Death penalty, for or against?

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Against it. While it may be tempting to chop the head of child molesters and murderers, feelings and politics are two different things--and how you feel about a person, does not justify killing them.

Against. I question its utility, its basis in anything other than revenge, and the notion that the government essentially lays claim to the life of a citizen. It is also extremely expensive.

I think it would be better to spend taxpayer money on social programs that can prevent/reduce violence instead of spending it to keep people locked u or on electricit gas or meds to kill em. Have tean centers in troubled neighborhoods to help them fro turning to crime, gangs or drugs, more & better rehab programs for addiction, more & better mental services so people can get psychatic help or counceling, have job placement services & money mangement services so people won't need to turn to crime to avoid being homeless or anything. Crime in general will go down so less tax money will be needed for prisons & police & the econemy will increase sense more people will be working & they''ll be paying taxes that could br reinvested into the crime prevention.

I'm against it and I don't understand why the popular sentiment is in favor of it. Makes me depressed how hateful and angry most people are on the inside.

I'm not even in favor of life in prison except in extreme cases. Yes a murderer might kill again, but I think that capacity is within most people. I'd say 10-20 years is fair, and they should be rehabilitated. Again unless they're a serial killer, clearly unremorseful or such.

I've talked to people that spent time in jail and it doesn't sound easy to me.

Against it as ineffective, inefficient, incompetently and unfairly applied, and irreversible. I'm fine with the killing part, some people certainly deserve that, it's the uncertainty and ruinous expense parts that nix it for me.

Nevermind - some of the post dissapeared

Last edited by Monolithe on 18 Oct 2013, 1:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.

It shows how futile mankind is, the death penalty is a major contradiction straight out of the bible ”an eye for an eye“ It’s wrong to kill so we are going to kill you.

This.

It doesn't reduce murder rates.
It is more expensive than imprisonment.
When mistakes happen (and they do happen), they can't be corrected.

I do also think there's a moral issue. Not hypocrisy, I just don't think killing is right, and you're removing the possibility of reform. I find it strange that those speaking in favour of it are also those who wear their Christianity on their sleeves when rehabilitation and forgiveness is a central theme of Christianity, particularly in the modern day.

That was news to me. I googled it and it does seem to be the case, surprisingly! Of course, the cost is not in the death penalty itself, but in all the extra legal proceedings designed to minimise mistakes. I'll admit I don't know the details, but it's hard to imagine those are always necessary. Does doubling the number of lawyers really ensure a better legal process? Also, this only makes sense if you consider death worse than life imprisonment, which I don't. At the very least those accused who agree with me should be allowed to "opt out" of this "extra" legal process.



This is a commonly-used argument, but it fails to consider the alternative. Life imprisonment can't be corrected, either. Yes, the wrongly convicted person might be freed even after serving 20 years of their life sentence, but that doesn't change the fact that most of their life has been taken away from them. It might have been kinder to kill them, after all.

If murderers would rather die than have life imprisonment, then they don't have to go through all their appeals. I know in America some are compulsory, but I don't think it is compulsory to keep appealing.

Have a look at the numbers that have their conviction overturned. There are diminishing returns, but there are still returns. Reduce the checks and you will execute more innocent people.

Of course, you can never have back time you spent in prison, but you can be given a large sum of money so you can live a life of luxury for the rest of your time. Kinder to kill them? I think that's ridiculous.

I think the only arguement necessary against it is that miscarriages of justice do happen. If you have the death penalty someone innocent is going to get murdered by the state. Totally Unacceptable.

Forgiveness does not equal the absence of consequences...and we as humans aren't nearly as forgiving as God. Some people who killed many have become truly repentant for their crimes, even accepting Christ while in prison...but does that mean we should set them free? How do we know their redemption is true, when we can't know their hearts as God does? There's a difference between honest repentance, and just looking for a "get out of jail (or hell) free" card.

Many states have laws on the books that effect, compensating the wrongly imprisoned $50,000-80,000 per year of incarceration (Texas, surprisingly, is at the higher end). Of course, prosecutors try to wiggle out of paying this by blocking the complete exoneration sometimes required to collect, an action for which I'd happily apply the death penalty personally.

This.

There are several groups who will appeal any death penalty case just on principle. Most all of them are absolutely frivolous and not only needlessly delay the process, but it adds a ton of cost that need no be there.