Do you support the Death Penalty?

Question

If there are nuances to your answer don’t hesitate to include them.

nightdrot · Accepted Answer

No, I do not. The purpose of the law in general and the penal system in particular is first and foremost, to protect society, second to punish the guilty and third and least, to reform the criminal if possible. In that order.

Capital punishment, generally speaking, does not seem to afford those benefits. First, it is the surety of punishment, not its severity, that is a deterrent to crime. If an individual is sure that they will be punished, they will likely not act. If that individual believes that they might get away with it, they will likely run the risk.

So in that sense, capital punishment fails its first and most important test. It does not deter and therefore it does not protect the society. Throw in that it applies only in cases of premeditation - crimes of passion are not premeditated - and the range of those whom capital punishment applies becomes proportionately smaller.

Secondly, it is axiomatic that we shape our laws and then our laws shape us. In that context, capital punishment reflects - and is a result of - the society's treatment of life as a means rather than an end. In this it is the parallel of the abortion argument. The planted axiom of liberal abortion laws is that life has no value save that which each individual attributes to it, therefore the law has no proper standing to afford it protection.

Capital punishment is a case of the society deciding that the value of life is contingent rather than absolute. That action decides life's value rather than life's inherent worth. When the society places vengeance over any inherent value to life, it will apt in its larger context to see more of the former and value the latter less and less.

To be sure, in the matter of capital punishment that is at the margins and dealing with decidedly unsympathetic individuals. Arguably the case can be made that "killing the killer" suggests that society places a much higher value on life. However, on balance, the inspiration of capital punishment is vengeance and not justice and thus both the value of life and the value of justice is undermined.

Beyond that, humans are imperfect and there are issues related to failings of the legal system. In the question of justice, the accidental execution of the innocent is not an injustice that can be undone. Indeed, it is what suggests that vengeance - and not justice - is what inspires laws that condone capital punishment.

In short, capital punishment harms society with too few countervailing benefits.

Telekinetic-Potato · Accepted Answer

I think that the death penalty should be very rare and extremely publicized. I also don't know how I feel about this shit where we put someone on death row for decades. Especially with how hard it is for these people to get an appeal. But the death penalty should be limited to people who commit crimes against the freedom of our country, repeat offender rapists and murderers who have very clearly demonstrated a complete lack of regard for the public. And maybe whoever was responsible for Ben and Jerry's taking away the flavor they used to do with Cinnabon.

whirled_up_girl · Accepted Answer

I guess what I have a problem is three things. First being absolutely sure the person being sent to death is really guilty. I feel like there have been too many cases where innocent people have been put to death, even one such case would be too many in my opinion. The second thing is that some violent crimes are committed by a people who are mentally ill, now sometimes they are found incompetent and unable to stand trial but other times they are not and I fear that sometimes we put people to death that are truly incapable of controlling their actions. I still think the punishment should be severe though even if it's not death, at the very least institutionalized, manly to keep the public safe. The third thing is as a nurse I find it disturbing that we expect health care professionals and others to be executioners. I remember reading about a doctor who hated administering lethal injections, he would pray for his soul constantly but he kept doing them because he knew doing it wrong could cause unnecessary suffering and be inhumane. So given all those reasons I don't support it.

ShellyB · Accepted Answer

Basically no but I can imagine special cases where I would, for example if we had video of somebody going into a school and killing 20 kids, I would support it in a situation like that, but I don't know how to write the law so it would only apply to cases like that where there is no doubt they did something so horrible. It might be easier to just get rid of it and then a person like I described would go to prison for a thousand years (dying in prison) maybe that is really as harsh a punishment as killing them?

For what I would call a normal murder convict, I do not support it because what if you're wrong? If you put them in prison, you can at least try to fix it later if you realize they were wrongly convicted. If they are dead there is nothing you can do, so, I think you'd need to be absolutely 100 percent sure, not 98 percent or 99 percent, to consider execution.

I am glad I don't need to write these laws but anyway that is my opinion!

Rei13 · Answer

I support it, however there should be no shadow of a doubt that the person committed the crime and only in extreme situations. If someone intentionally murdered someone, for example, I do not care if that person is mentally ill or not they still did something that can never be taken back. Their victim will never live the life they should have lived and it is only fair that the perpetrator meets that same fate. There would be few exceptions as to why someone shouldn’t meet that fate. Accidental etc.

NaultD · Answer

No.

"Beware that, when fighting monsters, you yourself do not become a monster... for when you gaze long into the abyss. The abyss gazes also into you."
Friedrich W. Nietzsche

To give mercy is not for the sake of the culprit but to the humanity that had to bear witness such atrocities. To continue finding and being in humanity with fellow neighbors, family, and friends. With also seeing how easily twisted manipulated and destroyed our fabric of trust we can still hold true to ourselves and to the ones we love.

Let us put dangerous people away and powerless and give them their daily bread. For our own sake not to be them abusive for the sake of abuse.

Miristheiss · Answer

Absolutely.

I'm only in support of it for cut and dry cases. There are some cases where guilt and innocence is not on trial. They are just trying to get someone life and not the death sentence and bringing up their troubled childhood... etc.

If they committed a horrible offense, execute them.

If it is a circumstantial case and a lot of evidence and testimony has to be used to point at one person. Life sentence. There is too much room for error in those cases and people have been proven innocent years later and released.

I am for it but only in the no brainer cases where they are actually caught red handed or turn themselves in or caught on video... etc.

abc3643 · Answer

I support the Megadeth Penalty!

BlackBeauty90 · Answer

Yes.

In fact having lost family members & friends to such people I've always felt that the death penalty should also be applied to habitual drunk or habitual intoxicated drivers. As in if you've been repeatedly charged for this crime & yet you still do it, there's no mercy. It is no secret that when impaired you are putting yourself & others at risk and my ideology is - kill someone, their family should kill you.

lightbulb27 · Answer

I support it for people doing street racing, street takeovers and a lot of other offenses. Now required to get control of society.

I wouldn't keep it around for long... ideally, you retrain people to be loving, considerate, respectful, disciplined. That's the real solution.

strateguy632 · Answer

in a jury system absolutely support death penalty to deter murder but only for murder. not other crimes even accomplice of mureder accessory etc.

what about theory? FRANCE ALREADY TESTED the year the death penalty got canceled the murder RATE increased , not only more total per year with population growth but rate! those french fools should immediately reinstate the deterrent.

as long as accusers must prove then the killing was done on a proven guilty.

dynamicyandere · Answer

I’d support it only for extreme cases.

For example, a serial rapist and murderer that everyone votes unanimously as being a danger to society.

Or perhaps a mass shooter that fired an automatic weapon into a crowd of innocent unarmed civilians.

Things along those lines where there is no hope for rehabilitation, and they’ve proven to be a very clear danger to women, children, and people in general.

jb2622 · Answer

In a perfect world sure, but justice is not perfect, I'd be more inclined to see a life in prison where some labor was done that benefits society at least that can be undone with back pay to a degree when it comes out a mistake was made. Plus these days peaple are terrified to work probably a better deterrent.

jahaims · Answer

Too much nuance to it but yes. Basically if the criminal justice system was accurate and didn't have between a 5% to 8% false incarnation rate I would. Like if mind reading was a thing. I am not morally apposed to killing given the correct circumstances.

Anonymous · Answer

Ted Bundy more than fucking deserved it. But at the same time, it can be a difficult one, not all people are truly guilty, meaning they don't deserve to die. These things are difficult, which could possibly mean that I don't agree with the death penalty...

DextroShade · Answer

Yes and it should be expanded to include crimes like child molestation, sex trafficking, and child genital mutilation aka "gender-affirming care". It should also be expedited with no mandatory appeals and pointless delays. We should do it like the Japanese where the condemned don't know the execution date.

dolemite58 · Answer

yes but i think it should be reserved for the most heinous of murders and rapists. There could be someone on death row for a crime that they actually didn’t do. Then there’s guys like ted bundy or john wayne gacy that committed heinous murders numerous times and there’s no question of if they’re guilty or not.

Anonymous · Answer

I personally think life in prison without parole is worse than death. Imagine spending 12 hours a day or more locked up in a cage everyday for the rest of your life. Not fun

Siri137 · Answer

No, I don't, and simply because the risk of executing someone who is actually innocent is way too high. Better to allow a murderer to sit in prison than take the chance you may end up ending someone's life who didn't deserve to die.

ObscuredBeyond · Answer

Anyone who would bomb a crisis pregnancy center to promote abortion deserves to suffer when they're executed, the same as the unborn suffer during abortions. No anesthetic at all! Made to feel everything!

AviatorTom · Answer

I think executions should be in public, televised and streamed live over the Internet. If we as a society can't do that, then maybe we should rethink the death penalty.

LaFemmeFatale_1 · Answer

No… I don’t and would never support death penalty.

jshm2 · Answer

Depends on the crime.  But the main problem with death is that there is no way to bring back the person if there is a miscarriage of justice.

gorydetails · Answer

I don't. Government should not have the authority to kill you if they can't guarantee an innocent person won't be wrongfully conviceted.

McLlovin · Answer

I understand the death penalty, however it can’t avoid the hypocrisy of killing a killer. The worst punishment isn’t death it’s living in a miserable state. Death is mercy.

ShadezMcgee · Answer

Depends on the crime and if there is dead to right evidence, hell yeah. Save money by killing them instead of locking them up.

Hispanic-Cool-Guy · Answer

Yes. Anyone that attempts to murder someone or premeditates and commits murder has to be put to death.  All pedophiles, rapist of married women have to be put to death as well.

DermalPunch · Answer

I don't support the torture methods used in America. The chair, gassing and lethal injection are inhumane.

exitseven · Answer

Yes, and it should be expanded to include fentanyl dealers.

summiter · Answer

Yes I do... why pay money to keep them alive in jail for the rest of their life

BCRanger10 · Answer

Yes, I support it. I used to oppose it, but I've since reversed my opinion.

BoopBoopBeep · Answer

Yeah I don't care how much it cost, I just want some MFs dead.

WhitneySnow · Answer

I used to but then I thought about it and now I don’t

nawtee_me · Answer

I am all for it. If it were in every state then crime would drop. They may want to commit a crime but they don’t want to die for it.

Nifrayu · Answer

I don't because I would never be willing to be the executioner. I don't necessarily oppose it either.

Unit1 · Answer

Yes. Execute the confirmed murderers and rapists and child abductors.

Anonymous · Answer

No I think taking a life doesn’t replace the life lost. Two wrongs don’t make a right.

HopelessLord · Answer

No it's barbaric because if you kill someone for them commitng murder which was a horrible act to do, then how can you justify yours was not? Simple as that.

Staximus · Answer

If there's no doubt they are guilty, strap them into old sparky and fry them like chicken

Still-alive · Answer

I do not because human beings can and have made mistakes sending innocent people to death

MJtheCoach · Answer

No so many wearing men were k1lled! And they’re not God they can’t make that judgement.

msc545 · Answer

Absolutely NO way would I suopport some so medieval and error-prone.

cocoblah · Answer

Yes. If you take somebody’s life you deserve the same in return.

jjj101010 · Answer

No, I’d rather see 10 guilty men walk free than 1 innocent man hang

Anonymous · Answer

yep, Although id prefer serial killers stay alive until they tell their story

jamesgoldman · Answer

Yeah for serious, proven crimes

Anonymous · Answer

No not really. I think we should be using people getting the death penalty for science

DryGermanGuy · Answer

Only if it's death by snu-snu.

FreyaRed · Answer

No...

butterly248 · Answer

Yeah. These people are rapists, murders etc.

LadiesFavoriteToy · Answer

Should a rapist die yes!

Briscole · Answer

Yes, of course.

Cubus · Answer

Mostly no. Only for extreme cases.

SUMAIREBRAHIM · Answer

I do but again base on crime not for everything

KrakenAttackin · Answer

I absolutely do.

Sabretooth · Answer

depends on the crime and the culprit.

Anonymous · Answer

For murders, child abusers and rapists.

Astarlessnightsky · Answer

No. Never.

Akam93 · Answer

Yes I do.

AnusNdaPainus · Answer

Nope

Anonymous · Answer

No. .

007kingifrit · Answer

yes absolutely

eagle1951 · Answer

in some cases yes

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