The British should implement the death penalty

[ZenGum]

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

Screw it. Not our problem. Let the Brits figure out what they want to do.

Oh come on, when did we ever hesitate to tell you guys in the USA how to run your country?

But remember, Gandalf is against capital punishment. Case closed.

[Sundae]

I'm with Dana - totally against the death penalty.
If the case involved someone I loved, yes of course I would want revenge. But justice isn't about revenge.

Killing more people does not bring those dead back.
And as Shawnee said it certainly does not act as a deterrant. We used to hang children for stealing - did it stop grown men murdering? No. What helped in the end was slum clearance, universal education and welfare reform.

Obviously the above does not apply in this case.
And I am not arguing that the murdered is anything but a despicable creature who deserves death. But state sanctioned killing is the thin end of the wedge.

[DanaC]

Originally Posted by Bullitt

Sure there is. Example: quality surveillance video of a thug shooting a gas station attendant during a robbery. If there is clear cut proof such as that which implicates the perpetrator(s) then how can that not lead to a safe conviction? If it is absolutely clear with no reasonable doubt that the person(s) charged are in fact guilty of an exceedingly violent or heinous crime (murder, multiple DWI's, child molestation, rape under threat of death or bodily harm, etc.), then a bullet to the head and a 2'x2' piece of stone are cheaper than a lifetime in prison, and IMO more appropriate. People who prove themselves to be destructive to those around them and deem themselves through their actions to not be capable of living in "civilized" society should be dealt with swiftly and accordingly.

A fair point about the cctv...but how would that be legislated? Evidence that's clear enough for a jury to convict cannot then be graded into definate and not so definate proof. It's either enough to convict or not.


Sundae used the term state sanctioned killing. I think that is what I most abhor about the death penalty. I do not believe the state should have that kind of power. There is too much potential for it to be abused. If we'd have had the death penalty at the time, the Birmingham Six would have been hung. That would have been a political as well as a criminal execution. They were convicted unsafely because of political (and racial) concerns. That is far too much power for any state to have over its citizens.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by Sundae Girl

Killing more people does not bring those dead back.
And as Shawnee said it certainly does not act as a deterrant.

It was never meant to be a deterrant. It is a punishment. Hence the name, Capital Punishment. I respect the right of people to disagree with it. I support it.

[capnhowdy]

I support capital punishment also. It should not become the burden of the taxpayers to support scum for years, knowing they will never be a productive citizen again. They will wind up dead ultimately...so why prolong it?
If you are not prepared to have your life taken, don't take a life. There are thousands of sicko losers sitting on their asses this morning while I prepare myself to go to work to provide them with food, clothing, shelter, medical treatment, and janitorial service. There are lots of law abiding citizens that can't afford that. That's where I prefer to put my money. Fuck 'em. They had a choice just like we do.

[Shawnee123]

Cost is, again, not a viable argument. I believe it costs more ultimately to actually get to the sentence in a death penalty case than it costs to house someone for the rest of their life. See previous post.

[ZenGum]

Some US states have suspended the death penalty to save money during the economic crisis.

Oh Sundae, I'm pretty sure you meant murdereR

And I am not arguing that the murdered is anything but a despicable creature who deserves death

:p

[classicman]

Originally Posted by Shawnee123

Cost is, again, not a viable argument. I believe it costs more to get to the sentence than it costs to house someone for the rest of their life.

Depending upon how you look at it yes, but it does make more room for all those drug offenders

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by Shawnee123

Cost is, again, not a viable argument. I believe it costs more ultimately to actually get to the sentence in a death penalty case than it costs to house someone for the rest of their life. See previous post.

That is only because of the length of the appeal they get on death row. Someone sitting on Death Row for 20 years is just stupid. A life sentance surely would be more costly if they didn't get to sit on DR for years on end.

[Sundae]

Originally Posted by ZenGum

Sundae, I'm pretty sure you meant murdereR

Argh! So shoot me!

[TheMercenary]

"Burn the witch!"

[Shawnee123]

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

That is only because of the length of the appeal they get on death row. Someone sitting on Death Row for 20 years is just stupid. A life sentance surely would be more costly if they didn't get to sit on DR for years on end.

A death sentence does not negate due process of law.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by Shawnee123

A death sentence does not negate due process of law.

No doubt. But it doesn't take 15 - 20 years to ensure that.

[Shawnee123]

I think the reasoning is that if you're planning to kill someone, rather than a slap for a traffic violation, they want to be really really sure.

And, they're not always really really sure.

[TheMercenary]

Why? They are able to convict people to life in prison in less than a week.