How do you feel about the death penalty?

[pgrimes15]

Against.

It's wrong to kill people, ... so I'm going to kill you.

[Alex K]

Is cruel+unusual, doesn't work as deterrent, is irresponsible because of wrongful convictions, its implementation in the US is racist, is expensive. Nuff said?

[Darkstar]

I'm against it, but not necessarily on principle. I used to be in favor, but the possibility of innocent persons being put on death row (roughly 4% according to most sources) caused me to rethink my stance. The fact that racial minorities are disproportionately targeted by the death penalty was the final nail in the coffin. The fact that executing someone is considerably more expensive than incarcerating them for life was just icing on the cake. Or... coffin? Why am I putting frosting on a coffin!?!? 

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[BrokenQuill92]

I don't think we should have a death penalty but I do think the families hurt by criminals should be able to three good hits ins once a year. And criminals should have to take empathy classes (if that would even work?). And do therapy three times a week, two days personal, one day group. And to top it off they should have work for a charity aligned with helping the vicitims of the type of crime they committed.

[Jackalope]

I'm against it, but not necessarily on principle. I used to be in favor, but the possibility of innocent persons being put on death row (roughly 4% according to most sources) caused me to rethink my stance. The fact that racial minorities are disproportionately targeted by the death penalty was the final nail in the coffin. The fact that executing someone is considerably more expensive than incarcerating them for life was just icing on the cake. Or... coffin? Why am I putting frosting on a coffin!?!? 

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The above is precisely why I changed from being pro death penalty to against.

There are crimes which might, in principle, be worthy of taking someone's life for, but I'll not even entertain the idea while we disproportionately execute minorities, and while we manage to convict and execute innocent people more often than never.

There are plenty of other reasons to be against the death penalty, to be sure.

[Aroura]

Against, for all the reasons everyone else gave. There are so many good reasons to oppose the death penalty.

And I'd rather have the worst criminal around to study (I don't mean in an unethical way, I mean by psycologists and such) so we can understand these kinds of criminal minds and perhaps learn how to catch it early or prevent it.  Killing them is both immoral, and wasteful.

[vorlon13]

Just watched the last reel of Capote again.

Truman's reaction to Perry's death speaks to me; I know what that feels like.


And that is Capote's experience filtered through a book and some personal narrative to friends as portrayed by Philip Hoffman (since deceased in a manner not too dissimilar to Capote) that is vividly specific enough for me to react to.


Here's the twist; keep the death penalty, keep it profoundly expensive (and therefore rarely applied) and let's keep the discussion going about whether or not to ban it. The death penalty, and it's impact on the arts, discourse, morality, philosophy, is something subsequent generations need to have for themselves and is worth the price.

(this is a corollary of converse to Waters take on it)

[Joods]

I've seen The Green Mile twice. I found it disturbing both times I watched it.

[Cinjin]

If they fixed the death penalty I'd be all for it.
Unfortunately it costs more to put a douche bag to death than it does to keep him in the system.

Bullet to the head.  Done.

[Athene]

Given the fact that there will always be a percentage of people who are unjustly convicted, I feel the death penalty should be removed as a sentencing option. Its permanence makes any recourse to victims of wrongful convictions impossible in light of new information, evidence, or technology.