• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

Is Capital Punishment Justified?

Should Capital Punishment be supported?

  • It should be supported in both principle and practice.

    Votes: 31 45.6%

  • Yes in principle, but not in practice due to the ambiguity of social bias.

    Votes: 11 16.2%

  • It should be opposed both in principle and practice.

    Votes: 26 38.2%
  • Total voters
    68
This is my opinion, take it or leave it. We consider ourselves to be a civilized nation. We offer people the "American Dream" and have, at some points in history, been the pinnacle of Western Civilization. We believe that everyone is innocent until proven guilty and give everyone an opportunity to defend themselves and formulate a defense.

To me, it seems wrong for such a country to partake in the extinguishing of lives. If someone is guilty, let them rot in prison. It would seem that that would be a far worse punishment then just killing them.
 
Kandahar said:
That is NOT an especially logical position. I'm not saying you're necessarily wrong, but it's certainly not based on logic. It's just based on your preconception of what justice is or should be.

Personally I think that the government should be less barbaric than criminals. At the very least, it shouldn't be even MORE barbaric. Yet that is exactly what you are suggesting. In the case of rapists, you want the government to kill someone who hasn't even killed anyone themselves. The punishment is even harsher than the crime. In the case of murder, you're at least on more solid ground in demanding their execution...but it's still rooted in emotion. It doesn't benefit society to execute them as opposed to imprisoning them.
Click to expand...


I said "logical" when I meant "non-emotional". I should have been more clear.

I don't think that the Death Penalty is barbaric at all. I certainly don't think that death is harsher than rape. In one, you are dead, in the other, you have to live a life after the act with all the horrible emotional and physical effects fo the act.

The Death Penalty is not based on emotion at all, at least not for me. No emotion...
Just a logical and non-emotive extrapolation of cause and effect.

The Death Penalty does benefit society... it rids society of those that cannot or will not choose to abide buy certain rules.
Imprisonment does NOT benefit society at all... if forces us to pay for and care for those that cannot or will not choose to abide buy certain rules.
 
Phoenix said:
The flaw in that logic is that it cost more to execute a prisoner than to keep in jail for life.
Click to expand...

A bullet in the back of the head does not cost much. ;)
 
obvious Child said:
The problem is ensuring that the head we're putting that bullet into is the correct head.
Click to expand...

When you have blood from a child who was just raped on the persons groin area you don't need a long trial.
Its possible to just go straight to the bullet to the face.
Look into his eyes and let the mofo see it coming.
 
obvious Child said:
The problem is ensuring that the head we're putting that bullet into is the correct head.
Click to expand...

The same problem can be said for locking up a person for the rest of their lives.

What is worse... being innocent and dying or being innocent and sent to prison for 50 years with murderers and rapists and getting gang raped in the showers every day?
 
Bodhisattva said:
I said "logical" when I meant "non-emotional". I should have been more clear.

I don't think that the Death Penalty is barbaric at all. I certainly don't think that death is harsher than rape. In one, you are dead, in the other, you have to live a life after the act with all the horrible emotional and physical effects fo the act.
Click to expand...

I think most people would opt for the latter rather than the former.

Bodhisattva said:
The Death Penalty does benefit society... it rids society of those that cannot or will not choose to abide buy certain rules.
Click to expand...

So does incarceration.

Bodhisattva said:
Imprisonment does NOT benefit society at all... if forces us to pay for and care for those that cannot or will not choose to abide buy certain rules.
Click to expand...

It is cheaper to keep someone in prison for their natural lifespan than to pay for the endless appeals that are inherent with a capital punishment case. And the only way to change that would be to deny them their due process and risk executing even MORE innocent people.
 
Kandahar said:
I think most people would opt for the latter rather than the former.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't, but I'm a traditionalist.

Kandahar said:
So does incarceration.
Click to expand...

but it's not always as permanent.

Kandahar said:
It is cheaper to keep someone in prison for their natural lifespan than to pay for the endless appeals that are inherent with a capital punishment case.
Click to expand...

maybe it's worth it. I do think it's easier on an innocent person to die than to spend life in prison. plus with the extra appeals associated with death penalty cases, the innocent person who faces the death penalty has a much better chance of clearing his name than the innocent person given life.
 
Rick said:
Re the claims that nothing can be undone: OF COURSE nothing can literally be undone, that would be time travel. But partial compensation can be given for an erroneous jail sentence - most people spend most of their lives working - a monetary award, say double what the person would have earned, goes a long way to at least make up for the economic damage. But with the death penalty NO compensation is possible.

