Capital Punishment

[bay girl]

Im for the death penalty. I know what it feels like to hate someone so much for taking someone away that you love dearly. My uncle was killed while on business in the Philipines about 13 years ago. These men followed him home to the place where he was staying with his wife's family (she is a Philipino woman; luckily she was home in Australia with my cousin at the time). While he was in the living room playing with the kids, they stood in a window and shot him 6 times in the back of the head. They didnt care about the children who were there with him and had to witness such brutality. Our family went through hell for such a long time. We had people from newspapers and reporters at his funeral. It was crazy.

We all gave a sigh of relief when these men were all sentenced to death; although one of them ended up dying from a heart attack only weeks prior to their deaths.

[Zetti]

I never used to have an opinion on this but with the American Election and the economy crisis. I have been back in politics. Capital punishment is wrong, they have committed a crime. Something that can never be undone but if we kill them we have committed a crime and I cant justify murdering someone just because they murdered someone else. So I am against it.

[emmasi]

Read Starship Troopers by Robert E. Heinlein. It's set in a militaristic future where corporal punishment reigns supreme. There's much discussion in it about how our generation (well, earlier than ours, really, but it still applies) believed the "myth" of human rights, and how appealing to a person's "better nature" instead of punishing them is pointless, because without being punished for doing the wrong thing in the first place, people can't learn that their actions have consequences so they do what they want and never develop a better nature. I don't think I agree with that argument, I like to believe in the "myth" of human rights and better natures, but it's an interesting book. I think you'd find it helpful in a debate on the subject

I confused capital punishment with corporal punishment. Probably don't want to do that too often

That's still a good book though. They do discuss CAPITAL punishment, saying that if corporal punishment was used more often, then capital punishment wouldn't be needed as much because people would have already learned enough from their small mistakes so that they never make a mistake big enough to be killed for.

Again, don't particularly agree, but it's interesting.

[Eli]

I'm against capital punishment, basically because the strongest argument there is, is that innocent people's lives are at risk. Instead of having capital punishment, I'd make sure people who kill someone are locked up for the rest of their lives, without the opportunity of ever getting out on probation. Like someone else said, locking them up won't bring back the person they killed, but neither will killing them. Also, what is capital punishment really? It's a sentence to death; you have to wait in jail until you're killed. And what is a lifetime in jail? You have to wait in jail until you die. That longer waiting time for death will not only give more time for innocent people to be saved, but it will also give the murderer more time to think about what *he did.

This is a quote by the father of Matthew Shepard, a young man who was killed in Wyoming ten years ago. I don't know how that is different places around the world, but in Wyoming the jury or judge can't sentence anyone to the death penalty unless it has been requested, and in this case it was up to Matthew's parents to determine whether they should ask for it or not. I think this quote is also used in the movie "The Matthew Shepard Story" which is about the court case. I definitely recommend it if you're interested in these issues BTW.

"I, too, believe in the death penalty. I would like nothing better than to see you die, Mr. McKinney. However, this is the time to begin the healing process. To show mercy to someone who refused to show any mercy. To use this as the first step in my own closure about losing Matt. Mr. McKinney, I am not doing this because of your family. I am definitely not doing this because of the crass and unwarranted pressures put on by the religious community. If anything, that hardens my resolve to see you die. Mr. McKinney, I’m going to grant you life, as hard as that is for me to do, because of Matthew.

Every time you celebrate Christmas, a birthday, or the Fourth of July, remember that Matt isn’t. Every time that you wake up in that prison cell, remember that you had the opportunity and the ability to stop your actions that night. Every time that you see your cell mate, remember that you had a choice, and now you are living that choice. You robbed me of something very precious, and I will never forgive you for that. Mr. McKinney, I give you life in the memory of one who no longer lives. May you have a long life, and may you thank Matthew every day for it."

The only really valid argument I can see pro the capital punishment is that it would mean more available cells in prisons, but other than that I think it's a stupid reflection of man's misinterpretation that death is the worst destiny that can happen to anyone. I'm pretty sure there are worse things than dying in this world.

