How do you feel about the death penalty?

[Joods]

Not really sure if this goes here or somewhere else, but given the number of people in the US that are currently sitting on Death Row, I'm curious to know what people here think about the death penalty. I'm also curious to know, if you're for it, how long should someone be on Death Row before they are put to death. The appeals process can take months, even years to exhaust and pardons by a governor aren't always promised. Would these individuals deserve to have their appeals bumped to the top of the list for the sake of timeliness?

There's also the possibility of a wrongful conviction based on DNA evidence that wasn't discovered before. Don't forget to think about the yearly costs of keeping someone in prison, death row or otherwise. The High Cost of Prisons: Using Scarce Resources Wisely  How much does it cost to put a person to death once their time is up?

[Longhorn]

Killing people for killing people because killing people is bad seems a tad confused to me, doesn't it to you?

[Joods]

Yes, but clearly there's more to it than that, right?

[Longhorn]

Revenge?

[Joods]

By the government? I'd have to say no. If the person is in prison, on Death Row, it's because they had to go through the legal system to get there. I mean, it "could" be revenge, but the judicial system is supposed to treat all defendants as innocent before proven guilty, right?

[ApeNotKillApe]

'Your crimes are so heinous that I can only issue the most severe penalty: the tax payers will cover your costs of living, but only for what is potentially a shorter period of time.'

[abaris]

'Your crimes are so heinous that I can only issue the most severe penalty: the tax payers will cover your costs of living, but only for what is potentially a shorter period of time.'

Which is proven to be a moot argument, since capital cases cost the tax payer more than life imprisonment. There are a lot of moot arguments surrounding the death penalty. It doesn't deter crimes, it isn't cheaper and sometimes innocents are killed.

I guess that covers it.

[ApeNotKillApe]

'Your crimes are so heinous that I can only issue the most severe penalty: the tax payers will cover your costs of living, but only for what is potentially a shorter period of time.'

Which is proven to be a moot argument, since capital cases cost the tax payer more than life imprisonment. There are a lot of moot arguments surrounding the death penalty. It doesn't deter crimes, it isn't cheaper and sometimes innocents are killed.

I guess that covers it.

So not even a net saving, and not only that but a net loss. Well, colour me mistaken, turns out it's even more retarded then I had assumed.

[AFTT47]

'Your crimes are so heinous that I can only issue the most severe penalty: the tax payers will cover your costs of living, but only for what is potentially a shorter period of time.'

Which is proven to be a moot argument, since capital cases cost the tax payer more than life imprisonment. There are a lot of moot arguments surrounding the death penalty. It doesn't deter crimes, it isn't cheaper and sometimes innocents are killed.

I guess that covers it.

Not quite. It's applied inconsistently and unfairly too. It's depraved and barbaric. It has no place in a civilized society. People need to grow up and get over their primitive need for revenge.

[GrandizerII]

No, governments should not have the right to kill any person they want in the name of "justice".