I need to know information on the 'death penalty'. Do you think the death penalty is good or bad?? Thanx
98268
considering how many cases have been overturned (especially with advances in DNA testing), i think it is obvious that the death penalty is "flawed", not neccessarily 'bad' or 'good'. \n\nimagine if someone you knew was faslely sentenced to death for a crime they did not commit... or even you. is it worth the risk of making those mistakes and ending innocent peoples lives to "punish" the wrongdoers?\n\nadditionally, consideration should be given to the concept that death is the ultimate punishment. is death really the worst outcome for a convicted murder? proponents of capital punishment claim that "scum" are rewarded with an easy life of "freebies". if those freebies include shivs and anal rape, then they may be right. point being - prison is not a cake walk. some would consider a lifetime of confinement greater punishment than instant death. \n\nmoreover, as one person noted, the death penalty may not actually scare off future criminals. some cultures do not believe in "punishing" people who commit crimes, but instead focus on recovering, as a community, after such an act. \n\nthe plain fact of the matter is, people make mistakes. even big ones. why not try to understand the cause for these crimes (i.e. why did this person feel the need to steal) instead of endlessly reprimanding them when we already know it will happen regardless? often when a person commits a crime, it is out of a sense of neccessity, not enjoyment. few people take such big risks for the sake of fun. most act out of desperation - fearing they have no real alternative. \n\ni feel the death penalty is not working well in any aspect and should be reexamined. so, to put it simply "bad".
395319
I think the death penalty is for cowards and sadists:  It's easy to support murder when someone else does it for you.\n\nOver 150 WRONGLY CONVICTED people have been released from death row in just the last 30+ years - and those are only the ones we *know* about.  \n\nThe death penalty doesn't make you safer - it makes you a killer.  Don't buy the con from politicians who scare you into believing this policy works.  It doesn't. \n\nIt's racist.\nIt's classist.\nIt's 2-6 times MORE expensive than life without parole.\nIt makes us cruel as a society.\nIt doesn't prevent new criminals from developing.\nIt takes the lives of innocent people.\n\nSomething tells me from the knee-jerk verbiage of the questioner that he/she doesn't care about these types of facts.  Regardless, check out the sites below before *you* make up your mind.\n\nThe way we treat the least of us is a clear reflection of who WE are... at least that's the way God sees it.
268411
I fully support capital punishment. The only real problem with capital punishment is how long it takes from conviction and sentencing to execution. Upon conviction and imposition of the death sentence, there should be an immediate and thourough appeal review. If that review also concurrs with the conviction and sentence then sentence should be carried out expeditiously. In my opinion the time between sentence and exectution should be less than 30 days.\n\nAll punishments should be swift and sure. Then they really WILL act as deterrents. Even without the deterrent factor, removing a murderer from society will always be a wortwhile act.\n\nWhile we are at it we should return capital punishment to desertion and treason.
606214
http://www.mcadp.org/LancetEditorial4_05.htm\n\nPersuading people to be against the death penalty
662966
I don't believe in the death penalty.\nToo many Innocent people have been executed for something they did not do.There are two infamous cases here in Australia where the murderers/rapist were caught red handed within days and admitted they did it,both these individuals have tried to commit suicide while in prison,their crimes against another human being were horrendous and had a great impact on our country not just the state in which it took place,in a case like this I think the judge should be able to in-force the death penalty.\nSome people still think the last man hanged here was innocent and it was done for political reasons.
56324
For the worst crimes, I am for the death penalty.  Main reason?  I feel that someone that willingly takes the life of another person should not receive a lifetime of getting all of their needs, and even a lot of luxuries, for free.  Prisoners get free clothing, free food, free cable TV, free weight rooms, free college courses (through correspondence)free health care, the list goes on and on.  I have seen sickening websites like "Pampered Prisoners" dedicated to "making their time easier"  WTF?????  What about the VICTIMS of the crimes?  They get nothing for free, assuming they survive the attack of the criminal, they have to pay their own health care.  If they cannot afford the health care, they are left to suffer by the doctors, yet the prisoners that inflict the injuries get health care for free!!!  \n\nWhat do you do with a vicious animal, who only attacks and harms, and cannot be trained to behave the right way?  You put him down.  Same should go for a vicious human, put him down.\n\nFor me, the only alternative to the death penalty (and I am talking severe crimes like murder, or those that have proven themselves to be just vicious and untrainable) would be to use the predators for testing instead of the innocent animals, who have done nothing to deserve the torture inflicted on them.
