I was just debating with my mum about the death penalty, and I’d like to hear your opinion.
As with all rants, I’m merely expressing my opinion. I’m not forcing it upon you. If your opinion disagrees with mine, so be it. But I might ask to explain. If you disagree, please tell me, and all of us why. This is only an opinion, so please don’t judge me (or anyone else) on it, and don’t personally attack anyone. Basically, I’m saying, have some tolerance, and an open mind. My mother was saying that murderer deserve the death penalty, and she talked about a triple murder that was all the news this morning. She asked me what should happen to the man who did it. I said: Life in prison. Somehow, she didn’t understand my view. She stated “You’d rather support a murderer with tax dollars in jail, when these people have families, and friends who will never see them again?” My response: Yes.
Of course, money isn’t the issue for me. Money is money. I have no money, and I know my mum won’ always support me, but I’ll be homeless giving money away when I’m older. I’m not selfish. And honestly, people complain about taxes. And then you complain about the government… Taxes go to the government, to fund things to make it better. Don’t horde your money, if you want your streets maintained, police to patrol, firefighters, public schools for your children, and finally touching back on this subject, jail for criminals.
Then, well…Yes, the victims had families, that will never see them again, but as surprising as it seems, murderer’s have families, too. Yes, criminals do have people who love them. Would you rather have six people mourning deaths, or a dozen?
Finally, I don’t think it’s humane to wish death upon another person. Even people I really don’t like, I wouldn’t want dead. No one deserves death, no matter what they’ve done. In my mind, it’s a horrible, horrible thing to want someone dead. Look at it this way, is this catchy jingle:
Would you rather one person dead, or two?
You kill him because he’s a killer, then what are you? I thought of an example:
A man kills someone. He says he does not regret it. Generally, he’s considered a sociopath.
A jury sentenced a man to death. They say they do not regret it. What are they? Well, here are the arguments, or agreement of other users. This is why I asked you to explain why you agree, or don’t. I paraphrased, and shortened most of them, by the way, so these aren’t direct quotes. Oh, and if you say something that’s already been said, it won’t be added again. Sorry. Opposing Death Penalty
———————-
evangee says that some people are convicted and sent to jail, but later evidence is found to prove them not guilty. What if an innocent person is sentenced to death, when they did nothing? ĐaNi HaŦeS ŸoŪ says that the death penalty does the same thing to murderers as they did to their victim.
She also says that rotting in jail is more punishment than death. brightshine - edited:) says that killing someone has consequences which ultimately lead to suffering either for the individual that has taken a life or the society that chooses to make legal the taking of a life regardless of the ‘justifications’. Supporting Death Penalty
————————
inaboxbythestepoffline says that paying high taxes to support a criminal in jail isn’t right, and the money could go to better thing, like scientific research. She also says that in jail, they aren’t helping society at all, and they’re life becomes utterly pointless (brightshrine says controdicts, saying that there are many educational and volunteer programs in jail). The guilt they are expriencing is a mental torture worse than death. Killing them puts them out of their misery. Or at least, that’s what I got from her reply. ~peace and love~
Kassee the Panda-Kitty loves you all!
Wait…ranters are supposed be mean…so…Kassee the Panda-Kitty only likes you all as friends… :D
Answer:
The only thing that sucks to me is that its not uncommon for people to be wrongly convicted and then years later aquitted after new evidence turns up. How much wold that suck , being first wrongly convicted, then put to death for a crime you didnt commit!? Sure we all get pissed when someone dies and seek to punish those persons responsible, but as we all know law enforcement in most countries doesnt always tell the truth in terms of evidence.
Answer:
i Don't believe in the death penalty, for which I feel killing them is doing the same thing for what they were put on death row in the first place, Also it's the easy way out, rotting in jail for life sounds more punishment then death
Answer:
That's a good point. I'm going to do something I've never seen anyone do before, on a rant, but my teacher (and pretty much idol) Mr. Rivera, does this all the time in debates... Well, Thank you for reading, and good thoughts. Keep 'em coming!
