do you agree with death penalty?
368916
Wholeheartedly. I think we should have a stupid box that we can put all of the stupid people in and then burn them all. (j/p i know that's not feasible...) The death penalty is a necessary evil, and i support it.
471603
While if the death was in my family would make me mad, I completely am agaisnt the death penalty. I think it isn't right for the government to say "You killed a man and that's wrong, so we're going to kill you!" \nIt doesn't make sense and is unethical.
921743
Saddam Hussein did some terrible things, but I don't support the death penalty under any circumstances.  Let's not forget that the U.S. government was friendly with him up until the day he invaded Kuwait.  Furthermore, he is to be hanged, which is rather draconian.
77918
I am a staunch supporter of the death penalty. A lot of people say "well the death penalty is not a deterrent so why are we using it".. I always have to laugh when people say this. The people who are against capital punishment were the first people to use this argument. Never have I heard a proponent of the death penalty regard it as such. It is about JUSTICE... Not deterrence..\n\nThen of course the other argument is "death penalty is barbaric"... well, so is killing innocent people.\n\nAnother fun argument that I cant get enough of... "Pro lifers are for the death penalty, how hypocritical".. We are talking about a convicted murderer versues an innocent child... very big difference.\n\n...\nI know there are a lot more arguments against the death penalty, but those are my favorites. Thanks for letting me vent.
699052
I dont believe in the death penalty because I dont believe a government should decide when to end a life especially when more often than not, the accused doesnt have enough money to afford any decent defense.  Besides even people who are obviously guilty have the right to life only God may take it when he feels the time is right.  Life in jail is the only solution.  Remember just like in the Animal Kingdom, the strong prey on the weak so someone who leads a criminal life will ultimately offend a bigger fish.
849298
No.\n\nAs a matter of PUBLIC POLICY, I would cite the following reasons:\n\n(1) Death is an irreversible punishment, and overzealous juries/prosecutors get it wrong WAY too often.  (RECENT EXAMPLE:  Read "The Innocent Man", a nonfiction book by John Grisham.)\n\n(2) Taxpayer dollars spent on criminal sanctions should be designed to protect society, not dish out retribution. Yet, statistical data is clear that the death penalty and tougher criminal sentences does not deter murder or violent crime.  Why?  Most violent criminals are sociopathic/psychopathic and simply do not rationally weigh the consequences of their actions before committing violent crimes.\n\n(3) The numbers indicate that the death penalty is not imposed upon the worst of the murderers (i.e., the person who actually pulled the trigger and killed).  Why?  Truly disturbed seriel killers more often than not have mitigating circumstances that get them out of the death penalty (e.g., severe abuse as children).  Second, the death penalty is most often sought where the prosecution can get an easy sentence (i.e., the person who drove the person who pulled the trigger, because the person who actually pulled the trigger ran to the police and got a plea deal for life without parole).\n\n(4) Prosecuting the death penalty costs taxpayers more than simply giving them a sentence of life without parole.  Why?  Courts want to do everything they can to ensure that an innocent person is not put to death.  Unfortunately, innocent people are being released from death row routinely, despite the fact that they had numerous appeals.\n\n(5) The death penalty is not fairly applied.  For example, Harris County, Texas prosecutes more death penalty cases than the rest of the State of Texas combined.  Is that fair?  Is it fair that a black defendant who kills a white victim is 8 times more likely to get the death penalty than a white defendant who kills a black victim?  Is it fair that over 90% of the defendants on death row in states like Texas, which have no public defenders, had no money to hire an attorney and had to receive court-appointed counsel, most of which have no criminal law experience?\n\n(6) Once again, criminal sanctions should be designed to protect society, not dish out retribution.  Although victim's families will say, on the eve of execution, that the death penalty gives them closure; pyschologists who actually follow up with victim's families will tell you that is a fallacy.  (Read up on it for yourself.)  If the government wants to be in the business of making victim's families feel better (as opposed to making society safer, which is the primary purpose of criminal law), then it would better devote the financial resources to providing psychological services than seeking death penalty prosecutions.\n\n(7) The assertion that a person who commits murder poses a risk that he/she will murder again is ridiculous if the alternative sentence is life in prison without possibility of parole (as it is in most states for murder).  A rapist or other violent criminal is just as likely to murder or commit violent crimes on other inmates than murderers are.  We are not making other inmates (all of whom commited violent crimes if they are in high security prisons) statistically safer by killing murderers.\n\nNow, my Christian view:\n\n(1) One of the Ten Commandments given to Moses says "Thou shalt not kill."  That's a period at the end of that sentence.  It does not say, "Thou shalt not kill unless the person you are killing killed someone else."  There is no "unless", no "if", no qualifiers whatsoever.\n\n(2) In response to all of those "good Christians" who are often so quick to cite the Old Testament (Exodus 21:23-25) as grounds for supporting the death penalty, I would direct you to two passages from the NEW TESTAMENT:\n(i) "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a too