1102689
I totally disagree with the death penalty, ( probably because of my christian background) I do believe that if somebody does something terrible that deserves a big punishment, then put him/her in jail for the rest of their life, let them miss all the great thing that life offers out of the jail's walls,  so they can think of what they have done until they died.\nthe main reason   why I am  against the death penalty is that once you are dead, you are  gone and that doesn't sound to much of a punishment,  is more like a slap on the wrist, it might be hard on the family of the convicted person, but not that much for the convicted himself,  plus it would be a very sad thing seen innocent people died for something they haven't done.
9990
I agree with you there. The death penalty is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment. It violates the right to life. It is irrevocable and can be inflicted on the innocent and has never been shown to deter crime more effectively than other punishments.\nCheck out the link below & help to protest.
1090396
OK this is what i think\n No1\nto many innocent people get put to death\nNo2\npeople are still killing one another and filling death row up even more so how can death row stop people going out in the streets killing  it doesn't does it \nstick them in a super max  because even on death row the poor tax payers are paying through the nose to keep them there i cant see the point my self\nNo3\nwhy should a killer forget what he has done killing him means his night mare is over but it is not over for the victims family friends etc \nwell that's what i think \nrespect\nshaz
65162
I'm against it. \n\n1)There is way too much error in our system (just since dna testing has been a available in a small percentage of capital cases, a large number of convicted people have and to be released.)\n\n2)It is the wrong thing for society -- there are many people that need to be locked up for life, and it would be no great loss if they were dead.  It is a great loss when society kills them. It reinforces the notion that humans have the right to kill each other.\n\n3)All studies have shown little to no deterrant effect, across all societies.  No one about to kill another stops to think "Wait, if I get caught I'll be executed -- better do this where there is no death penalty." Killers in the act don't think they will be caught, or don't think they care.\n\n4) While the system must be more efficient if any deterent is to occur, there is a limit to how quickly and efficiently executions can occur and still be just. Therfore executions will always be  years after the fact, and thus have even less deterrent effect.
319878
The death penalty should be abolished for several reasons.\nFor me the most important one is: judicial errors happen. Killing one innocent by mistake is unforgiveable.
365631
To ponder:\nIF killing is wrong, we should always set the example, even with people who have violated this basic principle.  It will strengthen that rule.  Maybe not today, not tomorrow, but eventually.\n\nUS is the only country at our level of social development that has the death penalty (as oppposed to Iraq, Saudi Arabia, China, Thailand)\n\nOften, executing an unremorseful killer will make him believe he is a mayrter to his misguided actions.\n\nIt costs more to execute a criminal than to keep him in jail for the rest of his life.\n\nThe application of the death penalty in today's justice system is a crap shoot, at best (Sentenced to death rarely correlates to those most deserving of it, and being spared rarely translates into being less culpable)\n\nJust a few things to ponder, why it might be worth it to get rid of the whole messy business!
735661
I'm for death penalty because it's a good preventive force, knowing that punishment is death penalty DOES stop people from committing a crime; convicted people live on the taxes of citizens, I hate the idea of thinking that some raper or murderer lives on my taxes; all the money spent on criminals could be spent on education, health care
850013
The emotional part of me supports the death penalty...i know if someone killed a family member i would want them to face the ultimate punishment.\n\nBut the rational and prevailing part of me opposes the death penalty because of the risk of innocent people being killed. People think DNA is the killsafe...it is not..not all cases involve DNA and those convicted before the use of DNA often cannot get appeals to have the test performed. So oppose it, lest I or someone I know faces the fate of the unknown amount of innocents sentenced to death.
1148421
I don't believe in capital punishment.  I think it's a much greater punishment to let a criminal rot in hellish prisons for endless years.  It's in no way a deterent for capital crimes.
236586
I'm one of those people who you would probably want to move along (and aside from this issue and a few others, I'm very conservative), but I ackowledge that this is a Democracy and I am in the extreme minority on this issue in America, so I sort of accept the death penalty. Personally, if I did a heinous crime, I'd want to die instead of rot in prison, so in my eyes, "Lock the door, throw away the key" is worse than "fry the b_stard". But in spite of my opposition to the death penalty, I don't get worked up about someone who committed a terrible crime being put to death. So given that, these are the crimes I think warrant the worst penalty we dish out:\n\n- Murder (substantiated by either strong evidence- multiple witnesses, confession, video, or DNA).\n- Rape (1st offense for strong case).\n- Selling or distributing drugs to minors (2nd offense). If you distribute to an adult, I don't consider that a crime. If you distribute to a child, that's a serious offense.\n- Any kind of terrorism plotting.\n- Treason.\n- Any sexual activity with a child(below 13 would be a good age).\n- Any violent crime involving a weapon- first offense. None of this "three strikes, you're out" b s.
849705
For certain crimes, I believe it is beneficial.  I won't start a big rally here but if you look at countries and states that have capital punishment in place for violent crimes, their crime rates are incredibly lower than ours.  Eye for an eye......sorry.