[Jordan]

John Allen Muhammad (Sniper guy) is getting the death penalty. What are your thoughts? Do you guys agree with the death penalty?

[Emu]

I'm against it for a number of reasons.

Firstly, it is irreversable. If they find evidence a year later that someone else comitted the crime, it's like, "whoops!" and that's quite a mistake.

Also, I remember hearing at some point that the cost of a lethal injection actually exceeds the cost of keeping the inmate in prison for a life sentence (i.e. the cost of food, etc.) So there's a monetary reason. Also, don't they make inmates do work and stuff? If they're dead then they can't do anything. The work would probably make up whatever costs it takes to keep them in prison anyway, so again, it's more cost-effective, and they are making a positive contribution to society by doing whatever the work is.

So that's my opinion.

[Reader]

i believe karma should be distributed by the cosmos.... i agree with the killing of any man woman or child as long as it is a natural death or a freak occurence. who am i to say one death is more tragic or more just than the next? not any other human, either.

[Chyld]

Just to throw some perspective, William the Conqueror didn't use the death penelty, he blinded criminals, so that they suffered for their misdeeds.

As for my opinion, if the boot fits wear it.

[civilian_number_two]

I'm against it for a number of reasons.

Firstly, it is irreversable.  If they find evidence a year later that someone else comitted the crime, it's like, "whoops!"  and that's quite a mistake.

Also, I remember hearing at some point that the cost of a lethal injection actually exceeds the cost of keeping the inmate in prison for a life sentence (i.e. the cost of food, etc.)  So there's a monetary reason.  Also, don't they make inmates do work and stuff?  If they're dead then they can't do anything.  The work would probably make up whatever costs it takes to keep them in prison anyway, so again, it's more cost-effective, and they are making a positive contribution to society by doing whatever the work is.

So that's my opinion.

The cost is actually associated with the appeals process. When a prisoner gets a life sentence, he may be denied an appeal unless the case was really poorly handled. But a prisoner receiving the death penalty can apply for an appeal and the case must be studied in minute detail. Essentially, it's like ahving a trial, losing, and then having another trial that runs on for another six years or so, before they can kill you. And it's all to prevent the first case tou mentioned, of the wrongfully accused being executed.

Prisons can't really make prisoners do work that is productive to society. Not yet. there have been some experiments, but it's a dangerous area, since any corporation catching wind of the cheap labour available in prison could put pressure on local law enforcement to toughen up some laws just so they could have more ready access to slaves.

So that's not it.

I am in favour of the death penalty in the case of treason. in all other cases, I don't feel the state ought to have the power to take life. The state has not been threatened. But you should all know I think prison terms are ridiculous and the prisons themselves need serious reform if they're to benefit society. Noone can go in to a prison now and not come out worse than he went in. they might as well be torturing the prisoners, since the way they let them live is prety damn violent and life-affecting.

This post has been edited by civilian_number_two: 11 March 2004 - 02:34 AM

[Jordan]

I don't think prisons offer any reform. If anything, inmates are probably more pissed off after being raped and beaten for X amount of years.

As far as death penalty, one event that comes to mind is, Ronald Keith Williamson. Convicted for the brutal slaying of some 21 year old female, he was found guilty and senteced for death. After 12 years in prison, 9 of them awaitng exectution-an analysis of DNA from the crime scene was done and showed that someone else committed the murder. After 12 years, Williamson, was finally released. I'm sure he got 1 milllion or something in compensassion. But that is fucking BS.

People Like saddam, the sniper guy ( who pleaded insanity, which means he did admitt to the shootings) and Jeffery Dalmer all deserve the death sentence. But how often do these guys come around, and acutally admit they did the crimes?

Guys like Williamson are put on death row probably alot more frequently then the MAJOR killers who do admit to the crime.

As far as state having control, I disagree. I think it should be up to the families of the victims. They should have power over the situation.

[SkinnedAlive]

I don't believe the death sentence is necessary under any situation as long as a life sentence in prison is possible. All people have a right to live even if they have killed others. They are still human and should be treated as such. They don't, however have a right to enjoy freedom in such a situation. If they harm others they must be restrained. If they have made the free choice to commit such a deed they forfiet their right to further freedoms.

That's my point of view anyway...

[Supes]

Ronald Joseph Ryan was hanged at Pentridge gaol on February 03, 1967. He was the last man executed in Australia.

It has since been shown that he was innocent of the crime that saw him hanged.

The potential loss of one innocent life is not worth the justifiable removal of deserving victims. The system is fallable and as such we should be extremely wary when offering up a death penalty.

[Lachie Dazdarian]

I'm really not for the death sentence. I'm more for such punishments as hard labor, physical torture or limb amputation. Like hands. Or peckers. I really don't understand why pedophiles should be allowed to keep their peckers.

What?

[Heccubus]

Hey, some villages in the Middle East cut off the wang if a guy is caught partaking in acts of pedophilia. So you might be interested in paying such places a visit come next vacation.
Anyway I really have no say in the whole death penalty thing. A life for a life, I guess.

[Patrick Bateman]

Their is nothing more pathetic than the opinion of a pro death penalty advocate.
They may rant and rave and inevitably create spittle on the corners of their mouth, but in their end their rationale comes down to one point ....... well they are bad.
So! Should we carry this out to it's logical conclusion and physically punish people according to their evil? One arm removed for adultery, eyes removed for viewing Fox News???

It makes me cringe that the leader of the free world says that life is precious on the abortion front and is happy killing the mentally retarded on the death penalty hand. I know the man is dyslexic but surely even he can see the error of such a penalty.

[Rhubarb]

Dude, this topic is over a year old. Go post a thread on Debate Club if you want to argue over death penalty. I seriously doubt anyone would even care/notice it in here.