two arguments against capital punishment and two not against it?
138358
Assuming that the guilty party's identity and responsibility have been fully determined, traditional teaching does not exclude recourse to the death penalty, if this is the only possible way of effectively defending human lives against the unjust aggressor.\n\nIf, however, non-lethal means are sufficient to defend and protect people's safety from the aggressor, authority will limit itself to such means, as these are more in keeping with the concrete conditions of the common good and are more in conformity to the dignity of the human person. \n\nToday, in fact, as a consequence of the possibilities which the state has for effectively preventing crime, by rendering one who has committed an offense incapable of doing harm - without definitely taking away from him the possibility of redeeming himself - the cases in which the execution of the offender is an absolute necessity are very rare, if not practically non-existent.
303605
George Carlin is 100% correct on this one.  To paraphrase, he says that capital punishment doesn't do anything--it simply satisfies the Judeo-Christian/Biblical need for revenge.  We are so indoctrinated to believe that it is a deterrent to crime.  I personally have refused to sit on any juries, because I will never put myself in a situation where I judge another person for ANY crime!  ESPECIALLY one where my vote is needed to kill someone!  And look how often juries are found wrong themselves!  Abolishing capital punishment just might help us take a closer look at ourselves and the "whys" and "wherefors" of a completely flawed judicial system!
55599
The short answer is that we live in a Democracy and death penalty laws are on the books because people (or their representatives) put them there.  There are usually four distinct groups of people involved and it cuts across party lines.  Large groups favor the death penalty and large groups oppose it for any number of good reasons.  Small groups who have lost someone to murder believe that the death penalty is "too good" for the perpetrator, but are not allowed to take the law into their own hands.  Small groups related to the murderer oppose the death penalty because of shame and the fact that they still love the perpetrator and find good excuses for him/her.\n\nOn top of all that, sensational murders committed by those who expect to escape punishment spur on society to support the death penalty.  Crimes against innocent children are particularly heinous.  And news that someone convicted of murder has been proven (by DNA tests?) to be innocent show the weaknesses in our judicial system.\n\nThe question really is not all that simple.  In New York state, the results of a close Governors race was likely determined on the death penalty issue.  The winner favored the penalty while the incumbent never used it based on personal beliefs.  Changing politics will always be involved.  Many will always feel that a barbaric murderer should know that he/she might face a barbaric fate.  And some feel that might save innocent lives.
788159
Capital punishment is premeditated killing.\nAs a Christian I am morally opposed to killing regardless of the situation.\nI also believe it is morally wrong to force me to pay for the state to kill people.\nOK, it's only 3 sentences.....so kill me.
993573
Pro:\n\nDeath penalty serves justice...it is what people fear, so it is what is taken away.  \n\nDeath penalty shows that some crimes against humanity are so terrible that the ultimate punishement is the payment for doing the action.\n\nThe Cons...is that\n\nIt takes too long...appeal after appeal.  Some have been on "Death Row " for twenty plus years.\n\nThat the wrong person could get executed.\n\nThat the law is prejiduced against blacks and minorities.
1179728
That is one of the great dichotomies/ironies in politics:\n\nRepublicans are pro capital punishment, anti-abortion\nDemocrats are anti-capital punishment, pro-abortion\n\nApparently life only has a value if the other guy is against it.
1034800
Execution can be viewed as the physical manifestation of Justice carried out on those found guilty of killing.\n\nI doubt death penalty advocates are really getting off knowing that criminals are dying.  The argument that never seems to be heard is that, aside from being a (alleged) deterrent to crime, the death penalty allows Justice to be done.  When one takes another life, it isn't hypocritical to take the life of the killer-- it is Justice.  It would threaten our integrity as a Just society, a crime far worse than hypocrisy some would argue, if our society allowed one of the most heinous crimes to go (relatively) unpunished.
608775
Well personally I'm opposed to the death penalty for any reason...First off as a Christian I believe Jesus taught let he without sin cast the first stone...secondly in our criminal courts the rich can afford all the expert witnesses they need while the poor are being executed...sometimes innocent because they couldn't afford a great lawyer and expert witnesses
695904
I don't know if it is solely my Christianity that has my husband and I oppose capital punishment, but we both do. \nWhen do two wrongs make a right? Why does one person have the right to end another life?\n\nmy husband lost his wife and 8 year old son to  a drunk driver, and his mother was murdered 6 months later by her second husband. Neither man did one day in jail. Was that right? No. \n\nDo we have the rights to say they should have been executed? No. punished? Yes. \n\nForgiveness is a mighty hard thing sometimes. Only by the grace of God can we forgive in such cases. That is where we are, thanks for the opportunity to share...
849705
For certain crimes, I believe it is beneficial.  I won't start a big rally here but if you look at countries and states that have capital punishment in place for violent crimes, their crime rates are incredibly lower than ours.  Eye for an eye......sorry.
674676
Yes I agree with the death penalty. Life in prison is not a punishment for long term prisoners. Three meals a day, cable TV, no bills. They think it's a good life.
74924
Castration.\n\nThere was a time when I was against capital punishment...now I'm in favor of torture.
466780
I still think that a firing squad is the most humane.  It's quick, almost instantaneous, and none of the men on the squad knows who shot a real bullet or who shot a blank.  In lethal injection, the condemned convulse (just like in electrocution).  Beheading might be more accurate (the firing squad could all miss) but seems to be more of a show for the public (see French Revolution or Saudia Arabia) as a deterent.  Hanging is even less accurate (see Thrice Hung John of English lore).  I must admit though, I'm against capital punishment because of economic reasons.  The extra costs of court appeals, lethal injections (or electrocutions) upon taxpayers is much more than most people realize.
13710
1)Just punishment for heinous crimes 2)prevents prison overcrowding 3)80% public support 4)prevents the possibility of escape 4)Detterent. I, personally am against the death penatly on the grounds that it eliminates the possibility of being proven innocent, it costs a lot, it is against both the bible and the 8th ammendment (cruel and unusual punishment), the prisoners are executed in the name of the state aka us, and, as oppose to the popular belief of "no pain" I have pages and pages of stories of how specific prisoners were victim to a prolonged electorcution/lethal ingection due to a malfunction in equipment. I mean, would YOU want to be subject to deadly poison coursing through your system for 5-15 minutes? I didn't think so.
850013
The emotional part of me supports the death penalty...i know if someone killed a family member i would want them to face the ultimate punishment.\n\nBut the rational and prevailing part of me opposes the death penalty because of the risk of innocent people being killed. People think DNA is the killsafe...it is not..not all cases involve DNA and those convicted before the use of DNA often cannot get appeals to have the test performed. So oppose it, lest I or someone I know faces the fate of the unknown amount of innocents sentenced to death.
339067
I believe in capital punishment.  My problem with it is only that our contry does not practice it very much.
1024271
At heart, if it is what the people of Texas want, I am for them making that determination & not for people outside the state making that choice for them.\n\nThat aside, there are a number of reasons to oppose the death penalty:\n\n- The vast majority of people on Death Row could not afford to hire an attorney & consequently got poor legal representation that could have saved their lives;\n\n- Homicide rates in states with the death penalty are almost doube that of states that don't have the death penalty;\n\n- In the past 30 years, over 100 Death Row inmates were found to be innocent upon appeal.\n\nIt's just my opinion, but one innocent person being executed for a crime they did not commit is one too many.  I believe the states should do what's best for their own, but on principle I do not support the death penalty where I live.