what are your views of the death penalty?
541809
I believe the essence of the question is diffult to answer. I have not had one of my siblings speak to me for about five years. They decided if one of our parents was near death, nothing can be done to save them. Due to my religious convictions, I did not agree and our father is still living. But since I have been living in China, my mother died. I have said I will investigate her death, to see if my mother's wishes were honored.\n\nThe death penalty is a violation of human rights, regardless of whether the death row inmate violated someone else's human rights by killing them. We do not have the right to play God. I resent a judge to decide death for anyone. I also resent the fact that I have been shunned from being on a murder case, because of my views on the death penalty. That is a violation of my right of expression.\n\nNo judge has any right to tell anyone they will die for their crimes. The case I should have been on, the man was found innocent after eight years. This was because picking out the jury was a tainted system, violating the rights of a poor man with no education. In effect, he was sentenced because he was poor and uneducated.\n\nI read where some of the answers were against the Islam people for cutting off the hand of a hungry boy for stealing food. He was also treated with injustice. The boy has a destroyed life just for being poor and hungry, the same problem the innocent man faced.\n\nIf a jury decides a man should die, the prosecutor, judge, and jury have killed the man. They are no better off that the man charged. But remember, the man was innocent.\n\nGod is a jealous God; he does not want us to worship any idols; he also does not like us to be God by killing a person charged with killing.
34205
becasue there are people out there the deserve it. I believe in the death penalty very much. If they are found guilty of what they did and its a bad thing then they deserve to die for it. They have no mercy on what they did so why should we show mercy.
736783
With DNA evidence, we have no excuses for NOT implementing capital punishment. If we cannot have this, then life should mean life, not 15 years of Playstations and pool tables. I truly feel that is only supporters of capital punishment who place true value on the life of the victims.
788159
Capital punishment is premeditated killing.\nAs a Christian I am morally opposed to killing regardless of the situation.\nI also believe it is morally wrong to force me to pay for the state to kill people.\nOK, it's only 3 sentences.....so kill me.
769333
when you say death penalty, i believe its hanging?\nI wonder how this one time leader would feel, if his head was severed in a market place, with crounds of jeering people, as i believe is the traditional arab way?\nWell, if its good enogh for princess's ?\n\nBut then.....didnt the us instigate all this, because he was a Barbarian, not to be trusted with long range chemical weaponry?.....but then theyve side stepped having to jail him for life themselves.....(even they wouldnt hang him, with the worlds media)...so they let someone else do it.
684955
which is why im against amnesty, and for the death penalty.\n\nin fact i believe our current methods arent cruel/unusual enough for punishment\n\ni say we bring back the guillotines and ropes; put them in the public square and behead criminals.
1089367
I don't believe in the death penalty. They are just commiting murder, and two worngs never make a right. God decides who should die at what time, so I think you are right, they should put him in jail for life and make him suffer for the pain he has caused people.
147898
Abolish it entirely.  Our justice system is not infalible.  There have been multiple people sentanced to death and exhonorated post-mortem.  That's enough reason for me.  Besides which the death penalty is motivated by revenge, not justice.  An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind.
339067
I believe in capital punishment.  My problem with it is only that our contry does not practice it very much.
605331
state some facts like the amount of innocent people put to death. the biases that the courts have in handing out death sentences(race, etc...)Playing god. morality of it\nI feel its done to save money. ...easier to kill someone than to pay to keep them in jail the rest of their lives.
219065
I think public violence of all sorts desensitizes people to the immensity of death.\n   Executions were televised in my country a few years ago, and I had the bad luck to turn the TV on when some were taking place. I will never forget the faces of those men about to die. Criminals, yes, evil by nature, perhaps. But what impressed me the most were the faces of those about to do the killing: the coldness, the total lack of concern, the machine-like effectiveness.\n   I do remember one woman, member of a firing squad, who burst in tears after the shooting. May God bless her.\n   It didn't stop crime. Our crime rates are on the rise, death penalty or not. But what really, really disturbs me is how used we have gotten to watch people die: the first time I watched a lynching on TV I was horrified. By the fifth repeat I was merely bored into "Oh, no, not again". I wish that is not what you want.\n   I believe that crime should be punished, and that dangerous criminals should be placed where they can do no more harm. But turning death into a show (and the ratings here were huge) demeans it, and us.