Answer:
Hi Kassee ... This is my opinion. Taking a life has consequences which ultimately lead to suffering. If one is a murderer they themselves deal with the consequences of taking the life. If we as a society condone the death penalty, we as a society will suffer the consequences of condoning murder. Taking a life has consequences regardless of the rational surrounding it, even in war. The consequences are not changed just because of the mental gymnastics that occur so the person or people feel comfortable with the choice to take a life. I am completely 100% against the death penalty and always have been.
Answer:
Well, thank you for sharing your opinion. I added it to the list of opinions. I had to paraphrase them a bit, and maybe it might not be what you meant, so please correct me if I'm wrong. Thank you again.
Answer:
I disagree with you. For a couple of reasons. First, you may not care about taxes now that you're young & without a career, but (and I'm not saying this will happen necessarily) when you get older & start to form opinions about whom you think should be helped, high taxes might annoy you because you can't control where that tax money goes (it becomes the government's, not yours). Like I disagree with what we're doing overseas, so I hate to see my money go to something I do not support. Wouldn't you rather have your own money to donate to whatever than have the government seize it? That being said... if someone does a heinous, horrible crime I don't think what money the government DOES have should to go to supporting that person. I'd rather the government have more money to put into cancer research or something than feeding/housing/bathing someone who raped and murdered a little girl or something. Man there is some effed up shiznit out there. Anyway... think about it. A person in jail is in their own little world, not doing ANY good for society. Plus, they are probably feeling the guilt and pain that results from whatever act they have done EVERYDAY. In a way, it's almost a humane to put them out, instead of forcing them to live with that guilt, while keeping them locked up & unable to re-establish themselves in society. A person sentenced to life in jail is in a sort of limbo, and to me even the worst of people don't deserve to be put thru that. In jail, their life becomes utterly pointless. Sure, there have been criminals who have achieved great things while in jail (Hitler wrote mein kampf etc...) but let's face it... Not everyone is a genius. But there a lot of sick kids with cancer. & a lot of people with aids. & poverty EVERYWHERE. Sometimes we have to make choices. I'd rather strive to save thousands than one (especially if that person did something horrible.)
Answer:
Thank you for your opinion. I added it to the list. Finally an opposing view. Yes, I'm glad that someone finally disagrees. What's the point of having an opinion if everyone shares it. Anyways, I understand what you are saying. Basically, the point of yours that I connected with the most was the basic: It puts them out the the suffering of guilt. Now, that remind me of something really irrelevant, but it is a good metaphor, I think. My mum is a dog groomer. We have four dogs. Sometimes we breed them, and then sell the puppies for extra money. A few years ago, one of my dogs had a liter of puppies. One of them had someone quite wrong with it. It was born with it's stomach outside of it's body. I freaked out, and told my mum to take it to the vet, and maybe we could help it. She said there was nothing anyone could die. Now, the thing I'm about to tell you happens a lot, and is apparently legal, so don't think my mum is a monster. My mum put it in the freezer. She said that a lot of breeders who get newborn puppies with defects do similar things. They curl up, and die in their sleep. I still think we could have helped that puppy. What the relevance is, maybe we could help some of those criminals, instead of ending a life. Get them therapy. Maybe when they are mentally better, they might help the world. My mother instant gave up helping a puppy live. Why do judges give up on helping criminals change?
Answer:
dunno "not doing good to society" they are doing good to me by staying in there and not killing me
Answer:
what gives brightshine the right to edit someone elses post?
Answer:
Oh, it's still okay. That you for clarifying, brightshine. And Dani, I think the 'if their in jail, they aren't hurting anyone else' thing should be added to the list. Is that okay though?
Answer:
Well, thank you for sharing your opinion. I added it to the list of opinions. I had to paraphrase them a bit, and maybe it might not be what you meant, so please correct me if I'm wrong. Thank you again. Does this answer your question Dani?
Answer:
ok ... well, i have a friend who calls himself a 'murderer'. actually i have two. they were involved in a fight when they were 18 & 19 years old. a third person had a knife and stabbed the two they were fighting (one died). my friends did not actually do any 'stabbing'. they were teenage boys, in a fight. they got tried and convicted of accessory to 2nd degree murder. 25 to life was their sentence. they both have been released on parole within the past 18 months. the were in the california prison system. i spoke to one in depth the other day. they don't really rot in prison. yes, their lives are taken from them. this man grew up. in order to be eligible for parole, he had to find a way to comprehend that what he was involved with was murder and that he is a murderer. then he had to work his way through what that means to him. feel remorse etc. there seem to be a lot of programs in prison. work and educational programs. many are run by volunteers. both of these men i know, who i knew as boys, work with youth in an attempt to keep them out of the prison system, to help them recognize the path they are on. so, they do not necessarily rot in there ...
