Views on the Death Penalty? (a poll)

[Cyberman]

Absolutely opposed to the death penalty, for all the same reasons already given. I want to add that I'm proud to live in a country where we no longer have such a thing for any crime.

[pocaracas]

I'll let Tolkien speak:

“Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement.”

Against!

[25point81]

I have to go out soon so I'll answer quickly and get back to you. My apologies for this.

If we do not execute murderers, we then have to put them in jail and consider the possibility of parole.

Once we do that, we then have to consider parole and then we run the risk of a repeat murder - just as we saw in the link I sent.

Then, oh, it's the prison's fault.

No, no and thrice no. It's the fault of people like you who against execution. We wouldn't have the issue with executions. You have to accept the blame, no matter how small a part. Oh, but then, no. You wanna blame someone else. That's the issue.

[Longhorn]

Uhh....what? ._.

You had no problem taking the risk of executing innocents after the torture of death row, but the small chance of repeated murder is too much?

Statistics, please.

And that still doesn't address the fact that you know, we're fucking killing people.

[Cato]

That I live in the UK.

Your argument still fails.

[Whateverist]

There is no reason to kill the dangerous person so long as there is nothing more deserving the money required could go to.  If everyone got enough to eat, a good education, health care and shelter then I'd be right there with you.  But here in the U.S., that isn't the way it goes.  A huge fraction of children are in poverty and a good chunk of the adult population is incarcerated already.  (We are so fucked.)

1) One need only to open the Bible to understand why we 'Murricans love us some capital punishment.
2) Never underestimate a 'Murrican's ability to withstand outrageous levels of cognitive dissonance.

I find my eye tic a great help in dissipating cognitive dissonance.

[Crossless2.0]

I voted against, not because of any qualms about the 'sanctity' of human life but because I cannot endorse a system that will inevitably lead to irrevocable miscarriages of justice and that is inherently unequal in its treatment of convicted defendants. Life without the possibility of parole for our worst offenders is sufficient.

[AFTT47]

I disagree with the last part because it should be the system deciding the penalty, not the other way around. It's like someone saying "hey I don't want 25 years in jail, I want it for life" - It's not up to individual people to decide their own punishment, you get what the states decides because it's supposedly the most appropriate destiny.

I don't think of the DP as punishment, as it were, and I don't think the justice system should *necessarily* be about punishment.  Much like the argument we had a few days ago, I think people have a right to their own bodily autonomy, and if someone is facing his or her entire life in prison, they should have the right to die.

I agree on both counts.

We should not be concerned with "punishing" people. That's just revenge. It's base and unenlightened. No good comes from hurting someone else. Anyone who takes pleasure or even satisfaction from doing that has a problem IMO. The justice system should be about restitution to the victim, rehabilitation and deterrence - NOT punishment.

I believe those imprisoned should be provided with the means to take their own life if they so desire. I believe that on a theoretical basis anyway. It might be very difficult to do that right in practice because you would have to make sure prison staff don't deliberately drive inmates to suicide. It would be difficult to police the prison staff and difficult to prove transgressions.

[Ben Davis]

I also think we should put them on an island with some building materials and some seed.  Let them support themselves in a place they cannot inflict their evils onto society at large.

Yeah, we brits tried that and ended up with Australia

[Justtristo]

I fully support the death penalty for crimes such as premeditated murder or acts of terrorism.

I would argue for the death penalty on "justice and life is sacred" grounds, even if from time to time innocent people will be executed. Especially given the fact in this country (Australia) people who should have been executed for their vile deeds such as Ivan Milat or Adrian Bayley currently being in prison with a (very small) prospect of being released.