1152773
No, I do not.\n\nIf we had capitol punishment here in Britain we might already have executed a few people who were acquitted several years later.\nAlso, why is it assumed that capitol punishment is worse than life imprisonment (and I mean life). Some prisoners commit suicide in prison.\n\nAnother problem with capitol punishment is that the condemmed person's family probably suffer as much as they do.\n\nLeaving aside the religious arguament that "though shalt not kill)\nI do this, not because I do not believe in it, but because you could go on writing for ever about the morality of it.\n\nYou have to remember also, that the state is carrying out executions in cold blood. The murderer may have had some reason for doing what he did, no matter how twisted. Also, on a personal level, what does it say about the person/persons who are prepared to kill other people as part of their job, and no, it is not the same as the military doing it.\nPlease don't give me the response, "It's my duty" or, "somebody has to do it. You are operating on a personal level when you are doing a job.\n\nI find it particularly distasteful, when executions are turned into circuses, as in th US. If you have to execute people, I am sure that the state can be trusted to do the job without about two hundred and fifty Madam la Farges' looking on. At least the person should be allowed to die with some sort of dignity. Whist I am on this subject, let me also say that I am disgusted and appalled that some women seem have been directly involved in carrying out executions. Particularly because women tend to personalise things more than men. I have to wonder what their real motivation is, because it is nearly always men that are executed. Please don't give me "it's only a job" or equal opportunities stuff.\n\nFinally, I would like to set a little test for those who, from afar, think that they believe in capitol punishment.\nWould you be personally prepared to carry it out? Would you still believe in it if it was a member of your own family. Would you be prepared to carry it out yourself in those circumstances.It's easy letting someone else carry it out, particularly when you don't know the condemmed.\n\nThere aren't any good reasons for capitol punishment, except that it saves the cost of keeping the prisoner in jail.\n\nFinally, I am not a soppy liberal, I think that life should mean life.
380408
Of course your question might be phrased a little off, because the death penalty IS legal in some states.\n\nMy personal opinion is it should be legal in all states.  I kind of differ that I do not belief it should be shown or made a big deal out of, glorifying it in the news, etc, though that is normal human nature I guess.\n\nThe reason I believe in the death penalty is there are some people that are so dangerous they will continue to do what they do whether they are in prison or not.  And those that have prison terms have been dealt the fairest justice exacted upon them, and the risk of dying at the hands of another would be reduced by the death penalty I believe.  I also believe the families deserve closure.
230695
I think its sick.No matter what the person did to deserve it.I think its shameful that America actively participates in it when we are one of the only countries that does.Abortion is so called murder but they actually strap someone down and kill them with the death penalty. I don't understand how some one can justify the death penalty but in the same breath speak of how cruel and horrible abortion is.I think until the legal system and investigations into the crime are completely fool-proof and without any error then I think it should not be carried out. How many people are innocent and become imprisoned?
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.
393701
the death penalty is only a deterrent if it is done in the public eye very swiftly. BRING BACK PUBLIC HANGINGS in market square where all can see.
55599
The short answer is that we live in a Democracy and death penalty laws are on the books because people (or their representatives) put them there.  There are usually four distinct groups of people involved and it cuts across party lines.  Large groups favor the death penalty and large groups oppose it for any number of good reasons.  Small groups who have lost someone to murder believe that the death penalty is "too good" for the perpetrator, but are not allowed to take the law into their own hands.  Small groups related to the murderer oppose the death penalty because of shame and the fact that they still love the perpetrator and find good excuses for him/her.\n\nOn top of all that, sensational murders committed by those who expect to escape punishment spur on society to support the death penalty.  Crimes against innocent children are particularly heinous.  And news that someone convicted of murder has been proven (by DNA tests?) to be innocent show the weaknesses in our judicial system.\n\nThe question really is not all that simple.  In New York state, the results of a close Governors race was likely determined on the death penalty issue.  The winner favored the penalty while the incumbent never used it based on personal beliefs.  Changing politics will always be involved.  Many will always feel that a barbaric murderer should know that he/she might face a barbaric fate.  And some feel that might save innocent lives.