Why the proper use of Death Penalty is good

Jack Dawson · 04-21-05, 05:42 PM

It is a punishment! It was never designed to rehabilitate or send a message to others that it could happen to them too if they screwed up. I believe the term was detterent. Even though it was NOT designed to be it definitely has deterred those that have been executed. They have not brutally murdered any more, they have not rapted any more, they have not terrorized anyone any more, the have not molested children any more.

I am NOT for random use of the death penalty but when convicted and proven (where needed) be DNA testing or when there has been a confession it is appropriate PUNISHMENT for a deed done.

shuamort · 04-21-05, 06:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jack Dawson

It is a punishment! It was never designed to rehabilitate or send a message to others that it could happen to them too if they screwed up. I believe the term was detterent. Even though it was NOT designed to be it definitely has deterred those that have been executed. They have not brutally murdered any more, they have not rapted any more, they have not terrorized anyone any more, the have not molested children any more.

I am NOT for random use of the death penalty but when convicted and proven (where needed) be DNA testing or when there has been a confession it is appropriate PUNISHMENT for a deed done.

I have yet to see a study that shows that the death penalty that has been re-enacted in any state has been a deterrent. Can you please show me how it's deterred people from committing those crimes in the first place?

(Basing it as a death penalty vs. life in prisonment removes any factors such as recidivism from play obviously).

Gandhi>Bush · 04-21-05, 06:32 PM

What's the point? I disagree with any support for killing especially support coming from the government. The difference between someone rotting away in a skin head rape house (federal penetentary) and sitting there for twenty some odd years and killing them is cost.

It's cheaper to keep them alive than killing them.

http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/arti...did=108&scid=7

I think it's more important for the perpetrator to say, "I should not have done what I did," and pay the price than for him to be put down as some sort of punishment.

Arch Enemy · 04-21-05, 08:41 PM

I'll argue this till the day I die...

The death penalty is wrong.. more people are wrongfully convicted and sent to death then those who are rightfully sent to death. In the past the usage and sentencing of the Death Penalty has been used as a way to show a white judge's racism to a black protester.

The death penalty is morally wrong; truth for the Liberals.
The death penalty is against biblical teachings; truth for the Christian Conservatives.

I'd like to see 3 cases where the out-come, as a whole, has been successful and "good"

Blue Hobgoblin · 04-21-05, 08:48 PM

There is no "proper" use for the death penalty. Never has been, never will be.

sebastiansdreams · 04-21-05, 09:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arch Enemy

I'll argue this till the day I die...

The death penalty is wrong.. more people are wrongfully convicted and sent to death then those who are rightfully sent to death. In the past the usage and sentencing of the Death Penalty has been used as a way to show a white judge's racism to a black protester.

The death penalty is morally wrong; truth for the Liberals.
The death penalty is against biblical teachings; truth for the Christian Conservatives.

I'd like to see 3 cases where the out-come, as a whole, has been successful and "good"

Firstly, let me state that I am not for the death penalty. BUT, I do not believe unless you can somehow provide some pretty convincing evidence that more people are wrongly convicted of crimes warranting the death penalty than are correctly warranting the death penalty. That simply cannot be the case or there would be no one in support of the death penalty.

shuamort · 04-21-05, 09:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sebastiansdreams

Firstly, let me state that I am not for the death penalty. BUT, I do not believe unless you can somehow provide some pretty convincing evidence that more people are wrongly convicted of crimes warranting the death penalty than are correctly warranting the death penalty. That simply cannot be the case or there would be no one in support of the death penalty.

I think any more than zero of incorrectly applied death penalties is too much.

From Amnesty International:

Quote:

No one knows how many of the approximately 7,000 people put to death in the USA during this century were innocent. Since the resumption of US executions in 1977, Amnesty International has documented numerous cases where serious doubts concerning the prisoner's guilt still existed immediately prior to the execution. According to one prominent study, at least 23 innocent people had been executed in the USA this century prior to 1984.(3) Significantly, the authors of the report do not claim that the numbers represent the total of all innocent victims of the US death penalty, but merely those cases which their own research uncovered.

sebastiansdreams · 04-21-05, 09:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shuamort

I think any more than zero of incorrectly applied death penalties is too much.

From Amnesty International:

That I agree with. But that is not his statement. His statement was to a completely different effect. You must be incredibly thorough in such arguments, and that is a fairly large loophole don't you agree?

shuamort · 04-21-05, 10:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sebastiansdreams

That I agree with. But that is not his statement. His statement was to a completely different effect. You must be incredibly thorough in such arguments, and that is a fairly large loophole don't you agree?

Very much so, and that's my first problem with the death penalty. It's not infallible. It's not proven to be infallible. Yes, we have the technology now for DNA testing but a capitol punishment doesn't always rest on DNA.

As for his statement of correctly vs incorrectly. Well, to address that it's better to discuss this as per the letter of the law and subjectively as opposed to objectively. Let's just say that since 1977, of the 7000ish capitol punishments, Amnesty International is confident in listing 23. That's far from midway point as to correct applicability. Even mulitplying that by 100 is still under half.

Moreover, death penalty cases are always decided by juries and not judges per a 2002 Supreme Court decision:
The Supreme Court Monday ruled 7-2 that it is unconstitutional for judges rather than juries to make findings of fact that result in a person being sentenced to death.

shuamort · 04-21-05, 10:02 PM

capital not capitol.