spent cigarette

I was just wondering where everyone stood on this subject. Are you for it? Or do you completely disagree? Discuss.

California_ here_ I _come

I'm against the death penalty. It does no good, b/c killing someone isn't going to make up for the crime they commited. Also, it allows them to go quick instead of having to suffer in prison for what they've done.

Milt Palacio

The movie The Life of David Gale changed my opinion of the death penalty a few years ago. I am against it. I strongly recommend seeing that movie.

The main reason I'm against it is because our justice system has flaws and an innocent person could be executed. Many former death row inmates have been proven innocent in the past and released. I also see life in prison as a worse punishment and it also costs the state less money.

It is not one of my most pressing issues, but I am against it for the most part.

California_ here_ I _come

I've never seen that movie, but The Green Mile is similar to what you're saying about an innocent person getting killed. That movie tore me up.

TheAngel

I am for the death penalty if the evidence is beyond a question of doubt. Such as, they have video footage, they have DNA, they have other evidence that creates no doubt that this person was guilty. Honestly, I don't think the person should be allowed to live a nice life with three meals a day, a roof over his head, a bed year round, and never have to have a job or pay taxes and I'm the one that has to pay for this lifestyle. Also, with this David Camm bulls**t. He's probably going to go free after he killed his wife and kid(s) because of some evidence used in the case. He cleaned up the murder scene, wiped up the blood, put things away, and now the bastard's going to go free. We'll have a killer walking the streets when we should have killed him in the first place. Sure, innocent people might end up on death row, but I'm sure that happens only occasionally, not as much as liberal media would like you to believe, and what about all the guilty people walking free because they were able to appeal?

Ambular

Definitely agree with Milt Palacio. The loss of an innocent person is a mistake that simply cannot and should not ever have to happen.

I'll give you the caught-on-tape scenario, because that's pretty much the one and only way of being 100% certain that someone is guilty of their crime. However, any other circumstances are subjective. Even if there was DNA found, well, what if someone went as far as to put blood or hair of another person at the scene? It sound unlikely, but it is certainly not impossible, and that is why I wouldn't support the capital punishment; there's too many "what-if's."

But should they be killed, and have the easy way out? Once they are dead, they are gone, and it's over. There's no grieving, suffering, remorse, or rehabilitation. That's not to say that every death-row inmate will decide that he is sorry for what he's done at some point, but I would rather have a murderer spend his life in a cell and live with the reality of his consequences then just be put out of his misery.

What I DO agree with is the conditions of prisons nowadays - some of them are like hotels and that is definitely absurd. So I will agree there. I don't believe in cruel and unusual punishment, but they shouldn't be given maximum comfort either.

Even one accidental sentencing is one too many. It should never, EVER happen. It's as abhorrent as the murder itself that landed the person in there (innocent or not). If we are so quick to gain justice for a wrongful death that we are sometimes - even if not frequently - putting to death an innocent person, I find something very disturbing about our legal system.

TokyoNiGHTS

I'm for it. If someone feels they have the right to go out and take another innocent persons life, then they should be willing to give up their own in the process if they're ever caught. I wouldn't feel one bit a pity for a person like that.

The world would be a better place if people like that knew they were going to be killed rather than ahve a good chance of getting several years in prison with the possiblity of parole because of some crappy plea bargain they agree to.

Ambular

With the exception of murderers who commit their crimes because they are have deplorable living conditions of their own and would rather live in a prison, which is a small fraction of people, most people do not intend on being caught, and thus don't look forward to spending the rest of their lives in jail. It isn't exactly a way out of punishment.

Some killers have said that they looked forward to their deaths; in those cases, would you give them what they wanted, and would make them happy?

TokyoNiGHTS

Yep. I actually wonder how many of them really want that knowing that the possiblity of them actually getting it is slim. Alot of people act like they're all big and bad and say they want or will do something until they're actually faced with it and then they don't want that anymore.

Would people for life in prison over death change their view on the life sentence because the guy getting it said that's what he wanted? I doubt it.

Liliya

I am against the death penalty, not only do I think that it's an easy way out for the criminals. I mean they feel pain for maybe two seconds and then that's it, it's over for them. Is that their punishment? I would rather have them sit in jail for the rest of their lives, with no contact with any family or friends.

Besides who are we to judge and say who gets to live or die. Just because that person (criminal) choose to take life into his hands, that does not mean that we have the right to do that as well.

TokyoNiGHTS

We are the only people on earth that can judge how this person should be punished. If that person thinks they're above the law and can go out and murder and innocent person then we should be able to determine whether that person should live or die. Plain and simple.

Ambular

Well I was talking about some of the people on death row who I've read about in the news that made those comment just before being put to death, so they were confronted with the situation and it had become a reality for them, and they still welcomed their deaths.

Liliya, I agree That's my other reason for opposing it. If murder is going to be considered the most disgusting and unforgiveable thing to commit, as it should be, then why is it justifiable for us to commit the same act in return? Yes, it's as punishment and not out of sickness, but I still don't think it's right. I kind of go by the "two-wrongs-don't-make-a-right" philosophy in this case.

ETA, that, no, actually, we are not the only ones who are allowed to judge. We aren't allowed at all. Only God can fairly judge because He created us, and knows who we really are.

Lorna

I'm 100% against it. Not only does it make the state just as bad as the criminal, it gives them the easy way out. They dont have to live with what they have done for the rest of their lives.
Also it is so hard to prove without a doubt that someone has actually committed a murder. There have been so many cases in the past where it has come to light that the person executed was actually innocent.

silver lining

I'm against it. I just think the system is always going to be flawed and when the result of that is executing people who turn out to be innocent, it's too high a price to pay.

TokyoNiGHTS

How does it do that. I see alot of people saying that when they're against the death penalty but I don't see how that is. If the criminal never commits murder he doesn't get the death penalty. You're also comparing someone that murdered someone innocent to people who agree that someone should be put to death for doing that. If someone went and slaughtered 30 people and then was put to death. You'd still put the state on the same level as some monster that went and killed all those people?