Why does the US still use the death penalty?

[OtterMan68]

Here is a map of countries that still use the DP. Most are not democratic republics or democracies. The vast majority are dictatoriships or theocracies. VERY few countries where Christians are a majority or in the plurality use the DP.

The top countries for the DP are China, Iran, Saudia Arabia, Egypt, the USA, Iraq, Singapore, Kuwait, and Somalia. Hardly a list of countries with exemplary human rights records.

Studies show that people with public defenders are more likely to get the DP than people who can afford their own lawyers.

Dozens of inmates have been released from death row after many years when new evidence has come to light.

The murder rate in the US is far higher than Europe, and with he exception of Belarus, they don't use the DP, so it's clearly not a deterent.

[jennifer_bloom]

I believe the death penalty should favour victims and not criminals. The bible says endangering another, making them miserable without endangering them, killing them, or even excluding their welfare when they deserve help, warrants killing them in revenge by a judge.

[OtterMan68]

where does it say that?

[jennifer_bloom]

It says if you kidnap an Israelite and sell them you get stoned. Kidnap symbolizes both physical kidnap and uncomfortable control and micromanaging of somebody you hold power over against their Will such as a hitting a sick husband who cannot afford to divorce you and has no choice but to accept abuse by you.

[jennifer_bloom]

It also says if you know your ox has a habit of hiring bystanders and you do not keep it chained up to protect others and a person is killed by your ox that you did not pen up knowing it is a danger to society, you get the death penalty.

[jennifer_bloom]

Goring bystanders, autocorrect changed it

[jennifer_bloom]

In the bible a prostitute who betrayed her own people to help the Jewish soldiers that came to spy out her land and helped the Jewish people gain victory in battle later married into the Jewish community. One lesson from that is when you neglect somebody in your community and force them into poverty and danger, your entire community is guilty.

[jennifer_bloom]

To sell an Israelite after kidnapping them is to trade their welfare, dignity and self respect for personal gain or social advantage, such as using their misfortune to impress a bully who hates them by making their victimization even worse with lies.

[OtterMan68]

what did Jesus say? I"m a Christian, not a Jew

[jennifer_bloom]

I am not aware of Jesus making a comment about the death penalty. The Jewish bible says do not murder, it does not say do not kill. If somebody abuses innocent people, killing them through a conviction in court and a jail sentence will help the victims sleep at night. I do not believe the bible says you must not get angry, I believe the bible says when you get angry, you have to behave with class and dignity. Like I never swear at people who provoke me and I never use irrational words with them, I use logic cause it's not my job or business to punish them. That belongs to somebody higher than me.

[OtterMan68]

what did Jesus say about "an eye for an eye"?
What did Jesus say when the woman was about to be stoned to death for adultery?

[jennifer_bloom]

Jesus said that this is the law of the original guideline but that he suggested forgiving and loving your enemies. A friend of mine was deeply wronged by people he loved and he said love means respect and kindness not teddy bears and fuzzy feelings of desire and delight around your enemy. But Jesus had standards, he just had different standards. He wasn't a free for all druggie who never punished others. He took a whip and drove people out of the temple like a terrorist cause those people were exploiting religion for financial gain.

[jennifer_bloom]

As somebody who does not read the whole Christian bible, I do not believe the Christian bible is a self sustaining ecosystem, I believe it's only half the bible and the other half is the Jewish bible. I also believe the Jewish bible is mandatory while the Christian bible is optional.

[PBandJ_Nerd]

Where I live, we don't have the death penalty. So, people just rot in jail if they did something wrong for however many years.

[strateguy632]

except the burden on the state and the reward free food health insurance.

[OtterMan68]

@strateguy632 do you trust the government with your guns and money?

[NamerOfStars]

It doesn't. It was suspended in 1972, after Furman V Georgia.

Individual States are a different matter, but even then, 29 of them- a clear majority- don't.

[strateguy632]

because u. s. knows we must DETER criminals. if not, then more victims

[OtterMan68]

if it deters criminals, wouldn't the US have a MUCH lower crime rate? Louisiana has one of the highest murder rates in the nation and one of the highest execution rates AND the highest prison population per capita.

[strateguy632]

lower than what? lower than without death penalty! france already tested and proved. death penalty time "less murder rate than without death penalty."

[strateguy632]

also in contrast to Europe u. s. IS less rate, rank 11th not even top ten.
also drmocrat run cities have high crime because democrat do not deter crime like chicago, it affects national rate.

[strateguy632]

"Chicago named murder capital of the U. S." 23 Feb 2023 not what you said, abd chicago is run by democrats.

[strateguy632]

@OtterMan68 also louisiana has SMALL population less than half of new jersey so the rate only appears high for less murders. but Chicago one city more people than whole louisiana!

[OtterMan68]

If the DP deterred crime, the states that executed the most people would have the lowest murder rates.
It's not about deterrence; it's about vengeance.