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Death Penalty

Discussion in 'Alley of Dangerous Angles' started by Belwar, Nov 7, 2002.

  1. Belwar Gems: 3/31
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    [​IMG] I was just wondering what do people who posts here think of death penalty?

    I think it's not right to kill anyone for bunishment or for any other reason, so im against it.
     
  2. Turambar Gems: 13/31
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    I think that death is the easy way out. Real punishment would be to spend the rest of your days getting raped in the ass....
     
  3. Sir Belisarius

    Sir Belisarius Viconia's Boy Toy Distinguished Member ★ SPS Account Holder

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    [​IMG] I waffle back and forth on this issue all the time! Although I think it is generally a bad idea to have state sponsored executions. There are some instances that I approve of it:

    1) Treason hould be a death penalty offense.
    2) Premeditated deliberate murder should be
    a death penalty offense.

    So I guess I do believe in the death penalty this week. Like I said, I waffle on it a lot.
     
  4. Viking Gems: 19/31
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    Close this thread and do this as a poll. Would be interesting to see the outcome.

    One proviso, split the voting down by age groups. I have a feeling that those views tend to change over time.

    Oh yeah, I'm against the death penalty. The reasons are many, but primarily I do not see it as a relevant part of a justice system in this day and age.
     
  5. Sniper Gems: 28/31
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    I'm for it. The quicker the murderers/rapists/etc. are eliminated, the better and more effective it will be on detering further crime.
     
  6. Belwar Gems: 3/31
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    Viking

    sorry but, my idea was to start a conversation, and if i make this a poll there won't be the conversation. :almostmad: :)
     
  7. Jack Funk Gems: 24/31
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    Against. Killing for punishment serves no purpose. There is no deterrent. Mistakes are made.
     
  8. Falstaff

    Falstaff Sleep is for the Weak of Will Veteran

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    As twisted and evil as this may sound, I am against the death penalty!!

    :evil: We should reinstate cruel and unusual punishment!! :evil:

    I think that that mutilation or amputation are wonderful deterrents. Just don't spend all of my hard earned tax money on nice, expensive equipment - use the five dollar hand axe from Wal-Mart to lop a few fingers off, please!

    As a matter of fact, incarceration needs to be revamped too. I mean, how terrible is it to sit in a cell and watch cable all day?? I have a friend who does not have cable at home because he can watch TV down at the county jail, and he certainly spends a lot of time there!!

    Let's scratch the cable and crunchy peanut butter and give them some natty horsehair blankets and some dead rats to chew on.
     
  9. Blackthorne TA

    Blackthorne TA Master in his Own Mind Staff Member ★ SPS Account Holder Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

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  10. Firestorm

    Firestorm Beeep, Beeep, ERROR Veteran

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    Totally against. One death is bad enough, two are worse. Nobody should be killed for any reason.
     
  11. Sir Belisarius

    Sir Belisarius Viconia's Boy Toy Distinguished Member ★ SPS Account Holder

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    [​IMG] That's odd...I can think of plenty of reasons to kill someone....

    If they're trying to kill you.

    You just walked in on your wife/husband in bed with someone else. That will end in at least one, possibly two deaths...

    Committing terroristic or traitorous acts against my country.

    Killing someone to prevent the deaths of thousands of innocents.

    --------------------------------------------------

    For having more than 12 items in the express lane at the grocery store.

    Driving slow in the passing lane.

    Failing to signal while driving.

    Being a telemarketer.

    *** These last 4 were more of a joke, but the first few I was actually serious about! **
     
  12. Lokken Gems: 26/31
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    Against, like Jack Funk says, mistakes are made, just 1 is 1 too many.
     
  13. aegron Gems: 8/31
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    the problem with deathpenalty is best stated by David Eddings: "when someone is hanged and later on he proves to be innocent it is quite hard to unhang someone" (or something like that).

    I once read a couple of sf-books by a dutch writer and she had criminals in her book wear special tattoos that wore off after a couple of years depending on the severity of the crime. Now that seems a good idea to me! no more jails, people will know the criminal and can thus be cautious and if the criminal has been harrasing children, other children will recognize it and thus the criminal can't do it again

    BTW harrasing children is one of the few crimes that should have deathpenalty!
     
