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Texas carries out its 500th execution since 1982

Yes, I am still against capital punishment, because an occasional innocent person does get executed every once in a while. But this lady deserved it. She killed 3 elderly women, and stole their credit cards and valuables from their homes. The murder that she was executed for is especially grisly, in that she cut the finger off her victim to get her wedding ring, which she pawned for 200 bucks.

To those who are against the death penalty - Don't feel sorry for those who deserve it, but only those rare cases where someone didn't deserve it, which is why I am against the death penalty.

Article is here
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Any verifiable examples of this?
 
Capital punishment might be defensible but not as a deterrent. It's revenge, and revenge has value (I suppose) but I hate, I mean really hate the idea of government having the power to execute citizens. And don't tell me about separations of power- the court is an extension of the State.
I say, be honest about it and build a stage in the centre of town. Have the condemned's head pushed down on the block and ensure everyone is present to watch the axe fall. All this mollycoddling about gas chambers, electric chairs, lethal injections, whatever, that's all just to let Ma and Pa reconcile their Christianity with their desire for revenge.

Wrong, it's about taking out the trash.
 
because we know it has happened ... it doesn't bother you that we have executed innocent people? and if an innocent person gets executed no doubt it's someone who didn't have resources to mount a good defense ... You don't care if we execute someone who is innocent?

Who and when?
 
I wonder how many of them were actually innocent. 12 inmates who were convicted and sentenced to death in Texas were later found to be innocent and released. Can anyone really feel certain that none of those 500 were innocent, too?

Shows how careful we are before executing anyone, the system works. By the way they most were not proven innocent they were proven not guilty. Huge difference.
 
To be honest, not many. But even one innocent executed is too many. If the death penalty were foolproof, I would be the first to pull the switch on the bastard. However, I am still haunted by the execution of a man who was convicted of setting fire to his house, killing his wife and children. After he was executed, he was proven innocent of the crime, and the expert witness the prosecution had used against him was no expert. In fact, he was incompetent.

There is also another important aspect to the death penalty. In the words stated by one condemned man, in his final statement before his execution, "Capital punishment, if you ain't got the capital, you get the punishment".

Interesting, have a link?
 
Not entirely true. Houston is on it's way to becoming the murder capital again. There have been 2 or 3 murders per day here this year, a sharp increase from last year, and even surpassing the days in the 1970's when Houston took the title from Detroit.

This is all I can find on the subject. Houston has a high murder rate but it seems to be declining.



More Information

DOWNWARD TREND

The number of murders in Houston dropped significantly last year to its lowest level in nearly 50 years:

269: Number of murders in Houston in 2010



195: Number of murders in Houston in 2011 through Dec. 30



27.5: Percentage that murders in Houston decreased from 2010 to 2011


"Houston will likely finish 2011 with the lowest murder count the city has seen in nearly 50 years, preliminary Houston Police Department figures show.

HPD recorded 195 murders for the year as of Friday, a 27.5 percent decrease from the previous year's total of 269. The preliminary figure doesn't yet include the death of a 27-year-old woman who police believe was killed in her west Houston apartment on New Year's Eve.

As long as the 2011 total remains below 200, it would be the lowest since 1965, when 139 people were killed, said HPD homicide division Capt. David Gott.

Houston homicides take a sharp tumble - Houston Chronicle
 
There's been like 800 plus more who have been executed in Texas going back to the early 1800's. So Texas loves killing people...so much that the state government is hell bent on trying to stop abortions in Texas. You may have noticed that my last sentence made no sense at all. When it comes to death...Texas government has selective ethics.

You can shoot, stab, electrocute...give lethal injections, hang people...but oh don't think about abortion.

You obviously don't see a difference between innocents and the non-innocent.

We don't hang folks in Texas BTW.
 
That's not the point; the point is that capital punishment doesn't punish anyone.


It does if it gets them to HELL quicker. 8)

Also relieves the burden on the taxpayer.
 
Considering the number of convicted murderers along with their victims and body count, I'd say Texas is kinda...slipping...and it wouldnt be a bad idea to step it up a bit.

List of male murderers | Texas, USA | Murderpedia

For people that think the death penalty is not a deterrent...ask yourself one question...In or out of the prison system,,,how many more victims did those 500 people cause after they were executed?
 
Why don't you leave if you don't like it here. I think we would get along just fin without you. :2wave:

Because then there would be one less man down at the Capital rooting for abortion rights.
 
I wonder how many of them were actually innocent. 12 inmates who were convicted and sentenced to death in Texas were later found to be innocent and released. Can anyone really feel certain that none of those 500 were innocent, too?

That's why there is 15 to 18 yrs. for the appeals process.

And no we can't be sure.
 
Not entirely true. Houston is on it's way to becoming the murder capital again. There have been 2 or 3 murders per day here this year, a sharp increase from last year, and even surpassing the days in the 1970's when Houston took the title from Detroit.

How many of those involve refugees from New Orleans?
 
Not surprising when you consider that the United States is in the top 5 Countries for Executions world wide. (The others being China, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia). I dunno guys, i really do understand that this is a highly emotional issue for many of you, but i personally find it repulsive. My Government abolished the death penalty in 1973 and has since passed laws ensuring it will never be reinstated so it's not an issue i'll ever have to be concerned about here.