[Barbara]

I can see both sides, but I think I'm against it. I'd rather see someone locked up for their crimes and having them live with it for the rest of their lives, then dying and not dealing with any consequences. And as someone pointed out, what happens if an innocent person is executed? I know it doesn't happen as often as it used to, but it still does. What about those families who lost a loved one that was wrongly accused?

Having said that, I think we need a new prision/justice system. Criminals are way to comfortable these days, they get three square meals, exercise and paid for the jobs they do in prision. Meanwhile there's starving children in Africa who have done nothing wrong. It makes me sick how these people can commit such heinous crimes and be better off then what they might have been on the outside. My uncle used to be a cook at the prision and you know they get a full on proper Christmas lunch.

I don't know which one cost more, executing or keeping a prisioner. Maybe they should cut back on some of the 'luxuries' that criminals seem get in prision. Make it a feared place like it used to be. And when they are imprisioned for life, make sure that it is life, not bloody 20 years. Stuff human rights, they give that up when they kill/torture/rape etc someone. Why should their life be treated with any respect?

I totally agree with you.

I'm against capital punishment but some prisoners should be locked behind bars for the rest of their lives.

I also agree with KaitieL on the privileges (some) prisoners get.

Marc Dutroux, a Belgian criminal, raped 6 girls in 1995 and 1996. He killed four of them. He was arrested in 1996. But he is now staying in a very luxurious cell. He has a cell of his own, his personal TV etc. I read somewhere he even has a computer but I'm not sure that's true. I think usually prisoners share a cell with someone else. Prisons are already overpopulated so why do some prisoners have their private cell?

Murderers don't deserve privileges but like many of you said, killing them won't bring back their victims.

I know someone who was accused of something he didn't do. He spent a year in prison until it was finally proven that he was innocent. Everyone who knows him knows he would never hurt anyone. Personally, I think he's one of the nicest men I know. But some stupid people in his town found it hard to trust him again even though it had been proved he was innocent.

But being in prison changed his life. It was very hard for his parents and his family to live with all the gossip. And he had to change his job because of it. He's doing okay now (he spent time in jail 10 years ago) but he is not as cheerful as he used to be.

I don't even want to think about what would have happened to him if capital punishment still existed here.

[Deborah]

I don't agree with capital punishment.

The justice system is not infallable & innocent people are sent to jail every day. Also I do not believe that two wrongs make a right & I believe that killing is wrong.

However, I do believe that murderers should spend life in prison, not just 20, 25 years or whatever. Life should mean for the remainder of that persons life. Also prisons are far too cushy. The prisoners should only be given the basics, not have tvs etc in their cells.

[Eli]

The maximum sentence here is 21 years... In the state of Arizona the maximum sentence for chopping down a cactus is 25 years...

Well, technically you can get more than 21 years because they can also give you unlimited time in a more institution-like facility until a psychiatrist decides the convict is no longer a great danger to society. But still, 21 years is ridiculously little for taking a life. I'm all for a sentence that really hurts, because I don't really think there's enough punishment in this world for some of the crimes that are committed, but I definitely think that the death penalty is not the worst sentence that could be given to someone, and some crimes truly deserve worse sentences than the capital punishment.

[I love music]

It's a tough question. Life should mean life.

But there is one particular crime that I think should carry the death penalty and that is the abduction, rape and murder of a child.

[lolajaney]

Sorry this is short but I don't agree with capital punishment as it's too expensive to carry out humanely. I do however think prisoners should work very hard in prison and have to pay for their keep through their employment. Prisons shouldn't be easy.

[Cerise]

Thanks for the opinions guys, they helped a lot In case your wondering, my speech has to be five minutes long and I have about three minutes written so far, although I'm finiding it hard to propose the morion, especially with all tehse arguments against it. Coolio. This topic is awesome for a debate.

I was always raised to support the death penalty, although to be honest I was raised to support and detest a million different types of things that I don't neccesarily believe anymore (not that my mother likes me having opinions but anywho), but I think the Death penalty is a thing neither here nor there; you can find positives and negatives in both things which is why it's such an interesting topic