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Topic: Question for those who oppose the death penalty
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Beachcomber
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posted October 02, 2008 08:10 AM
Tell me how can you possibly see any other suitable solution for a worthless P/O/S like this? Prison? Feed him and house him the rest of his life at taxpayer expense? Rehabilitation? Please. Lew I know you oppose the death penalty, I would appreciate your 2 cents on this:Scum -------------------- It takes a village to raise an idiot.
Posts: 1299 | From: FLORIDA | Registered: Mar 2006 | IP: Logged | Problem w/ Post?
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The Big Sexy
Suspect
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posted October 02, 2008 09:17 AM
I think life imprisonment is harsher than the death penalty.I'm uneasy with the taxpayer comment because we need to avoid putting a price on life. -------------------- Obama? Yo Mama! Bush and Cheney Violate Our Constitution.
Posts: 4270 | From: Cincinnati, Ohio, USA | Registered: Apr 2001 | IP: Logged | Problem w/ Post?
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Lew
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posted October 03, 2008 12:13 AM
GL-I've never once suggested that there aren't some heinous individuals out there who have done unspeakable things. But, my reasons for being against the death penalty have more to do with the government (specifically the justice system) than they do the defendants. There are basically two purposes to criminal justice, and some people believe it's either one or the other but not both- deterrence or retribution. The death penalty is not a deterrent (well, it is, but only to the person who receives it). The presence of a cruiser in the median may deter you from speeding. But if you've reached a point in your life where you could take another human life (outside of self-defense), then you're long past deterrence having any effect on you. And besides, it's not like life in prison would be so appealing anyway. So that leaves retribution. Which, ok, fine, I get that. Justice for the victims and what have you. Except, again, there are risks. As far as I'm concerned, the execution of an innocent person is the most unforgivable of all sins. It doesn't happen often, but it has happened, and as far as I'm concerned there is no "acceptable" loss rate. And, if I can be closet socialist for a moment, it is entirely driven by class. There are wealthy/famous individuals who have done some pretty heinous things as well, but they need not ever worry about going on death row. The prosecutors in OJ's case weren't even asking for it, which to me didn't make sense; I mean, if OJ did what the State of California said he did, that was a heinous act worthy of capital punishment. Well, he was OJ so he wasn't going to have to think about it. Now look, I don't favor babying these guys in prison. And I don't believe in parole or things like that (in these kinds of cases). But them away for life (assuming they receive proper due process, of course) and you've taken them out of society. Now, I will add one final caveat, and this is where the LanD's of the world may call me out, but....in answer to your query about the worst of the worst, people like BTK and what have you....I do not believe in capital punishment. However, I will be the first to admit that accidents do happen, and sometimes it's a shame when they do but that's just life. So yes, I'm anti-capital punishment, but I do acknowledge that....accidents happen.... -------------------- Parked in the lumber yard freezin' our asses off My kid's in the back seat gotta graveyard cough Well I'm sleepin' up in front with my wife Billy club tappin' on the windshield in the middle of the night sayin' "Move along, Man" yeah move along
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Posts: 2298 | From: New gig in the 45215 | Registered: Nov 2001 | IP: Logged | Problem w/ Post?
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LanDroid
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posted October 03, 2008 08:34 PM
The process is certainly long enough that you'd think there would be enough safeguards in place, but obviously they aren't. On top of that, there's your pesky "if done properly", which isn't always the case - some go horribly wrong. Prisoners are set free from death row based on DNA evidence, etc. We'll never know how many innocent people have been executed by the U.S. justice system over the past 200+ years because evidence is routinely destroyed after executions to prevent re-examination.John Grisham has written one non-fiction book, you might check it out: http://www.amazon.com/Innocent-Man-John-Grisham/dp/0440243831/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1223080089&sr=1-1 The title is inaccurate because the book actually describes the miraculous release of two innocent men from death row. Here's some more entertaining reading: http://www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080926/NEWS02/809260370/1023/NEWS07 [ October 03, 2008 08:35 PM: Message edited by: Earl Washington ]
[ October 03, 2008 09:21 PM: Message edited by: LanDroid ]
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Posts: 3279 | From: landroid@excite.com | Registered: Apr 2001 | IP: Logged | Problem w/ Post?
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