Of all the good things that America does and she can be proud of (and there are so many), i can't imagine that being lumped in with those four Countries in relation to anything to do with Human Rights issues, would be something to be proud of.

Who said we were proud of it?

No one in this country basks in the delight of killing here except homicidal psychos. They can not be helped in any other fashion.
 
Considering the number of convicted murderers along with their victims and body count, I'd say Texas is kinda...slipping...and it wouldnt be a bad idea to step it up a bit.

List of male murderers | Texas, USA | Murderpedia



For people that think the death penalty is not a deterrent...ask yourself one question...In or out of the prison system,,,how many more victims did those 500 people cause after they were executed?

Let's don't forget the people Texas *didn't* execute that damn sure deserved it. [i. e. Andrea Yates]
 
Who and when?

the other poster gave you a recent example in Texas, but the number of cases in which DNA evidence freed folks from death row (18 since 1973) must tell you that there were others, before DNA was used, who were executed. You may find this interesting: Innocence: List of Those Freed From Death Row | Death Penalty Information Center. Also this may be interesting: DNA evidence proves innocence of 300th prisoner nationwide - Los Angeles Times. This too: Innocence and the Death Penalty: The Increasing Danger of Executing the Innocent | Death Penalty Information Center. This too is interesting: How Many Innocent People Executed Is "Too" Many? - Minneapolis - News - Cassel: Civil Liberties Watch

It's common sense, no? We're human. We make mistakes, and in some cases all it takes is a corrupt police officer or prosecutor, no? One case should be enough to give you pause. Once you put the person to death, you can't reverse it ... but if you're from the "we're not perfect, but we get it right most of the time school," we really don't have much to talk about ... it would be best to acknowledge a difference in values between the two of us and leave it at that ...
 
Let's don't forget the people Texas *didn't* execute that damn sure deserved it. [i. e. Andrea Yates]
Thats what Im saying. They should step up their game a bit. Its really not about vengeance or punishment. The death penalty should be used for the greater good...elimination of those scumbags that have demonstrated a willingness to kill rape and maim others for their own selfish gain or whims. Dead is dead. Those 500 individuals will never again take another life or harm another person, not outside of prison and not from behind bars. Thats a deterrent for your ass right there.
 
the other poster gave you a recent example in Texas, but the number of cases in which DNA evidence freed folks from death row (18 since 1973) must tell you that there were others, before DNA was used, who were executed. You may find this interesting: Innocence: List of Those Freed From Death Row | Death Penalty Information Center. Also this may be interesting: DNA evidence proves innocence of 300th prisoner nationwide - Los Angeles Times. This too: Innocence and the Death Penalty: The Increasing Danger of Executing the Innocent | Death Penalty Information Center. This too is interesting: How Many Innocent People Executed Is "Too" Many? - Minneapolis - News - Cassel: Civil Liberties Watch

It's common sense, no? We're human. We make mistakes, and in some cases all it takes is a corrupt police officer or prosecutor, no? One case should be enough to give you pause. Once you put the person to death, you can't reverse it ... but if you're from the "we're not perfect, but we get it right most of the time school," we really don't have much to talk about ... it would be best to acknowledge a difference in values between the two of us and leave it at that ...

I still just see more evidence that the lengthy appeals process put in place so innocent people don't get executed works. No evidence yet of any innocent person being executed.
 
You are comparing people being punished for a crime that they were legally convicted of to people who were abducted and murdered by a terrorist group?

Amazing this is in reference to lynchings and the trial of Sheriff Joseph Shipp, THE ONLY CRIMINAL TRIAL EVER HELD IN THE UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT.
 
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I still just see more evidence that the lengthy appeals process put in place so innocent people don't get executed works. No evidence yet of any innocent person being executed.

as I suspected, but then again I remember you now from a few months back ... you haven't changed ... you have yourself a good day, and life sawyer :peace
 
as I suspected, but then again I remember you now from a few months back ... you haven't changed ... you have yourself a good day, and life sawyer :peace

No reason to get in a snit. I just asked for evidence that an innocent person has been executed. Apparently you have none, as I suspected.
 
It does if it gets them to HELL quicker. 8)



Also relieves the burden on the taxpayer.

actually it costs more money to execute people ....

Murder rates have been going down for some time in the U.S. (the rates are lower in states that don't have the death penalty) and a friend of mine who studies the death penalty said that one factor is that we're an aging population ... interesting, no?
 
No reason to get in a snit. I just asked for evidence that an innocent person has been executed. Apparently you have none, as I suspected.

I'm afraid that you're the one in a snit my friend ... I smiled when I saw your predictable response ... and, btw, I expected this childish retort as well ... have a good one ...
 
So I looked into how many innocent men have been put to death on my own because all the people saying this has happened have offered no evidence of their claims. All I found was this. A guy from the death penalty information center says if there was a retrial he would be found not guilty. This seems to be the closest thing there is to an innocent man being put to death. The guy even admits there is no evidence an innocent man has ever been put to death. Guess that ends this debate huh.

"If a new trial was somehow able to be conducted today, a jury would acquit DeLuna" said Richard Dieter, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center, who read a draft of Liebman's report. "We don't have a perfect case where can agree that we have an innocent person who's been executed, but by weight of this investigation, I think we can say this is as close as a person is going to come."

Carlos DeLuna Execution: Texas Put To Death An Innocent Man, Columbia University Team Says
 
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