  14. Blackthorne TA

    Blackthorne TA Master in his Own Mind Staff Member ★ SPS Account Holder Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

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    I'll try not to get too involved here again since it's all in the link I posted above, but:

    1) Fatal mistakes happen all the time.
    2) You can't give back the years you've taken from a prisoner either.
     
  15. Viking Gems: 19/31
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    BTA, sure mistakes happen, but you can to some degree recompense monitarily for years spent innocently in prison. Miscarriages of justice as you say happen fairly regularly.

    You cannot if the person has been killed. What's the verdict? Unlawfull killing by the state? Who's to blame? Someone is in theory guilty of murder.....
     
  16. Blackthorne TA

    Blackthorne TA Master in his Own Mind Staff Member ★ SPS Account Holder Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

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    I think you misunderstand.

    What I mean by "Fatal mistakes happen all the time" is that people die accidentally from drowning, car accidents, electrocution, a whole host of other things. Shall we outlaw cars, pools, swimming, electricity, etc.?
     
  17. Viking Gems: 19/31
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    Putting someone to death as a penalty for their crimes is not an accident. It is a very deliberate and intentional action. The fact that the "wrong" person has been killed does not make the act of killing an accident.

    Consider this: If I went out to intentionally kill another specific person and succeded, that would be murder. If I killed someone else instead in a case of mistaken identity, does that make it OK? Of course it doesn't. It's still murder, I've just killed the wrong guy.

    To compare this with car accidents, accidental drownings in pools etc, just doesn't cut the mustard. I could hit someone in my car on the way home from work tonight, BUT I'm not intending to do so. If I did it would be murder, not an accident.

    BTA - If you don't want to get drawn into this one again, I've now read the other thread, where I suppose you've stated your arguments pretty clearly.
     
  18. Blackthorne TA

    Blackthorne TA Master in his Own Mind Staff Member ★ SPS Account Holder Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

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    Well, I just have to say that it *is* an accident to kill the wrong person in a capital punishment crime, unless you believe the jury convicted them despite believing in their innocence.
     
  19. Capstone Gems: 16/31
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    [​IMG] Oddly enough, I didn't get involved in the last debate. So here's my thoughts.

    First of all, I'm against the death penalty. Besides the ethical implications already mentioned, I'm against it from a Scriptural standpoint. The Bible teaches that all manner of sin can be forgiven a man; if I take his life, I have denied him his opportunity for redemption. However, this is not to say criminals shouldn't be punished.

    Why can't we reinstate corporal punishment? Too many of our criminals have it too easy in the prison system. They don't need perks like TV or meals to order. They need hard labor and physical punishment. If someone robs a bank, cut off his hand. If a man rapes a woman, castrate him. All right, so those may be a little too harsh, but you get the idea. I guarantee castration would serve as a remarkable deterrent.

    BTA, the argument that killing an innocent is just an accident is ridiculous. Don't you know what happens to a drunk driver when he kills innocent people? Involuntary manslaughter, at the least. When accidents kill people, someone always has to pay -- except, of course, for the jury. Hmm.

    Anyway, that's my thoughts for the moment. Fire away, boys.
     
  20. Nutrimat Gems: 12/31
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    On the whole, I view life as precious, and not something to deprive people of. But I think some crimes should be considered for the death penalty. For example, if you kill multiple people and/or show no remorse at taking a human life, you should be executed. If you cold bloodedly plan the death of another person, you should be executed. Some extenuating circumstances may exist, and all aspects of a case should be looked at before considering the sentence. For instance, if a woman was physically abused by her husband, and he threatened to kill her if she left or went to the police, I could see he getting a light sentence for murdering him, even if it was planned.

    I think in order for someone to be executed, they have to have committed a horrible crime against another person or multiple persons, and have it proven beyond a reasonable doubt (such as DNA evidence) that they did it. Which is basically the way it's supposed to work in the US. But you hear a lot of stories about how people on death row are freed because of new DNA evidence, and it's obvious there are a few flaws in our execution (pardon the pun) of this system.
     
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