
2) Any shadow of a doubt would void it. There was no "real" evidence against Scott Peterson yet we are going to kill him.
3) Show the hanging/shooting on TV. If people saw how they were going to die and knew it would hurt maybe they would think.
4) Rapist and kid touchers should get it if they have re-offended and there is physical evidence. Murder happens. You can get me mad enough that I will throw a brick at you. You can't get me mad enough that I rape your son. Since sex crimes are plotted out I think less guys would drive towards the park if they thought they may die.
5) The execution must happen 7 years after the sentence but no more than 8 years after. I know 7-8 years is a long time but. . . . . . You watch a movie with your girlfriend then you go to a party. The cops wake you up the next day and start searching your house and question you. They find your DNA inside her(well duh) and "tearing"(she is a freak), her blood is in your truck(I have been with her for 9 months and she cut herself while doing her nails. . . . . . Hell yeah I want 7 years for someone to come forward and say their cell mate admitted to this crime. Expediting it scares me.
I know that the death penalty would do good for society if it was implimented, especially for serial rapists and murderers (whether serial or not) so long as the evidence was overwhelming and compelling.
But my view is that everyone has a soul... God created life in all kinds of ways and he should be the only one to take it away. Even if they don't repent of their deeds, they should get a chance to. Life only lasts 70 or so years, but eternity is forever.
I kind of agree with Zap here. I oppose the death penalty for several reasons:
1. I agree with Kant that all human life is intrinsically valuable.
2. You never know what consequences will come from a person dying before their natural time. For example, the dude that killed 50 people might prove to be the guy that leads scientists to find the gene that causes some psychological disease. This would help us identify people who would commit the same acts and treat/stop them before they did. Had that person died in the electric chair, we'd never be able to save lives in the future.
3. We're all humans and we make mistakes. If you support the death penalty and even one innocent person is killed, they you're responsible for murder. I don't want that on my conscience.
3. We're all humans and we make mistakes. If you support the death penalty and even one innocent person is killed, they you're responsible for murder. I don't want that on my conscience.
I can only partially agree with this. The same logic can be applied to being FOR the death penalty because it ultimately saves far more innocent lives, as opposed to the guilty life that it takes. Every murderer that is put to death makes other would be murderers less likely to kill. The deterrence value should not be underestimated. But applying your logic, if your judgement is used against the death penalty, you are guilty of murdering untold numbers of people that may have been saved by the deterence factor of their murderers not murdering.
I can only partially agree with this. The same logic can be applied to being FOR the death penalty because it ultimately saves far more innocent lives, as opposed to the guilty life that it takes. Every murderer that is put to death makes other would be murderers less likely to kill. The deterrence value should not be underestimated. But applying your logic, if your judgement is used against the death penalty, you are guilty of murdering untold numbers of people that may have been saved by the deterence factor of their murderers not murdering.
Slippery slope, I know......
Most of those who are sent to death row are people with mental problems who are not deterred by the posibility of life in prison or even death. It might prevent you or me from shooting someone in the chest, as opposed to just firing a warning shot or shooting someone in the leg, but when it comes to serial killers or crazy people like Timothy McVeigh and other terrorists, there is no deterrance factor, as far as I'm concerned. They do what they do because of either strongly held beliefs that what they are doing is right, or they do it because they are simply crazy and either don't care or actually welcome the consequences.
There is no deterring people like Charles Manson, the Unabomber, John Wayne Gacy, Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, the Boston Strangler, the Son of Sam, Osama Bin Laden, and any other crazy person you can think of.
I know that the death penalty would do good for society if it was implimented, especially for serial rapists and murderers (whether serial or not) so long as the evidence was overwhelming and compelling.
But my view is that everyone has a soul... God created life in all kinds of ways and he should be the only one to take it away. Even if they don't repent of their deeds, they should get a chance to. Life only lasts 70 or so years, but eternity is forever.
I agree with you on one thing, the death penalty would do good for society. It is not used as much as it should be. It should be shown for the public to watch. People may say thats inhumane. Well if you dont want to watch it, then simple, DONT. Its not inhumane. Its what is needed to keep people in line. If these people knew that there consequence would be death, they would definetly think twice. Now all their thinking is hey IF i get caught ill get a good lawyer and hopefully get 5-10. **** that.
Everyone does have a sould. God did create life, but its everyones responsibility to control what they do. If someone rapes or murders someone, thats their mistake. They have been alive long enough to know that it is wrong. There is no excuse. It doesn't matter if they repent or not. They took someone elses life, and hurt a lot of other peoplpe that loved that person. Bottom line, no excuse, no forgiveness. They know right and wrong. We're not talking about 2nd graders here.
I SUPPORT THE DEATH PENALTY AND IT SHOULD BE USED MORE!
i think crime is so high these days because people can get away with anything. just goto jail a few years and get out on probation. life sentence is rare these days.
I have a really difficult time when it comes to the thought of the death penalty because as part of my religion I have always been taught that it is never eye for an eye, that instead we are all to turn the other cheek. While I know that I sound like a stupid religious extremest having not been placed in a situation where the death penalty would be merrited, I can't help but feel that murder is murder and to take someone's life regardless of the situation is still concidered murder and therefor wrong.
I do agree with silverdevil in the thought that further investigating could actually help to determine sociopathic disorders that would potentially lead to psychotic and criminal matters. Who knows what knowledge could be acquired as a result of study.
Now I do feel that prisoners do have it way too easy. I know there are several prisons where if cable is not offered it is concidered cruel and unusual punishment. My thoughts on this is, it is prison. You are not meant to have fun there.
While I know my last thought was on a closely related but nonetheless off topic response, I feel that instead of having someone executed without ever being able to make amends for the commited crime let them live and actually suffer. While death is the ultimate end, sometimes there are things that are far worse.
well I am a christian also and I was taught to turn the cheek, BUT in my opinion, that does not pertain to law. In order to have a civilized society there has to be law and there NEEDS to be a death penalty so that people will have something to fear. If they dont fear anything then what do they haev to lose. For them the only difference is they dont have to try and scape up money for drugs and food anymore. They dont have to sleep under bridges anymore. They get a nice room with AC Food and tv. What do they haev to lose?
Now I do feel that inmates who are in there for other things besides murder/rape should have to actually do work like it used to be. work on the highways. cut the grass. that kind of thing. they do have it way to easy.
well I am a christian also and I was taught to turn the cheek, BUT in my opinion, that does not pertain to law. In order to have a civilized society...
That's one of the things I struggled with, as a Christian. However, the Bible (as the cornerstone of our faith) does not say "have mercy, except in cases where it would help society". And Jesus did not say to the woman convicted of death, "I would say Go and sin no more, but you have to have your punishment".
The fact is that society isn't civilized. And it's not our job to make it civilized, in my estimation (this is from a Christian's standpoint). Our job is a spiritual job, and as such we shouldn't get entangled with the affairs of this world. Therefore, whether the death penalty is used or not, it's not my business, however if I were the judge (and not a voter) I could not sentance someone to death, because the sins that I have been forgiven of were supposed to sentance me to death.
It would be "nice" if society was civilized. But it never has been before, why should we expect it to now? It would be "nice" if people didn't murder one another, but it's not our job to try to make this world a better place when we know where it's headed.... indeed, we know that the forces of evil control it even now. But the forces of good control them. In any case... it's not our job to make the world a better place. If so then there could be systematic exterminations of murderers and career criminals, warmongers and dictators, corrupt politicians and abortion doctors... etc. That would all make the world a better place. But it's not our place.