As for the degradation to the killer of a defenseless man, that is probably subjective, but I think most people who aren't barbarians will grasp it, even those who nonetheless support the death penalty.
Click to expand...

I would see any compensation as a second slap in the face.

After being falsely imprisoned nothing could make up for what happened, and to say that my "Troubles" are worth a monetary compensation? No. Not even close. I would not be worried about the economic health of my family, I have plenty to make sure that isnt the case. I am worried about the mental stability and the time lost. I am worried about my children growing up without a father, my wife going through life without a husband or with a new partner. I am worried about being removed from my life and being placed back into the society that condemned me for nothing.

Put a bullet in my head, run me through the guillatine, zap me, inject me, hang me. But do not lock me up and expect anything to be "ok" ever.


At least with death it's final. The damage from a long term and even possibly a short term prison sentence is life long. It never goes away. The condition (inmate wise) of those places are generally horrible. Pack mentality, dominance struggle, prison murder, prison rape, and all of the other disgusting material that makes for a good movie... there's a reason for the subject being touched on so often. Talk to someone who has been in a large prison facility.
 
Bodhisattva said:
The same problem can be said for locking up a person for the rest of their lives.
Click to expand...

Indeed. Our punishment system needs work.

What is worse... being innocent and dying or being innocent and sent to prison for 50 years with murderers and rapists and getting gang raped in the showers every day?
Click to expand...

Given the rate of how often people are actually executed, it's pretty much the same. A drug dealer has a higher chance of being killed dealing drugs on the streets then on the nation's death row.
 
cherokee said:
When you have blood from a child who was just raped on the persons groin area you don't need a long trial.
Its possible to just go straight to the bullet to the face.
Look into his eyes and let the mofo see it coming.
Click to expand...

Not all cases are that cut and dry. Furthermore, a historical study of the death penalty in America over the past 50 years shows that it is rarely that simple. Not to mention that the numerous releases from death row show that we are in fact convicting innocent (of that crime) people.
 
obvious Child said:
Not all cases are that cut and dry. Furthermore, a historical study of the death penalty in America over the past 50 years shows that it is rarely that simple. Not to mention that the numerous releases from death row show that we are in fact convicting innocent (of that crime) people.
Click to expand...

Of course. But I believe the point being made was that when it IS that cut and dry why bother giving them the satisfaction of sucking up resources?
 
Shewter said:
Of course. But I believe the point being made was that when it IS that cut and dry why bother giving them the satisfaction of sucking up resources?
Click to expand...

Who says that they do? The costs reported are averages. Some cases are easier to prove and some are harder.
 
Shewter said:
I would see any compensation as a second slap in the face.

After being falsely imprisoned nothing could make up for what happened, and to say that my "Troubles" are worth a monetary compensation? No. Not even close. I would not be worried about the economic health of my family, I have plenty to make sure that isnt the case. I am worried about the mental stability and the time lost. I am worried about my children growing up without a father, my wife going through life without a husband or with a new partner. I am worried about being removed from my life and being placed back into the society that condemned me for nothing.

Put a bullet in my head, run me through the guillatine, zap me, inject me, hang me. But do not lock me up and expect anything to be "ok" ever.


At least with death it's final. The damage from a long term and even possibly a short term prison sentence is life long. It never goes away. The condition (inmate wise) of those places are generally horrible. Pack mentality, dominance struggle, prison murder, prison rape, and all of the other disgusting material that makes for a good movie... there's a reason for the subject being touched on so often. Talk to someone who has been in a large prison facility.
Click to expand...

Apparently most criminals in that position would disagree with you on the death penalty. Also, I've heard many times that wrongly convicted criminals, when they are freed, sue the state - apparently they disagree that compensation is a slap.
 
Rick said:
Apparently most criminals in that position would disagree with you on the death penalty. Also, I've heard many times that wrongly convicted criminals, when they are freed, sue the state - apparently they disagree that compensation is a slap.
Click to expand...

That's the beautiful thing about opinions then isnt it?

I did not speak for anyone other than myself, and to be honest, them taking the money doesnt mean they are any better off than they would have been without the false imprisonment or dead.
 
This thread has also gotten too long for me. OY!

