The Death Penalty - are you for or against it and why?

[Faith No More]

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It's a form of punishment that makes the statement that if you commit heinous crimes, you pay with your life.

Yet it does little to convince criminals from committing crimes. So who really benefits from such, other than those who feel emotional over it?

It's not that I see them as waste, it's just that I firmly believe that by committing certain crimes against your fellow man, you have shown that you do not respect human life, and you forfeit the right to your own.

Your small world view aside, the death penalty does not prevent/deter crimes. It doesn't do anything but commit state-sanctioned murder of a being that we have captured, tried, convicted and isolated.

How often must I restate that as a policy it is useless?

I have respect for all human life, as long as that respect is mutual.

Then you have no respect for human life. By placing conditions on it, you make sure that only life that placates your emotional centers deserves your consideration, and devil take the rest. What kind of bastardized respect is that?

Since you choose to bring the Third Reich into this discussion, as noted below, then I shall return with a response using the very same context as below.

I have respect for all human life, as long as they aren't Jews

I understand that you might object, perhaps taking issue with the latter half of that sentence. However,

as long as that respect is mutual

is equivalent to

as long as the respect offered by the other is not unmutual

which breaks down into

as long as the other does not fit into a certain set or grouping

.

Perhaps you might not want to Godwin this discussion after all?

Let me ask you this, are you upset that several Nazi's at Nuremberg were executed? What would you do with someone with such a disregard for basic human rights, and why should they be afforded rights they are unwilling to give to others?

I am not upset. Does that invalidate my position? Does the content of my arguments lose out utterly if I personally take the demise of perceived enemies with any emotion? No. Henceforth, the first statement is merely a canard and will be treated as such.

To think that you are advocating inhumanity to those who have committed inhumanity, no matter the degree, to others leaves me speechless. I would like to point out an old adage, "I have met the enemy and he is me."

ETA: To me, sustaining someone's life after they have shown all disregard for their fellow humans conveys a message of tolerance society cannot afford.

You just made the waste argument perfectly, devaluing another thinking being like yourself. I see little difference between the above and the justifications used by tyrants to purify and liquidate their perceived internal and external enemies.

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Hmm...I see this has touched a nerve. I was just trying to debate the issue, there is no need for insults like calling my worldview small. You do see the hypocrisy of calling me inhumane for my beliefs, but then having no problem with certain people being executed, don't you? Try and keep in mind that I'm only saying it's a fair punishment for people who commit extreme crimes like Nazis, which you have no problem with.

Oh, and I didn't mean to Godwin this thread, would you prefer Timothy McVeigh instead?