American Death Penalty and Surrounding Laws

[Amorphous Ice]

So, for internationals out there who don't know, America DOES have the death penalty, and its their laws that I want to hear everyone's opinions about. I live in a backwoods area, and most everyone has the exact same opinion on anything (usually my own opinion).


First of all, I want to sort of gauge how people generally feel about it. Is it justice or a pitfall of society? Try to explain just why you feel that way (even if its something as simple as a religious or strong moral belief). Take into consideration before you answer that not every case is the same, and that the law doesn't differentiate between the cold-hearted unborn-baby-eater and the guy who erradicates rapists and extortionists to save little girls. Do you feel that there is a certain "line" that must be crossed before receiving this penality, or shouldn't that line even exist at all? What about alternative punishments?

I also want to hear about anyone's opinions on the process and the laws. Currently, it usually takes a very long time for someone on death row to actually reach the date of their execution; on top of that, a person can NOT be executed unless they are in full health. I'm also not aware of any state that will allow a defendant who was judged to be mentally unstable to be put to death, on the basis that a mentally disturbed person does not know the difference from right and wrong.


Anyhow, share your opinions.

 

[Spartan Erik]

Definitely justice.

In fact, I believe our current methods of the death penalty are "wuss-ified" and aren't enough. Forget this lethal injection junk; go back to death by firing squad, guillotines, and good old fashion lynching! For extremely bad criminals, those three options would be perfect.

And to make sure that crime would definitely skyrocket downwards, air it on every single TV channel LIVE so the public can see what happens if you do something despicable like the dying criminal.

 

[Micro]

Its appauling. Think about it, if one of your relatives was put to death for a crime they didnt commit? What would you prefer also, if one of your relatives, son / daughter, etc, murdered someone or whatever, and they were put to death instead of life sentences?.

I believe we only have the death sentence here (UK), if someone commits an act of treason.

 

[SEÑOR]

In my opinion, If you kill some one you should also be killed. As easy as that.

 

[Amorphous Ice]

I think I'm sort of for the death penalty. I realize that there will always be those cases of people who are wrongly accussed, and it sort of scares me to think that it could happen to me or a family member. If it did, I'm fairly sure I'd change my opinion.

I would like to see stricter laws and punishments for intentional acts of cruelty (to man or animal), killing, maiming, arson, extortion, and rape. I actually don't think the American justice system deals with these types of crimes seriously enough, despite their potential to completely ruin some random person's life. Maybe not the death penalty, but definitely something that will make people think.

There's a place that takes the top prisoners and holds them in permanent isolation. To me, this is approaching torture AND it allows those prisoners to leech off my tax dollars for the rest of their lives. Um, boo. If someone has done something that terrible, I think they should have been given the death penalty instead, or a life sentence.

 

[Chris Z]

Forget this lethal injection junk; go back to death by firing squad, guillotines, and good old fashion lynching! For extremely bad criminals, those three options would be perfect.

erm..i'm pretty sure that death by guillotine wouldn't be that bad, cuz supposedly, you are killed instantly, but idk, as i've never been "guillotined" before lol

 

[graphix-invasion]

That's interesting. I think any law can be improved. The death penalty is necessary in some cases, and no matter how hard you try, the law will never be perfect. The death penalty isn't given lightly, and I doubt that many people need to worry about being wrongly accused.

 

[ProjectB]

The death penalty definetly is required in some cases, In New Zealand commiting multiple homicides will simply land you up in a very cosy jail with underfloor heating in the winter to keep you warm, not only that you can even have a chance to get out of jail on parole, not a very strong deterrent, but in somewhere like singapore, you get the death penalty for a single homicide, and in some cases death by possesing drugs.

But in my opinion, the death penalty should be present but only be invoked in the case of multiple murders or something as servere as that.

Spartan Erik..... you are one bloodthirty dood.

And to make sure that crime would definitely skyrocket downwards, air it on every single TV channel LIVE so the public can see what happens if you do something despicable like the dying criminal.

wouldnt that be r18?

 

[Spartan Erik]

Spartan Erik..... you are one bloodthirty dood.

wouldnt that be r18?

Haha well then, people would just have to turn off their TV's wouldn't they?

Another suggestion; they should also broadcast it over AM/FM/XM/HD radio too so you can hear the audio from the execution

On a semi unrelated note, http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20061028/ap_on_re_us/school_drill_1
It reveals the gradual "wussification" of America, thanks to Hollywood and snobbish celebrities.

 

[Aquilus]

It's barbaric and unnecessary, and I'm glad I live in a country thats civilized enough to not have it.
Also, Justice is NOT the same as vengeance.
Killing people to show people that killing people is wrong is pretty ironic if you ask me....

 

[Spartan Erik]

It's barbaric and unnecessary, and I'm glad I live in a country thats civilized enough to not have it.
Also, Justice is NOT the same as vengeance.
Killing people to show people that killing people is wrong is pretty ironic if you ask me....

Then what will prevent people from killing others?

It's too bad this country is too "civilized" to have it.
I don't see any irony in killing people to show that killing people is wrong.. it is a tangible form of justice

 

[Bonekhan]

I think that one particular crime--yes, even murder--shouldn't automatically put you on death row. Some people need help; others have made some very bad life choices; some however, are sadistic enough to deserve it.

Torture seems a bit inhumane--after all, we would just be stooping to his/her level to torture him. Lethal Injection is just too easy, however; why should he/she die quick and painless?

The reason why death penalties and such are changing and different from region to region is because it is just that--gray area. How to punish an immoral wrong doer, without the shame of getting your hands dirty?

