Nj May be 1st state to repeal Death penalty (fit in, real estate)
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I am not against the death penalty, I am against the death penalty that does not get carried out.
Exactly.
Now, what I'm about to say will probably be misunderstood and I'll be called an evil killer, but here goes.
I think we should do what Texas started doing - lets call it the Fast Lane (Great Adventure style). If a murder was committed, there were witnesses, a body, DNA evidence, etc, and the evidence is OVERWHELMING.... we should just carry out a sentence immediately. Not because we need to kill them, but because they did it, rehabilitation is nil, and theres no risk of convicting the wrong person.
In all other cases, the death penalty should not apply. We should never risk an innocent man being put to death, its horrible enough that they've gone to prison incorrectly (which happens far too often). So, imho, the Fast Lane should be the only lane.
When George Bush was governor of Texas in the 1990s, he approved executions with impunity, sending to death those who might have been innocent and those who might have been guilty, those who had repented and those who had not, those who had adequate representation and those whose lawyers slept through the trials, those who had the mental capacity to understand their crimes, those whose mental state would have barred even a trial in more civilized jurisdictions.
here is the fine company we're in as a "civilized" nation who has the death penalty
So by not seeing Europe on there (since the EU is against the death penalty), are you suggesting that Europe has less murders?
Because statistically, it doesn't. Now, I'm not going to go on and debate the social merits of either side. I don't see the death penalty as revenge, or eye for an eye. I see it as a permanent removal of those individuals who infringe upon the freedoms of others, by taking away their lives. Nothing emotional, moral, or anything else about it.
Call me cold-hearted, I don't care. The simple fact is, having known people who have been murdered, I really feel nothing towards the killers. I do feel worried that one of them is still alive, and actually might be up for parole - now that I find disturbing. (In one case, my friend was shot because the killer hit my friend's car, and the killer didn't have insurance. His solution was to shoot my friend. No, I don't see the opportunity for rehabilitation in these people.)
from a strictly financial point of view, it is cheaper to house an inmate for life then to execute them given all the court costs involved with that. Perhaps this will reduce our property taxes by 0.0001 %
from a strictly financial point of view, it is cheaper to house an inmate for life then to execute them given all the court costs involved with that. Perhaps this will reduce our property taxes by 0.0001 %
The increased court costs aren't involved when you use the Fast Track scenario, only with the traditional model (which has proven to be.... cumbersome at best.)
Quote:
Originally Posted by kungfulou
put them in jail, let them sit there for life.
We'd need more jails then. Also, most killers don't sit there for life. Life, in legal terms, varies by state, and carries an indeterminate length. Which is how murderers, given a "life" sentence, get back on the streets by way of parole, endangering all of our lives. While I respect that others have a different opinion than me, my experiences in my (albeit short) life gives me an opinion that I highly doubt will ever change, and certainly not from posts on a forum which I've seen in other places all too many times.
KungFo, I addressed this yesterday. You think that they sit there for the rest of there lifes, they don't. As for Bush thats why I voted for him, because he has the ball$ to pull the switch. And Foster in Texas is a real sweetheart " A drug dealing robber that was in the car of the murderers". The victims that your talking about are not the slime criminals but the loved ones of the TRUE victims.
Excellent post, kungfulou (the list). Interesting company we have there.
CuCullin - i think you (and many death penalty advocates) are missing the point. You say that you "feel nothing for the killers". Do you think that death penalty opponents feel that way because the feel bad for convicted murderers? This makes an excellent argument, which is why it is often fabricated by DP supporters. First off, you assume that the penalty of death trumps life in prison in terms of suitable punishment. I, and others in this thread, feel that death is an easier way out that having to rot in a jail cell for 50, 60, 80 years.
I am opposed to capital punishment for 2 reasons -
1) i defer to the old saying "it's better to let 100 guilty men go free than to imprison one innocent man". we make mistakes. look how many folks are being exonerated by dna evidence these days. I see at least one a week on the news. People who have served 20 years, lives ruined, getting out of prison now. Capital punishment is irreversible. Why take the chance?
2) It really reflects an ugly, barbaric side of our culture. People that support the death penalty are usually the same crowd that love the war, guns, 'homeland security' etc. (ie - Texas). In my opinion, this is a reflection of the society we live in. Haven't you noticed we are every so slightly, but constantly, moving towards a police state?
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