Capital Punishment

[estranged4life]

Originally Posted by EnchantedSLN

Plus, plenty of innocent people have already been put to death (hence the moratoriums in several states). I don't trust any government enough to give them that authority and hope they'll get it right "most of the time."

that is one of the main ongoing cases happening in OKC, Which involves the former chief chemist who falsified records of several death penalty cases, Some of which turned out later that an innocent person was put to death due to her falsified records.

But as for McVeigh...Screw him, He was a soldier til the end who thought of those who died in the Murrah building as "Colateral", So I have no problem with his execution (At least Terry Nichols was spared the death penalty...But his case ended rather strangely. At least he is man enuff to FINALLY admit his involvement after being sentenced to life in a Federal facility.)

Brian j.

[DeeGeMe]

I'm opposed. For several reasons:

There have been many studies done which show that minorities, and the poor are much more likely to be given the death penalty than more affluent, non-minority criminals who have committed similar crimes. That in itself is just wrong-there shold be similar punishments for similar crimes. The difference is that white and wealthy criminals are often better able to afford better legal defense teams that either spare their lives or completly get them off the hook (O.J., anyone?).

In the past several years, thanks to DNA, many people who had spent decades on death row have been found to be innocent of the crimes. Most of these people shared two things in common: they were poor and they were minority members.

I live in South Carolina. This week marks the 10th anniversary of the Susan Smith incident where she drowned her two children so she could be single and gain the sympathy and attention of her ex-boyfriend. That was not a death penalty case here in South Carolina--and we like to give folks the death penalty here. If that wasn't a death penalty case, please tell me what should be???? Her stepfather had $$$$ and her family had influence and she didn't even receive a life sentence for her crimes!

Pee Wee Gaskins (so-called because he stood about 5'1" remains one of SC's most infamous criminals. He killed 9 people because he thought they deserved to die (gays, people who had been involved in an inter-racial relationship, the child that resulted from that inter-racial relationship, people who had screwed him over in business, etc.). He had his own little death penalty court going there without the benefit of a judge or jury.

Anyway, for none of these nine murders did Pee Wee receive the death penalty! What crime earned him the death penalty? Killing someone who was already on death row! Long story short--the son of a couple who had been murdered by a guy in a robbery gone wrong, hired Pee Wee to kill said robber/murderer because he felt the wheels of justice weren't moving fast enough to suit him. Pee Wee rigged up a homemade bomb (unbelievably, he had been made a trustee in the prison and somehow gained access to the materials) and blew the robber/murderer up. For that murder, South Carolina's most infamous murderer, finally received the death penalty! For killing someone who was already on death row. WTF????? Does that make sense to anyone?

I'd like to see the death penalty reserved strictly for those who commit acts of terrorism such as 9/11 and the Oklahoma City Bombings. I don't think that the death penalty serves as a deterrant for other criminals and I think it's much more severe punishment to have spend 30 or 40 years in a jail cell.

[Mad4stevie]

I used to be in support of it, until I took a law school class devoted entirely to the topic of Capital Punishment. After that, I had a very different view. It is amazing how much education can change your opinion.

Some things I didn't know or realize before my class in law school:

- Mentally retarded people can be executed
- It is not a deterrent because most people who commit murder do not really account for it in their "decisionmaking"
- It is not a deterrent because it is not a "swift and certain" punishment (i.e. the appeals drag on for years and your sentence could be commuted like Charles Manson, on legal technicalities)
- Lethal injection is not the quickest and surest method of execution - firing squad and hanging are
- It costs more in capital punishment cases because of all the automatic appeals, than it does to put the person in prison for life

However, my true feelings are that I am very uncomfortable with state-sanctioned killing. I think on some level it is like "playing God". And I don't feel that anyone should do that.

[GypsySorcerer]

I have been back and forth on the issue, for reasons already mentioned by others. I do not think it is a deterrent and I do think it is barbaric. I guess I can say that if it were up to me to flip the switch, I wouldn't. But it's not exactly heartbreaking to see someone liked McVeigh executed.

[ShangriLaTroubl]

I used to be totally in support of it, but now I'm kind of on the fense...I'm now questioning my support on many things in life, so....My reasons for being FOR it : people like Osama Bin Laden, Timothy McVeigh, DC Snipers, etc... I have no mercy for them....and if say I had a little baby, and it was brutally murdered, do you think I would be opposed to the death penalty on that person, hell no!

The problem comes in, when people, as we all know, have been innocent and put to death...so that is disturbing... But people who commit horrible crimes, dont have any sympathy from me. The only other main problem I have with it , is it's not a real good punishment...They dont feel the effects of the punishment...I mean yeah you ended their life...but I would rather make them suffer.


Georgia just recently in the last 2 yrs or shorter switched to lethal injection, although we still use the electric chair for those who were sentenced when the electric chair was still used..

CHRIS

[Hawkeye]

Originally Posted by ShangriLaTroubl

I used to be totally in support of it, but now I'm kind of on the fense...I'm now questioning my support on many things in life, so....My reasons for being FOR it : people like Osama Bin Laden, Timothy McVeigh, DC Snipers, etc... I have no mercy for them....and if say I had a little baby, and it was brutally murdered, do you think I would be opposed to the death penalty on that person, hell no!

The problem comes in, when people, as we all know, have been innocent and put to death...so that is disturbing... But people who commit horrible crimes, dont have any sympathy from me. The only other main problem I have with it , is it's not a real good punishment...They dont feel the effects of the punishment...I mean yeah you ended their life...but I would rather make them suffer.


Georgia just recently in the last 2 yrs or shorter switched to lethal injection, although we still use the electric chair for those who were sentenced when the electric chair was still used..

CHRIS

I missed this post earlier. You mentioned all the assholes I mentioned. And you're riight all the way. It should only be used in extreme cases where you're 100 percent sure they did it. And for like the 5th time already, I don't understand showing mercy to those getting the death penalty. Don't let the guy who cause thousands of people to suffer die painfully make sure he/she gets a nice lethal injection.

[amber]

Originally Posted by Mad4stevie

I used to be in support of it, until I took a law school class devoted entirely to the topic of Capital Punishment. After that, I had a very different view. It is amazing how much education can change your opinion.

Some things I didn't know or realize before my class in law school:

-- It is not a deterrent because most people who commit murder do not really account for it in their "decisionmaking"
However, my true feelings are that I am very uncomfortable with state-sanctioned killing. I think on some level it is like "playing God". And I don't feel that anyone should do that.

good post. I didn't ever think it would be a deterrent to anyone who would kill someone, it was more like i thought "whew, glad they're gone!"
AMber

[Hawkeye]

- Lethal injection is not the quickest and surest method of execution

SO WHAT!!! What they need to do is make the death penalty MORE Painful and SLOW, but for those who deserve it of course. I think they should use less of the Death Penalty and only when they are ONE HUNDRED PERCENT sure and the crime is suitable then OF COURSE I support the death penalty. I don;t see how you can't. I know Brian will agree with this, Timothy McViehg didn't deserve a quick and painless death. He deserved to be tortured for a month, and then have his eyes ripped out and his arms cut off and to be thrown into a sea of piranas, and kept alive so he wishes he'd die but you still keep him alive until maybe after a week you give him a lethal injection. And the Sniper from a few years ago and Osama Bin Laden and child molestors all deserve that same punishment. Capitol punishment shouldn't be banned, it should be made much more harsh then it is!

[amber]

Originally Posted by Hawkeye

SO WHAT!!! What they need to do is make the death penalty MORE Painful and SLOW, but for those who deserve it of course. I think they should use less of the Death Penalty and only when they are ONE HUNDRED PERCENT sure and the crime is suitable then OF COURSE I support the death penalty. I don;t see how you can't. I know Brian will agree with this, Timothy McViehg didn't deserve a quick and painless death. He deserved to be tortured for a month, and then have his eyes ripped out and his arms cut off and to be thrown into a sea of piranas, and kept alive so he wishes he'd die but you still keep him alive until maybe after a week you give him a lethal injection. And the Sniper from a few years ago and Osama Bin Laden and child molestors all deserve that same punishment. Capitol punishment shouldn't be banned, it should be made much more harsh then it is!

Aw, c'mon, Hawkeye, don't hold back on us, what's your REAL opinion of capital punishment?

[tommer]

i must admit that i find it even hard to understand exactly how come that in the 21st century, capitol punishment is still an acceptable thing in democratic societies.
this whole discussion sounds just freaky to me, in my country it's not even something to debate about. capitol punishment is inhumane, primitive, and obviously doesn't stop crime in any way. fulfilling the revengeance desires of angry mobs is just not a part of the purposes of a modern liberal justice system.

[dissention]

Originally Posted by tommer

i must admit that i find it even hard to understand exactly how come that in the 21st century, capitol punishment is still an acceptable thing in democratic societies.
this whole discussion sounds just freaky to me, in my country it's not even something to debate about. capitol punishment is inhumane, primitive, and obviously doesn't stop crime in any way. fulfilling the revengeance desires of angry mobs is just not a part of the purposes of a modern liberal justice system.

Yup, and the vast majority of the people who support it in the US are the Biblethumpers. How ludicrous.

It's a barbaric practice that needs to be abolished.

[estranged4life]

just had the easy "Go to sleep" execution in Terre Haute...Really tame compared to he suffering he caused by exploding a ammonia nitrate bomb that not only killed dozens instantly, But a few people suffered for several years before dying of their injuries...

I have thoughts of ways he should've died...None involve "putting him to sleep" like a sick pet not for the murder of the citizens of OKC & the trial that never really explained the reason why they had to die.

Brian j.

[Hawkeye]

Originally Posted by estranged4life

just had the easy "Go to sleep" execution in Terre Haute...Really tame compared to he suffering he caused by exploding a ammonia nitrate bomb that not only killed dozens instantly, But a few people suffered for several years before dying of their injuries...

I have thoughts of ways he should've died...None involve "putting him to sleep" like a sick pet not for the murder of the citizens of OKC & the trial that never really explained the reason why they had to die.

Brian j.

BINGO!!!!!!

[estranged4life]

I have the perfect sentence for Osama, We take him to downtown NYC and just drop him off near "Ground Zero", But we forgot to tell ol' terror a-hole we called those nice & pleasant NYPD/NYFD folk and family members of loved ones of 9/11...We will be able to watch this on the lameass networks on their fall "Must Kill Thursday" lineup.

Hell, This could be the start of a great "Reality" franchise ala "Survivor"...Matter of fact, we can avoid another Janet "Boob" Jackson episode and just do this during halftime of the Super Bowl 40!!!

Man...My ideas for Network TV are just so family oriented & wholesome.



Brian j.