Answer:
kassee sure oh and brightshine weren't you banned before
Answer:
First of all, for those of you who think it is cheaper for the system to put a man to death than to put him in prison for life, you are actually wrong. Through appeals processes and extra judicial procedures that death row inmate often engage in while attempting to allude the death penalty, they generally cost the taxpayers more money in the long than they would if they were simply being housed and fed in prison and made to work a prison job, even for the rest of their life. This also takes into consideration that most death row inmates are not executed for years, often decades, so they are still supported in the system for many years. I have read this in numerous studies and articles, especially since my own family's experience with a murderer. Secondly, I do support the death penalty, despite the fact that it costs taxpayers more than life sentences. A murderer's loved ones will grieve for them whether they are in prison or dead. That is not the point. The point is that people who are violent sociopaths who derive joy from an innocent person's death should not be allowed to live. They don't just kill people, they torture people. They do not value human life, they should not be allowed to possess it. In my family's case, the murderer confessed to his entire family that he had killed my cousin and his mother, who raised him to be the murderer and rapist that he is, tortured my aunt for months while my cousin was missing by calling her, knowing my cousin was dead, and repeatedly told her horrible things like that my cousin had decided to run away from her own children and go to Las Vegas to become a prostitute. The murderer also used the fact that he had killed my cousin as leverage to rape other women: "I've done it before and haven't gotten caught yet, so don't think I won't do it to you." When his brother finally couldn't deal with the fact that a murderer was walking free and raping more women, he told police and the murderer not only confessed, he led police to my cousin's body. He was also convicted for one of the rapes of the other women, but he got the conviction thrown out because they used evidence from the murder trial illegally in the separate rape trial. It's sick. He will serve less than two decades in prison for torturing and raping and killing my cousin and none for the other women that he victimized, and his mother who lied repeatedly about what she knew gets to raise my cousin's son. My aunt and cousins are only allowed to have supervised visits with him and they can't say anything bad about his dad, even though he abused my cousin for years and then chased her down and killed her on the day that she was supposed to plan their child's birthday party. The first time I met him it sent chills down my spine and I can assure that when he gets out, he will definitely rape and probably kill again. Oh yeah, he also visited my dead cousin's body several times while police and family were looking for her for several months and undressed and redressed her body and repositioned her like a doll so that she would look the way he wanted her too when someone finally found her. He also admitted that he sometimes planted drugs on her body so that they would think that she died of a drug overdose, which he also tried to claim AFTER he'd already confessed.
Answer:
Ooo i was one of the sexy people invited... I don't think we have the death penalty over here but i would rather have people who deserve it suffer for there whole life's than get away with death! But i hate the idea that people who do wrong are getting treated well in prison!
Answer:
I don't support death penalty. There's a reason it's been removed from the civilized world. I don't think you're doing any good by taking a life... even if it's a killers life. The executioner is in reality a murderer. Shouldn't we kill him too then? And what about the person that executes him? Don't get me wrong... I'm just as vengeful as the next person. I just don't see justice in relieving a psychopath from existence. I think it's very right to keep killers in jail for life so that they know that this empty existence - this total lack of freedom in any way - is all they have to face until they draw their last breath. My personal views on what should happen in prison don't stop there, but I choose not to share those on this site.
Answer:
Mmm. I can't be bothered reading all the replies. We've done this in RME and I got Int. 2 on different views and egoist, religious authoritarian and utilitarian. Basically, what if someone killed your family, tortured them and done other horrible things? Wouldn't you want them to die? Or of you just heard about it on the news, would you go, "That's so tragic." and continue eating your low-fat no cream yogurt and not give a ****? IMO, it's basically depends on the circumstances. It saves money, but it ends a life. It kills someone, so they can't live with the errors of their ways. There are other forms of punishment that don't end in death...