The death penalty is a beautiful thing. Leftists always say that it does not deter crime...I beg to differ. Anyone put to death for murder has never murdered again. They like to compare it to abortion...why do righties like the death penalty but not abortion? Simple. A murderer has deprived an innocent person of their life, so they should give their life in return. They are GUILTY of a CRIME. Abortion is taking the life of an INNOCENT child who did nothing wrong. The only thing this innocent child did was take away mama's freedom, and whose fault is that? Certainly not the child's. Big difference here, folks.
 
obvious Child said:
Not all cases are that cut and dry. Furthermore, a historical study of the death penalty in America over the past 50 years shows that it is rarely that simple. Not to mention that the numerous releases from death row show that we are in fact convicting innocent (of that crime) people.
Click to expand...

Some cases are that cut and dry.

And why is this? What didnt we have 50 years ago?
DNA evidence.
We live in a different world with the advancements of forensic science.
 
cherokee said:
Some cases are that cut and dry.

And why is this? What didnt we have 50 years ago?
DNA evidence.
We live in a different world with the advancements of forensic science.
Click to expand...

I agree. john Wayne Gacy is a great example of someone who was definitely guilty.

My thinking is that, "Yes. These peices of **** DESERVE to die". I don't deny that. In fact, I usually agree with that in most cases on an emotional level.

My argument hinges entirely on the fact that I do not think it is the government's job to exact revenge.

I most defintely think that the government should NOT have this ability.

I've never seen any compelling argument for that which did not rely solely on emotionality.

Emotionality is irrational by nature, so deciding something based on this is irrational.
 
Rick said:
But partial compensation can be given for an erroneous jail sentence - most people spend most of their lives working - a monetary award, say double what the person would have earned, goes a long way to at least make up for the economic damage. But with the death penalty NO compensation is possible.
Click to expand...

Why not? You can give money to the surviving family of the executed person, just like you do in wrongful death lawsuits. How is that unjust?
 
Cephus said:
The problem is, even if we can keep them away from the general population, they still pose a danger to other inmates and guards in the prisons, plus the fact that we have to keep feeding, clothing and apparently, paying for their cable TV for the rest of their lives.

They're just not worth that.
Click to expand...

I am not sure it is worth the risk to execute someone who may be innocent.

With the current legal challenges and system, it has actually been shown to cost more to execute someone than it does to keep them incarcerated; is this really a cost benefit argument, or one of moral integrity?

Much like my argument for the life of an unborn child, I would also argue that society needs to maintain its moral high ground when it comes to executions; maybe it is a barbaric past we need to distance ourselves from.

I used to always be in favor of executions, as I grow older and I would hope wiser, I have tended to believe that perhaps this is something we need to take a long hard look at.

Do I really care if these murderers as charged are a potential threat to the other thugs in the prison? Hell no.

Should they have all the luxuries of home? Hell no.

I believe the ONLY reason they are permitted exercise rooms and TVs is to control them and make the guards jobs a little safer. Can you imagine if we incarcerate people for life and remove all these things? There would be never ending violence and riots.

Any way, that is my :twocents: on this topic.
 
Truth Detector said:
Should they have all the luxuries of home? Hell no.

I believe the ONLY reason they are permitted exercise rooms and TVs is to control them and make the guards jobs a little safer. Can you imagine if we incarcerate people for life and remove all these things? There would be never ending violence and riots.

Any way, that is my :twocents: on this topic.
Click to expand...


I agree with this particular section of your post, and for that, I am DEEPLY disturbed. :mrgreen:

But yeah, I agree. Give prisoners absolutely nothing to do and they're more likely to get frustrated and attack each other, or their guards. There does need to be a line drawn though. Let them exercise to work off their energy, but for the love of God, don't give violent criminals access to weights that'll allow them to become even stronger and pontentially even more of a threat to society when they're released. Exercise equipment, yeah. Weights that'll give them the strength to overpower other inmates/guards/innocent people - hell no!

Coincidntally, the prison near me is nicknamed "The ***** Hilton", probably because the inmates started a prison riot when the guards didn't bring them in a wide enough selection of DVD's for them to watch. :roll: TV, books, job training, skills training and anger management would be more productive ways for them to spend their time.

Additionally, life should mean LIFE. Not ten years, not twenty, LIFE.
 
Last edited:
Cephus said:
Why not? You can give money to the surviving family of the executed person, just like you do in wrongful death lawsuits. How is that unjust?
Click to expand...

Maybe because cash doesn't alter the fact that the state has murdered an innocent man?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom