Are you for or against the death penalty?

Setting aside the obvious argument, that being the amount of people who were found not guilty after appeal for crimes that warranted the death penalty for me it's a conundrum. Do 'the people' have the right to carry out that killing through the justice system? No, I don't believe they do. Not trying to get philosophical, whether you believe in evolution or creation life is of an origin superior to mere mankind and whatever that origin may be I do not believe mankind should hold dominion over it so as to control who lives or dies.

I'm always struck by Sean Penn's characters last words in Dead man Walking 'I just want to say that I think killin is wrong whether it's me, y'all, or yer government'.

Yours sincerely, General Joseph Liebgott

I am for it, but only in cases where's there's no doubt that the person is guilty. Some people just deserve it.

One flew east, one flew west. One flew over the cuckoo's nest.

In theory, I am very much for it. Some crimes are so unspeakable that they deserve nothing less.

However in practice it is difficult. The risk of error is the most persuasive argument, in my view. Miscarriages of justice do happen. Timothy Evans is a tragic example.

I am against it. In a supposedly 'Christian nation' - wherever that may be if the nation considers itself following a Christian perspective - it is hypocritical. It is not the belief of Jesus Christ that one should pay in kind for a transgression (an eye for an eye), that is old Judaic law. Christ taught forgiveness and it is the most powerful sentiment in the world. Forgiveness frees not only the offender but the victims of the crime. (see Gary Ridgeway's reaction to the gentleman who lost his daughter forgiving him for instance - much more powerful.)

That is just one reason why I completely opposed the death penalty. As proven in states like Texas, the death penalty is not a deterrent for crime. Not one study or statistic proves otherwise.

However, if a death penalty is in place I believe it should be:
1) Televised/Open to the public - if anything,THIS would be a far greater deterrent
2) The victim's family who get to pull the plug, shoot the gun, etc...
3) Only performed in the absolute worse cases of injustice where there is no question of guilt. Those cases are rare indeed.

A death for a death does not solve anything. If people want to kill others for crimes, perhaps we should start with the banking insiders who keep us all as debt-slaves while they live a life of ease. Some crimes are openly terrible while some are subtle but far more evil.

The Force is my Ally and a powerful Ally it is.
Luminous Beings are we - not this crude matter.

Hard to say as some criminals prefer to die than spend the rest of their life in prison it's actually seen as a way out as their punishment is over (I don't believe in hell or heaven).

I've heard that it cost more to execute someone than it does to keep them in prison forever so if that's true it's another reason not to have it.

I do believe in life without parole and in certain cases were there is 100% proof like clear CCTV the person should just be shot not spend 20 years on death row costing tax payers millions in appeals.

I'm for it.

"America isn't ready for a gay, mexican chicken sandwich" - Poultrygeist

I'm against it for one simple reason: it's cheaper to keep them alive than to kill them.

--
If I cannot smoke cigars in heaven, I shall not go!

For the death penalty.