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In 1976 the Supreme Court in Gregg v. Georgia allowed the states to resume the use of capital punishment for murderers. Every state except for Alaska, Hawaii, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia wrote a death penalty statute.
Recently though, the legislature in some states are considering repealing their statutes as in New Jersey and New Mexico, or as in the case of Kansas, New York, and Massachusetts the judiciary are declaring it unconstitutional. In addition several states such as Illinois, North Carolina, Florida, and Maryland have enacted moratoria on capital punishment (some of which have already been lifted) for a number of reasons. Where do you stand on the death penalty?
States with Death Penalty Statutes
Color key:
No current death penalty statute
Statute or method declared unconstitutional
Not applied since 1976
Has performed execution since 1976 States with highest number of executions since 1976:
Notice the large discrepancy between number of death inmates and actual executions for many states. I suppose this mainly has to do with political ideology.
Last edited by Bo; 12-06-2009 at 12:09 PM..
Reason: This issue is too controversial to discuss in General US, so it was moved here.
Oh yeah, my view is that capital punishment should be abolished. Life imprisonment without parole has the same outcome upon society as the death penalty--the convict never has a chance to commit the crime again, and taking away his/her freedom for the rest of their lives is adequate punishment. The death penalty is cruel and seems to be more of an outlet for revenge. The "an eye for an eye" mentality isn't approriate in deciding sentences for criminals.
I noticed that the map key didn't turn out properly above, here it is again:
blue- No current death penalty statute
orange- Statute or method declared unconstitutional
green- Not applied since 1976
red- Has performed execution since 1976
I'm for it in extreme cases such as serial killers, someone who has raped and killed a child...etc. IMO those people are not human.
Similar here. I don't know if I would say they aren't human, but they're lives of "negative value" so to speak. Still I would tend to limit it to the most extreme cases, particularly where a person has a repeated tendency to kill or rape.
Of late I have considered the idea of "Life in Supermax" as maybe being better. The problem is I think that would be just as likely to be seen as "cruel and inhumane" or maybe more likely to be so seen. Or they'd waffle and release them early rather than really keeping them in until their life or capacity ends. (If some blind elderly serial-killer in a wheelchair was released to a secure nursing facility they're might not be too much risk, although I guess they could still bite people)
However shouldn't this be in Politics or Great Debates?
I'm all for it in cases of murder, child rape (under 12) and treason.
Not for adult rape though, there is too much of a history with racism with adult rape sentences not to mention how broad the rape statutes are. Would not want to see a 18 year old sentenced to death for having a 16 year old girlfriend.
I am for the abolishment of the death penalty. I favor life inprissonment without the chance for parole. Several notes about it:
1) Innocent people have been executed. Even if this just happend once, it is a travesty that cannot be over looked. People who have done nothing wrong have been murdered by their government. I realize this isnt the rule, its the exception, but even if it happend just once, its unacceptable.
2) It costs more to sentence someone to death than imprision them for life.
3) The US is the only fully developed country that has the death penalty. Even most developing countries are abolishing it. When the rest of the civilized world says its wrong, maybe we should question it.
4) It doesnt exist as a determent. If it does, then why does the US have such a high violent crime rate compared to a country like Canada, the UK, Australia, or Germany?
The death penalty is there so that the victims family can watch the person who caused them so much pain die.
I am against the death penalty, but if it has to be there, I hope they will at least make it for cases that have DNA evidence only.
Agree with th3vault. Also agree that the process needs to be sped up a bit. As for the same outcome for society, I have to dis-agree with that; Life in prison without a chance for parole is an expensive sentence for the State to deal with. Where does the State come up with the money for prisons? State and federal taxes, which cost society in the long run. Why should society pay for a violent criminal to have 3 hots and a cot, plus better access to health care than most of the taxpaying public can afford? Death penalty costs? - Red is positive, black is negative; couple kilowatts of electricity at an average of 12 cents a kilowatt and the costs are over and done with. I know what they are now, but I am also aware of what they SHOULD be.
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