The Death Penalty, Schwarzenegger and The Exonerated

[tflon]

[j.storm]

No, it's not acceptable to execute innocent people.
Wrong. The problem isn't the penelty, it's the system that that enforces it. It would take a revamping of the entire judicial system (which we badly need, and would never happen) to get it to work as it's suppose to. And the LAST thing we need to do is take any cues from the rest of the world (we're the only super-power for a reason). My $.02

[Lohman446]

I morally beleive in a death penalty

I, in a practical manner, see its use to be very reserved. Under current standards it costs more to execute someone then it does to put them in prison for life - this safe guards are put in place to help assure us we won't execute someone innocent, though no system can be fool-proof. Considering what it costs to execute someone, and we can reasonably house them for life safely, I do not see the practical advantage to the death penalty, I do not think it, in its current form, is a deterrent and do nto see the value of it

[Pickle]

I do have some serious problem with the death penalty....it takes too long, doesn't kill enough convicted criminals and the crimes that qualify a person for the death penalty are too narrow.

Cost: each side of the issue claims that the other method cost more. Just a matter of how the numbers are manipulated

I am not about to take a queue from the rest of the world on how to govern my country. The supreme court has already started to infuse their decision by citing laws from other countries. One of these countries is Sudan, one of the worst human rights countries in the world!

If one innocent person is executed to maintain order for the masses, so be it. An unpopular positon I am sure, but quite frankly I don't care. I understand that the system is messed up. I think an average of 12 years on death row is too long. Do you realize that the ACLU is trying to sue the government stating that 12-20 years on death row is cruel and inhumane? Who in the hell do you think made it take so long to kill people? That's right, the ACLU!

[Destructo6]

Cut and paste across many different boards. It's just an ad.

[Ov3rmind]

Cost: each side of the issue claims that the other method cost more. Just a matter of how the numbers are manipulated

I've actually never heard of someone saying life in prison is more costly. If you have any links demonstrating this, I'd appreciate them.

If one innocent person is executed to maintain order for the masses, so be it.

The death penalty being an effective a deterrant is merely an assumption. When compared to other countries without a death penalty, this assumption is actually false (in terms of violent crimes).

I used to be for the death penalty. But the more I looked at it, the more impractical it seemed to me. If it costs less, than why not just let them rot in jail for the rest of their lives? If there is enough evidence to prove someone innocent, than atleast we can release them from jail, rather than saying "oh well" because they're already in their grave.

[Destructo6]

The death penalty being an effective a deterrant is merely an assumption. When compared to other countries without a death penalty, this assumption is actually false (in terms of violent crimes).

It's silly to try to compare a country with a diverse population to another with a largely homogenous population.

[steveg]

It's silly to try to compare a country with a diverse population to another with a largely homogenous population.

OK how about comparing with Canada, a country with at least as much diversity
(if not more) than the US. we have no capital punishment yet a significantly lower
per capita murder rate. .01/1000 Canada .04/1000 US

[Lohman446]

OK how about comparing with Canada, a country with at least as much diversity
(if not more) than the US. we have no capital punishment yet a significantly lower
per capita murder rate. .01/1000 Canada .04/1000 US

When your closest neighbor requires a days travel to get to impulse murders are kinda cut down

[steveg]

now that we have snowmobiles that travel time is cut WAY down ,we are just vibrating* too much to aim properly







*snowmobile thing. the snowless aren't expected to understand.

[Lohman446]

now that we have snowmobiles that travel time is cut WAY down ,we are just vibrating* too much to aim properly

*snowmobile thing. the snowless aren't expected to understand.

That and shooting someone with a rifle just doesn't look as cool as with a handgun

[PyRo]

I have a couple problems with the death penelty. It is too expensive, averaging two million dollars for each execution. That is significantly more than jailing someone for life. My other issue is that it is applied unfairly, I don't think we will ever see a women or a wealthy person/celebrity executed no matter what they do.

[Destructo6]

My other issue is that it is applied unfairly, I don't think we will ever see a women or a wealthy person/celebrity executed no matter what they do.

It's not applied fairly, so what's the answer? apply the penalty fairly or eliminate the penalty altogether? Don't take that as a snipe to you.

IIRC, 5 women have been executed in the US since 1976. It happens, though rarely.

[Rooster]

[tropical_fishy]

Well, I don't know how I feel about the death penalty. One thing I do know is that it seems stupid to tell someone "if you kill someone, we'll kill you back." Just because it's state-assisted murder doesn't mean it's not murder. It's just... legal murder.

That said, I don't really know how I feel about it. As some people above said, it costs less to keep a person in jail for life cetirus paribus. But if you add in cost for additional guards, etc etc, I'd imagine they'd break about even (I don't have info on that, but I can research it if you want). If we killed all the murderers and rapists the prison population would fall drastically. There are pros and cons to both sides.

I think women are executed more rarely because they're convicted of violent crimes/serial murder more rarely. That's not to say they don't commit those kinda crimes, but that seems to be one area where men have the board covered pretty well.

On a personal note, I'd rather see some idiot rot away in prison for the rest of his natural life for a terrible crime than have his life/suffering cut short. But maybe that's just the sadist in me coming out.