Is capital punishment a barbaric act and should be a relic of the past?
347771
Well, this is a matter of philosophy, and thus expect as many answers as there will be people answering.\n\nPersonally, I wouldn't think of it as a "punishment". See, you punish someone to let him know he has done something bad, and shouldn't do this any more - he should be a better person. If he's dead, he can't change himself to be better.\n\nOn the other hand, there are situations where we can't change someone, and thus we have to protect the rest of the society from that person. Death is, undisputably, a 100% effective measure against reoffending (and the only one so effective I heard about). It's like dealing with a rabid dog: we can't help it, and putting it to death is the only way to ensure it will harm no one. \n\nIMHO, it isn't about revenge. Or rather, it shouldn't be - and thus the act should be performed in as humanitarian way as possible.\n\nAnd never, ever should it be taken lightly. In cause of any mistake, you have no way of changing the fact the man is alrady dead...
13803
No, it does not make us a better nation ,but, if properly utilized it may create a safer nation! In reality we do not utilize capital punishment as very few convicted criminals are ever sentenced to death, and even, when sentenced to death, automatic appeals prevent the timely execution of criminals.  Therefore, capital punishment is not a deterrent.  How strange that people rally to prevent the execution of murderers but demand the right to continue killing more unborn babies. Here in the US we have "legally" sacrificed more babies, numerically, than the individuals exterminated by the Nazi regime of Adolph Hitler. Yet we dare to call ourselves a moral, civilized nation. If we decide to give capital crime offenders life imprisonment without the possibility of parole maybe we should at least require that life be given to inutero individuals, unless the life of the mother is at risk.
884151
If the severity of punishment were a real and viable tool, then the death penalty should have worked years ago.  The fact of that matter is, it deters no one.  People still commit murder all of the time. All you can do (after the fact) is lock them up without possibility of parole.
680034
Capital Punishment is state murder. There were many innocents executed here as there are still being executed in the USA. Capital Punishment is more expensive in real terms then full term Life imprisonment. It is not a deterrent, the murder rate dropped in England after it was abolished and rose in America after it was reintroduced anyway there are lots of supposed Christians here and...Thou shalt not Kill
928609
I think that if the death penalty is warranted, than it doesn't matter how the peson dies.  The whole idea that lethal injection is "inhumane" is irrelevant.  And hypocritical.  You're killing someone, but you don't want to hurt them???  Absurd.  Lethal injection is fine, but too expensive.  Bullets are cheap, I think a single gunshot to the brain is the best way to carry out a death penalty sentence.
732314
I don't agree with capital punishment in principle. But even if you do, it's not a solution to prison overcrowding. In the US, people spend years on death row and it costs much more money than regular prison because of all the appeals etc.\n\nAnd there is no evidence that death sentences would deter paedophiles for the most serious offenders for whom it is a compulsion. Paodophilia is dangerous, disgusting and evil - I understand the anger that makes us want to kill in revenge - but it would not put off other paedophiles from doing the same sadly. All the emphasis on 'stranger danger' makes us forget that most child abuse is within the family & home.\n\n\nBritain's prisons are overcrowded because more and more people are being locked up for relatively petty crime. Paedophiles have always been imprisoned and rightly so. But we also lock up people for not paying their TV licenses....\n\nOnly people who are dangerous or who are serious or repeat offenders should be locked up. People who are addicts or mentally ill should be treated. People who are petty criminals or anti-social should be put to work cleaning up the mess they and others have made, not locked up for year at public expense.\n\nWe could save a fortune by ensuring that people get a decent education - reading, writing, IT and social skills and learning a trade - rather than making everyone sit lots of exams and then excluding the kids who can't keep up. And we need to do more to tackle drugs and family breakdown. A bit more money on counselling could save the whole of society a lot of grief in future.
553532
Depends on the crime.  It would be a bit severe for a jaywalker, but maybe acceptable for a serial killer.\n\nPlus, the death penalty is meant to be a deterrent for criminals.  Unfortunately, since the government can't decide on what to do, and with the endless appeals & whatnot, most criminals who get the death penalty will die of old age (and never have to worry about clothing or meals) then be executed.
910170
No. Capital punishment is revenge not justice.\n\nIf a con doing an armed robbery is shot dead at the scene by coips then that is justice. Murdering them months or years later is not!
943456
yes absoloutly i think anybody that takes another life for any reason should be given capital punishment. good luck and god bless and happy holidays.
1068029
No one should be above the law, and consequently no one should be exempted from the law. Past deeds should not effect  punishment any more than changing your life while you are in prison should effect it. If your crime was heinous enough to warrant the death penalty I believe at that point you have forfeited previous good credit in your life.
885898
Vlad the Impaler (the inspiration for Dracula) once put a gold cup in the middle of the town square to prove the lawlessness of his citizens. It stayed in place for six years. Everyone feared the consequences! Now that may seem an extreme example, being that Vlad was a maniac, but it serves to prove a point. When citizens fear punishment, they often times will choose to avoid committing crimes. This isn't foolproof, but crime is less end where there are more severer punishments. Some say that it would be inhumane to punish criminals in such ways, but lets face it, crime is inhumane. So yes, I do believe in corporal punishment.
73464
I am in favor of executions for the worst crimes.  For those that think it is "barbaric" to execute a murderer, do you really think the murderer was gentle with his victims?  Do you think the muderer gave the victim time to be with their family and say a tender goodby, like they get before their execution?  I guess you believe the murderer also prepared a  nice last meal for his victim too, right?  And since most executions in the US are now carried out by lethal injection, nice, painless, and peaceful, I guess you believe the muder victim died the same way?\n\nYes, I think the executions should be made public.  Nobody that does not want to attend has to.  And the criminals should lose all of the above perks that they get.  They certainly should not get more than their victims got.
516134
hmmm.. I'm not even sure they have that anymore. It's a very bad poison. The greeks actually used that for the death penalty in as far back as 700 BCE. \n\nIt might still be made. I'm not sure. Google it and see if it has a preccedor.
128064
Seems like it to me. I think the death penalty is bad for our culture. It doesn't do anyone good to support the murder of another. My friend who is pro life and pro death penalty says that people who have taken another life should lose theres. where as children who have not been born have not done anything wrong.
348109
You want to plagiarize to prove your point. Haven't you got any point of view of your own? This is a debate !!! It should reflect your views. Hahaha. \n\nYou should go a step ahead. One of the liberals spoke about banning life imprisonment and suggesting it to be maximum of 4 years. And one spoke about granting more rights to serial killers. Way to go!
914533
If we are going forward as a country with the notion that punishment should be heaped on punishment, and crime should be heaped on crime, then yes.  \n\nMy true belief is that we should just stick to the original crime and enforce the laws that are already on the books.  Yes it is horrible if a homosexual man is assaulted because he is homosexual, but when you boil it down, is it any more terrible than the little old lady that is assaulted because someone wants to take her purse?\n\nMy belief is our courts only need to enforce the laws on the books, but our politicians believe that more laws (justifying the politicians job) equal better life.  It is so not true, I doubt one victim has been saved because a criminal thought, "man, if I kick this guys a**, I'll get a year in jail, but if this guy is (insert race/gender/sexuality/religion) I'll get another year so I won't do it. \n\nThat just doesn't happen.
13122
Yes, execution is an effective way of keeping people from committing crimes. Also, if you look at it, the 1,000 man was just executed last week I believe. It's not like we are killing people left and right.