US Committed Murder Tod...I Mean Carried Out the Death Penalty

[RecoveringKinkoid]

There are zero escapes on record for US supermax prisons.

Zero.

The "prevention" argument does not hold water.

.

They don't have to escape. All they have to wait until they are eligible for parole.

The prevention argument holds the Pacific Ocean. Dead people can't kill people.

Man serving a life sentence for murder and kidnapping, and then commits nearly forty offenses while in prison, blows his chances of parole by murdering a meth head. So, basically, the meth head gets the death sentence and the murderer/kidnapper/God knows what else-er does not. And yes, the guy was up for parole. So evidently, my state uses to term "life sentence" differently that I would.

And here is Anthony Sowell, who kept a collection of decomposing women around his property and the system that failed him, failed them, and failed us.

So, if you want to know why I am in favor of the death penalty, it's stories like these.

I do not trust our system to to the right thing. Do they screw up and kill innocent people sometimes? Yes. But I bet they kill fewer innocent people than paroled and incarcerated killers do.

[Boozy]

There are zero escapes on record for US supermax prisons.

Zero.

The "prevention" argument does not hold water.

The US kills murderers because the electorate likes revenge.

And revenge has no place in the justice system of a civilized country.

[Greenday]

The problem is that, in my country, 'life in prison' sometimes doesn't mean LIFE.

How many times have we read about some scumbag killing or torturing people, only to have their 'life' sentence equate to a few years, then go out and kill/torture again?

Unless they escape or are pardoned, which rarely happens, people with life sentences with chance of parole never get out after a few years. For lenient penalties involving a life sentence, it's at least fifteen years before you even have a shot at parole.

[jackfaire]

The problem is that, in my country, 'life in prison' sometimes doesn't mean LIFE.

When I was a kid this always confused me because I would hear 'double life sentences' and I wondered how people could do that. I thought maybe they get jailed once they are born into their new life.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Thank you, Peppergirl. I agree wholeheartedly with this.

If I knew they would not murder again, either inside or outside of prison, I would change my position in a heartbeat.

I'm not looking for satisfaction, revenge, justice (because really, for some of these crimes, there can never be justice), or any other thing to make it "right." It can't be made right.

All I want is for them to be stopped. And because our system is so screwed up, the only option I see to that end is to put them down.

[Peppergirl]

I'm a firm believer that being locked up in prison (hard time, not 'white collar') is more of a punishment than death. At least it would be to me.

The problem is that, in my country, 'life in prison' sometimes doesn't mean LIFE.

How many times have we read about some scumbag killing or torturing people, only to have their 'life' sentence equate to a few years, then go out and kill/torture again? If our justice system were better, would we need an actual death penalty? After all, the dirtbags who get a life sentence would then rot in jail where they belong, until they die. It would still technically be a death sentence, just with added bonus of the misery of being in jail until death comes.

[Kimmik]

I thought long and hard on this.

I am against the death penalty because I do not think that our system is flawless and I do not believe that anyone has the right to say who should die and who should live.

I have been raped, molested, beat, lost my brother to murder's and none of these has made me want the death penalty. I am how ever a believer that prisons need to go back to the way they were. I believe in chain gangs, forced labor, and taking all the bells and whistles out of prison.

But I will never believe that taking a life for a life is right.

[Flyndaran]

An eye for an eye was just way back in the past when everyone wanted more. Now it is and should be seen as barbaric.
Causing pain and death is not justice. It is violent animalistic vengeance.
There will always be the specter of imbalanced practice. Why do black men get the death penalty so MUCH more often than white women? That makes the practice racist and sexist.
There will always be the possibility of mistakes, accidental and intentional.

In a perfect world, I may believe that some people should be removed from existence a lazy means of punishment. But we are a long long long way from that time.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

It is exactly analogous to setting fire to the homes of arsonists, raping rapists, and other eye-for-and-eye punishments.

I disagree. Raping a rapist or burning out an arsonist does not stop them from raping or setting another fire.

Unless you manage to kill them in the process. THEN it stops them.

[Nyoibo]

Opinions are like assholes.

Everyone has one and they're all full of shit?

Class now, more later.

[BroomJockey]

The death penalty is not revenge,

Yes it is. there is absolutely nothing about the death penalty to recommend it over life incarceration except the ability to take from others that which they took from ones we care about. It is exactly analogous to setting fire to the homes of arsonists, raping rapists, and other eye-for-and-eye punishments.

[gremcint]

The death penalty is not revenge, it is not murder it is a consequence of a decision that the sniper made.

The us does not hide the fact it has the death penalty, I can look up which states have it and which method of execution is being used by each and which one they had in the past.

The Sniper who they determined was mentally competent to stand trial and not insane knew that this was a possible consequence of his actions. He knew full well that the death penalty was a very likely possibility should he be caught and he still chose to go out and commit murder. Therefore he chose to put himself in the situation he's in now and he got the punishment he deserved and agreed to. I've long been a believer that if you know the consequences of an action then don't bitch about them when you have a choice not to do the action.

As for the cost, well quite frankly that is court reform that needs to happen as it simply shouldn't cost more just because the punishment is different.

Further a life sentence, where you are guaranteed to spend the rest of your life in prison unless you escape, is in my opinion a death sentence anyways. We've taken away the rest of life and locked you away where you will no longer be contributing to society in any way and now we have to feed and clothe you on my dime.

In regards to the people who are talking about innocent people being locked up or executed is there a study that outlines how many innocents vs guilty are executed and how many people are cleared while alive versus those locked up? I've never heard any specific numbers on this and I am curious.

[Pedersen]

Personally, I have very mixed feelings on the death penalty. After all, if you're dead, you sure as hell aren't going to become a repeat offender.

However, I don't even trust my government enough to believe they can devise and fairly apply basic laws (including budgeting, criminal statutes, and other topics like health care). In fact, I trust them so little that I demand the right to arm myself to defend myself from them.

How can I trust the government enough to be certain that they have convicted the right person, and are not executing an innocent individual?

[DesignFox]

<snip>The death penalty is revenge.
<snip>

When it applies to the criminals I'm talking about, I disagree.

You guys won't change my opinion, and I'm pretty sure I won't change yours. *shrug*

My opinion counts for shit in my state, anyway. We've already pansied out and done away with it. Apparently, mass murderers and serial rapists are welcome here. Especially since it is unlawful in my state for you to even defend yourself if someone breaks into your home. Talk about the most ass-backwards rules on the planet.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

HOWEVER, I don't think it's our place to say who lives and who dies.

But it IS our place to protect ourselves. We have put people into power who's responsibility to us is to protect us.

These people fail every single day when they let out murderers and rapists to murder and rape again. And when they DO let these people out, they are not letting out reformed people who have learned compassion and morals. They are letting out hardened, dangerous people who have learned how not to get caught again. It will take us longer to stop them next time.

Or maybe we don't let them out and they kill a guy in prison. After all, why not? People pay for hits in prison...it's not like lifers have anything to lose. And next thing you know, they've failed that dead prisoner, who might be scumbag ,but he wasn't sentenced to death.

I'd say if you want to live in our society and enjoy this society's protection, do not act against this society by killing it's members. Because this society has a duty to protect itself...and eliminating threats does that very effectively.