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boxwine_in_hell

RainDog wrote:

Who was executed by the State.

He was a political enemy of Rome. That's what happens to political enemies in a totalitarian state.

Collin

PJPOWER wrote:

Some of them I interviewed in prison said they would rather be dead anyway, so...............?

So it would be like doing them a favour?

angelica

Collin wrote:

So it would be like doing them a favour?

Your not-so-subtle subtlety is making me laugh, amidst this grim topic.

lalalalaaaaaaaa

RainDog wrote:

You're saying that we need to focus on whether or not capital punishment is moral. I'm giving an example of why it isn't. You're speaking broadly; I'm bringing up details. I don't see where the discrepancy is.

I mean, if you ask someone if they think the death penalty is moral, he or she will answer "yes" or "no." What's the immediate follow up question?

"Why?"

Yeah, I know you're just giving an example of why it isn't. There's no discrepency. The person I originally responded to seemed to focus on that one example as do many people. And I'm just saying I think that's the wrong thing to focus on when talking about the death penalty, that's all.

ClimberInOz

Saturnal wrote:

Yeah, I know you're just giving an example of why it isn't. There's no discrepency. The person I originally responded to seemed to focus on that one example as do many people. And I'm just saying I think that's the wrong thing to focus on when talking about the death penalty, that's all.

Yeah, that person was me. I could sit down and write a thousand words on why I think the death penalty is wrong based on my own moral compass. The reason I didn't is because everybody has a different moral compass, and some people (many of them good and decent people) have no qualms about capital punishment. We could spend all day here arguing back and forth about morals and get nowhere.

But by talking about practicalities, based on actual evidence, I believe it is still possible to make an effective argument against the death penalty whilst leaving out the morals. The key points being that it is not an effective deterrent (or not more so then other suitable punishments), and that you are unable to release anyone who has been later exonerated, if you fried them 15 years earlier.

I get what you are saying about the fact that a sentence doesn't take into account any possible doubt that the charged may be innocent, and that is the way it should be. But that is for the judge handing down the sentence. We outside of the judical system can still look at a punishment and, factoring in the possible execution of innocents, suggest that the punishment be changed so justice is still served and there is no chance of executing innocents.

I'm not saying that morals don't have a role to play in arguing for and against the death penalty. I just think it is harder to change a person's mind by saying that your moral judgement is better then theirs, and I would prefer to do it by presenting other information.

PaperPlates

RainDog wrote:

You've got to be kidding me. Even by Biblical accounts, Jesus begged God to stop his execution. He accepted it - but he certainly had problems with it as well.

have you ever even read the bible?> Jesus, by NO biblical account, begged for it to be stopped.

And its sick for you to say people are getting their rocks off, there's a big diff between "getting your rocks off" and being satisfied with an evil person no longer being on our planet.

Collin

PaperPlates wrote:

have you ever even read the bible?> Jesus, by NO biblical account, begged for it to be stopped.

And its sick for you to say people are getting their rocks off, there's a big diff between "getting your rocks off" and being satisfied with an evil person no longer being on our planet.

I ask what's the point of the death penalty and miller replied:

I want to see a murderer suffer the pain of death.

That's not exactly 'being satisfied with an evil person being gone'. He actually wants to see someone suffer pain.

gabers

miller8966 wrote:

The death penalty is fine how it is. Let the states that want it have it.

I'm curious. If Mississippi decided that they wanted to draw and quarter their death row inmates, would you have a problem with that?

The fact that innocent people have been put to death doesn't bother you - all for the sake of revenge or "justice"?

How does this make us any better than the murderers?

bovy_j

miller8966 wrote:

I want to see a murderer suffer the pain of death.

I want to see a murderer suffer the pain of sitting in a prison cell away from his family in a little gray room for the rest of his life.

JD Sal

PaperPlates wrote:

have you ever even read the bible?> Jesus, by NO biblical account, begged for it to be stopped."

I'm no religious expert, but "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?"

tara

miller8966 wrote:

I want to see a murderer suffer the pain of death.

i'd rather see them live, and be tortured with the guilt
i believe in life sentences, and by which i mean until they die a slow and painful death in a cold dark cell

kenny olav

i see no reason to think that anyone is 100% guilty or 100% innocent. but i do think that the idea that killing someone who committed murder is going to solve anything is 100% stupid.

blueandwhite

I'm agnostic, and I'm not a supporter of the death penalty (actually, I'm quite indifferent) but it does seem like a very Christian way of doing things.

Kill em all and let god sort em out.

kenny olav

blueandwhite wrote:

I'm agnostic, and I'm not a supporter of the death penalty (actually, I'm quite indifferent) but it does seem like a very Christian way of doing things.

Kill em all and let god sort em out.

i find it impossible to define "Christian". it means so many different things to so many different people.

RockinInCanada

I am 100% against capital punbishment for the following reasons:

I believe that it is morally wrong to accept state killing of criminals in a society where killing is morally unacceptable....I think it tends to send the incorrect message and secondly I believe that a long life in prison is a much more difficult fate for those convicted of something heinous than a quick "cop-out" state sponsored murder.....

A state should practice and show morality than to go the route of capital punishment which to me shows the immoral reality of the state....should practice what your preach...."thou shall not kill".....for some nations built upon huge religious prinicples to see capital punishment still practised dictates a very hypocritcal philosphy to the masses.....

davidtrios

i oppose it.

dimitrispearljam

against..its 2013 already

81

hang em high

JonnyPistachio

well here is certainly an unusual one:

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01 ... ginia?lite

hedonist

JonnyPistachio wrote:

well here is certainly an unusual one:

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01 ... ginia?lite

Well now! That's fine by me...sounds like a sick motherfucker.