 

[Joker Boy]

Imaging that some guy had just come into your house and slain your wife and kids, then chopped them up into little pieces and threw them in the toaster. The man goes to prison, spends 20 - life in there and then he might still be released. Are you saying that you would want this guy out or you would want to rip out his testicles and shove them in his eyes?!

I want to slay him.

 

[Aquilus]

Then what will prevent people from killing others?

It's too bad this country is too "civilized" to have it.
I don't see any irony in killing people to show that killing people is wrong.. it is a tangible form of justice

jus‧tice  [juhs-tis] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation

–noun
1. the quality of being just; righteousness, equitableness, or moral rightness: to uphold the justice of a cause.
2. rightfulness or lawfulness, as of a claim or title; justness of ground or reason: to complain with justice.
3. the moral principle determining just conduct.
4. conformity to this principle, as manifested in conduct; just conduct, dealing, or treatment.
5. the administering of deserved punishment or reward.
6. the maintenance or administration of what is just by law, as by judicial or other proceedings: a court of justice.
7. judgment of persons or causes by judicial process: to administer justice in a community.
8. a judicial officer; a judge or magistrate.
9. (initial capital letter) Also called Justice Department. the Department of Justice

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venge‧ance  [ven-juhns] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation

–noun
1. infliction of injury, harm, humiliation, or the like, on a person by another who has been harmed by that person; violent revenge: But have you the right to vengeance?
2. an act or opportunity of inflicting such trouble: to take one's vengeance.
3. the desire for revenge: a man full of vengeance.



See the difference?

 

[Aquilus]

Imaging that some guy had just come into your house and slain your wife and kids, then chopped them up into little pieces and threw them in the toaster. The man goes to prison, spends 20 - life in there and then he might still be released. Are you saying that you would want this guy out or you would want to rip out his testicles and shove them in his eyes?!

I want to slay him.

Brilliant idea, lets do it the viking way!

If someone kills your wife and kids, you get pissed off and kill their wife and kids.
Then the other guy gets pissed off, so he kills your parents, and then you kill his.
That makes the other guy REALLY pissed off, so he kills you. Then your cousin gets pissed
off and kills him. Et cetera et cetera.

That would work out fine, wouldnt it?

 

[IIN Operator]

I'm definitely against the death penalty. Numerous death row inmates have appealed years later and be acquitted of the crimes they supposedly committed. It's not justice when an innocent (and wrongly convicted) person is killed, but rather injustice. Besides it doesn't prevent anything. If somebody's mentally screwed up enough to murder somebody badly enough to get the death penalty, they're actually going to enjoy being executed and that's actually a good reason to commit the crime. If we're serious about preventing crime, we should encourage poor people on welfare (the group that has the most kids) to put their kids up for adoption into better homes. Abortion dropped the crime rate so significantly in the 90s because most criminals come from poverty or other bad environments and abortion reduced the potential pool of criminals. We could also streamline our government so that it ran efficiently. The incompetence of the American bureaucracy is holding our economy back from its true potential. Businesses go broke not because of crooked businessmen stealing money from the company treasury as we're supposed to believe, but from the government's ridiculous 50% tax rates. This is one thing that Europeans don't have the high ground on. Their governments are even less efficient. People who have money and a high standard of living are not about to even consider any criminal acts. The less governments screw everything up, the wealthier all people are. That's why the poverty line here in the USA is $14,000, while people in many parts of the world (such as Iran, North Korea, China, or Sudan) don't even make $1,000 a year. The fewer people who are broke, the fewer criminals.

 

[Bodifar]

Well, I'm against the death penalty. Why? Well, it's all pretty well summarised in this postcard I have. It's a kid, asking his mother about the death penalty. The kid basicly says: if a man murders another man, that man has to die. But then the second man has to die too. But in the end, there are no people left?

And that says it all: you're not better than the killer him- or herself if you kill him or her.

Now then, justice ... If you ask me, the USA doesn't know justice. Why? Because in their system, you are guilty until proven different. Where I come from, it's the other way around. You're not telling me that 16th century attitude is justice.

In reality, I do have to make a certain point concerning justice and the death penalty. I do not support death penaly, as I have pointed out, but I would seriously torture the man who lays his hands on my (hopefully future) wife and children. Killing that man would seriously cross my mind. Then again, breaking all his limbs one by one, and then cutting him in strategically chosen spots would hurt him more.

 

[Ferinos]

If people are proven beyond a shadow of a doubt to have commited any of the following acts, I believe they should be sentenced to death, in any country;

Terrorism, conspiring to acts of terrorism, committing acts, or attempting to commit acts of terrorism etc, punishable by death.
Rape; if someone commits an act of rape, I believe in certain cases they should be sentenced to death. If someone spiked their drink, and this is proven, no rape charges should be made, assuming the drink was spiked by a third party unknown to the 'offender.' Also if a woman declares she was raped, and this is proven beyond a shadow of a doubt to have not happened, should she ever make the allegations again, she should not be taken seriously, and unless the said offender is proven to have commited it, if there is any doubt, he should not face the death penalty. Rape is a hard thing to discuss, and/or judge, due to the wide variety of circumstances, causes, liabilities and such like.
Murder; if you commit murder, in some cases I believe you should be sentenced to death. In other cases I believe a prison sentence is appropriate. See below for details.
Griveous Bodily Harm, Assault or Actual Bodily Harm
If you beat an old woman up, or kill her, death penalty should be applied. If you harm an person or persons drastically, you should face death. If you have a drunken brawl, you should be jailed for a short period of time. If you hit someone a few times, I believe death is not appropriate.

These views are mine and mine alone and represent no other person or persons, or any third party or parties.