504642
Any crime commited with the result of death should be given the death penalty and life sentences
1132558
I am in favour of a death penalty.  If you want to believe that a life sentence is going to teach a murderer anything, then YOU pay for it.  If you want to pay room and board for a prisoner for the rest of his/her life, you're welcome to try, but you have no right to ask someone else to do it.\nImprisonment means you and I are forced to take care of criminals, and for those in the habit of taking by force, what better life can you imagine?  Abolishment of the death penalty is every dishonest person's dream.  It's the path to a life of coercion with impunity.  It's become far too easy to forget about the victims.  What about their rights?  The issue of victim's rights also reveals the fact that many crimes have no victims... ask yourself why victimless crimes are illegal (after all, cops and judges need to look busy, don't they?)\nTo those who claim prisons are cheaper-- what planet are you on?  Keeping murderers and rapists in prisons is only cheaper than, what, keeping them in mansions?  Thanks to the INjustice system, we have a ridiculous number of innocent people doing time.  In a horribly misguided attempt to regulate business and morality, prisons are full of people guilty of illegal, but not immoral, acts: smoking pot, trading stocks at the wrong moment, selling sex, gambling, etc.\nThe real problem is confusing legality with morality.  If you kill someone, and it was NOT self-defence, you have forfeited your right to be alive.  That fact doesn't change from place to place, but laws do, obviously.  In some countries, you could be put to death for being gay or an atheist, but in those cases the executioners are the murderers.  Blaming wrongful executions on the death penalty is like blaming a shooting on the gun.  If we're going to save innocent lives, we have to fight the religions and governments that destroy those lives.\nUltimately, the real issue is not the concept of execution, but rather the abuse of law by the corrupt and the persecution of innocents by those who make -and enforce- laws.
910327
Yes!!\n\nI think that capital punishment should be legal in all states. America was founded on the principles of God so all our laws should revolve around Him. AN EYE FOR AN EYE!! \n\nAll murderers should be killed right away not ten years later and all sex offenders should be castrated. \n\ni am a student!!!
810548
I am only for the death penalty IF there is positive proof, such as video tape...then I say fry 'em up. They say the death penalty is no deterent, but I say it is...we just need to do away with those appeals that last for 20-30 years. If you are caught on tape murdering a 7-11 clerk for the cash register. Then you don't even get a trial, you go straight to the chair, no questions.\nAs long as there is solid proof, I'm all for the death penalty in rape, murder, child abuse, child porn and pedophilism. These people have no place in society, behind bars or not.
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.
877023
Should there be a death penalty in a civilized society and if so, why hang criminals?\n\nThat's a question that's been asked many, many times. If we don't kill dangerous criminals they languish in prisons on our tax dollars. If they're put to death and they're innocent we've killed an innocent person. If we hang them; electrocute them or give them a fatal injection. Maybe we should stone them? \n\nI'm afraid this issue will go on until long after we've left this jolly old earth. Should we be too civilized or should we become more uncivilized? Perhaps dangerous offenders will refrain from killing if they know they will be put to death or do they just not care and will do it anyway?\n\nI'm afraid, given this diverse world we live in; our societies will dictate what is an isn't civilized and what forms of punishment these people will get.\n\nThere are worse places to live than the United States or Canada!
834398
I would for me.... but that's not the point of Capital punishment.... Retribution and justice  are the point. Any determent is just a plus. And one thing is absolutely sure.... the person upon which Capital Punishment is carried out *never* commits a crime again. It is the only punishment with a zero recidivism
88856
I personally think it can be appropriate in some cases, but I doubt the ability of a judge or jury to judge correctly in EVERY case.  DNA evidence has already shown many cases where someone was wrongly put to death, and I think that is reason enough for a moratorium on all executions.
818894
Life in prison or death penalty..
177564
I am all for the death penalty. I am not saying that everyone that has killed someone should be put to death, but I do believe that when there is absolute proof that someone murdered another human being out of cold blood that person does not deserve to live. The taxpayers spend entirely too much money housing these criminals. And what about the cost of medial treatment for these animals? We have honest, law abiding citizens in our country that can't afford medication or health care, why should the criminals be treated better. And I am tired of people using the excuse that they are mentally disturbed or were on drugs at the time of their crime. Most of these people are useless, wastes of life...sorry if that sounds cold, but that is the way I feel. Once someone has crossed that line of taking another human beings life I truly believe that they will do it again.
992235
I think they should be put to work. Clean the f*cking roads and sh*t. \n\nI don't believe in capital punishment. We don't have the right to take anyone's life. Always leave the possibility for remorse and forgiveness.