+394 The death penalty: Some argue that it would be greater punishment to make the prisoner wait life out in jail. But who does that really punish? The criminal, or the rest of society? People who spend life in prison don't magically poop out the funding they need to survive, they crowd the prisons, and that's just one more prisoner who has the chance to escape, amirite?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I'm all for the death penalty, but only in extreme cases. Some people just shouldn't live, like serial killers :/

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I don't like it how people say some people just shouldn't live. Some people shouldn't, like serial killers, but i think of the death penalty as a way of putting people out of a miserable life from a mental illness like most killers have.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Ok you make a valid point, but I feel like being an asshole and just saying no. You have a good day now

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Lol, you too.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

All murderers deserve the death penalty. They didn't show compassionate to the victim so why should we show it? Just my opinion though... I'll probably be called a dick for this, oh well.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Nothing dick about it, funny how no one calls the murderer a dick for randomly killing a person, amirite?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

We should show compassion because we're better than that.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

@434187But the thing is if they didn't show compassion, why should we? (The_Enlightened): You are right.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

But some have mental illnesses that render them unable to show compassion, and often they wouldn't even know what they've done. They can't really be blamed for that... Some others do have compassion, they just end up killing someone on the spur of the moment, say if they were drunk and/or fighting... They'd definitely regret it after... I agree with you, if the murderer was cold-blooded, and had it all planned out, and didn't regret it after, then yeah, they deserve to die. Like most serial killers. Though to me, it sounds kinda bad to say that anyone ever deserves to die, but then again, if they kill or torture innocent people without regretting it, then maybe they do deserve it...

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Everyone pulls out the mental illness card! Did they forget to take thier meds? Don't have any help?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Also a good point.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I agree with you for the most part, but you have to remember that if they're mentally handicapped and don't realize what they've done, do you think they'll realize that we put them down? The reason why we punish people is so they learn their lesson and won't do it again. But what if they can't learn their lesson? If we only selectively punish murderers, then what good is having punishment in the first place?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I think its more of a punishment if they spend the rest of their years in prison...bored, lonely, just thinking of all the things they've done. Death would be too easy an escape. This is my opinion though.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

You make a very good point as well

by Anonymous 13 years ago

that's true but if you go to jails in these times they give murderers and rapists too much freedom. there are activities they can participate in like basketball and softball, or they can read a book or work in the kitchen. i think that's way too much for someone who heartlessly murderered another.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

If it was indeed heartless.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I've heard it's actually just as or more expensive to carry out the death penalty.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

how does anyone have the right to decide who should live and who should die? yes, you think that you are killing them for a reason, but the murderer murdered someone because they thought they had a valid reason too.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

You're right, but the murderer probably didn't kill the person for a good reason. Maybe he was trying to get into a gang. Maybe he was "settling" a drug deal. Maybe he was just bored. The point is, killing is like a treaty between two countries. If one country breaks its treaty and attacks the second country, is the second country going to say "Oh, well I have a treaty with you, so I still won't attack you"? No, it's going to fight back. And that's just what the government needs to do.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I see your point, but once the criminal is caught, who are they hurting? If both options are costly, does it matter whether they spend the rest of their life in jail instead of being sentenced to death? There's still no way to undo what has already been done. I just don't see how taking another persons life can make anything better.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I guess it's not really about punishing the criminal anymore, because nothing can make the situation any better. It's just a matter of "Okay, the world just doesn't want to deal with you anymore, so goodbye." And in theory, it would be cheaper to finish off the convict, but thanks to the good old fashioned American justice system, there has to be loads more clarification of guilt before you can kill someone, and lawyers aren't cheap.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

What I've learned from personal experience and rather dramatic movies is that revenge is a double edged sword. Somewhere, someone will be upset that he was killed. Read Change of Heart. It's actually very informative about the death penalty, and religion if you want to get into that.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I just read that book! Loved it. Made me cry.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

because of the legalities behind the death penalty, it's actually more expensive to use it than to sentence a prisoner to life in prison. http://www.deathpenalty.org/article.php?id=42

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Thanks for posting that, anon. It was really an eye-opener.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

OP , it's actually cheaper to let them rot in jail because of legal fees.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

the death penatly would be stooping to the killer's level

by Anonymous 13 years ago

penalty*

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Personally, I don't believe in the death penalty. You make a good point, but It's original intent was to be served as a deterrent to crimes within a country or province. But data has shown that the death penalty almost never deters murders. There is also the other aspect in which it is said that families feel better or 'consoled' when their relatives murderer is killed. But many testimonies state that another killing did no justice to their family member who had passed. But I can't speak for EVERY family. Also, it's important to note that the death penalty is much more exspensive, because of the law of haebeas corpus and the ability to appeal to higher costs. One execution can cost up to $2 million. That's just my way of looking at it.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

heh...i have a friend who keeps trying to persuade me why death penalty is needed, but if she actually knew how to argue a point like you do then i might agree with her... its something to think about, all right.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind... You shouldn't send a murderer to death because they were the cause of a death. Life in prison makes the prisoner think out the deeds they have done in solitary confinement, and I personally think it would have done a little more good for the killer to realize what he has done is wrong and forgive everyone that he has hurt in the time span of his life than die knowing he's a criminal and not knowing the importance of life by living it miserably.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

A lot of people don't know, but when someone is in prison they actually have a shitload of luxeries. They can have tvs, computers, cell phones and plenty of other things. So to say life in prison will be more of a punishment than death is not entirely true. There is a small amount of inmates that have no access to these luxeries, but the majority do. :/

by Anonymous 13 years ago

If they are in for a serious crime, they do not have access to these luxuries. If they are in for petty crimes, they do though.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Very few prisons/jails allow cell phones or internet access. And having a TV doesn't really make up for spending your life in prison.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

They might not have access to technology because it requires compliance by the jail itself, but you can get access to almost anything in prison that you can get if you were out.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

You have a really good point, but I still think it's wrong to kill anyone, criminals or not.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

petty crimes-jail. Serious-prison. The majority or people in prison have those luxeries. Even rapists and murderers. People in jails actually don't have the same luxeries. Kinda dumb. But true.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

The only way I can really justify the death penalty is by thinking about it not as punishment, but rather an assurance that that person will never have an opportunity to hurt anyone else. But I agree, it's a huge responsibility that shouldn't be taken lightly.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

hahaha poop out the funding.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

For those who say it is cheaper to let them rot in jail, you're leaving out some crucial points- Most murderers are in federal prison. They are the government's responsibility. If they get sick, they HAVE to get treated. They also get dental care. Some guy on death got cancer, but still had to get the hundreds of thousands of dollars in treatment. Sometimes it is cheaper, sometimes it isn't.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

It's true. The prison population has better healthcare than the average American.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

And that's very unfair. Why should we treat murderers?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Because the constitution or something says so.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I believe it has something to do with them being the government's responsibility. They HAVE to take care of them.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

People who kill are punished because they thought they can decide who lives, and who dies. The death sentence is hypocritical. If the criminal can't chose who gets to die, why should the government? Obviously what they did was wrong, but I think we have enough room to lock them up for life. The death sentence is sick and twisted, just like serial killers...

by Anonymous 13 years ago

ha yeah, but why would they bother planning and risking their lives escaping when they're usually out after paying a fraction of their original sentence anyway. people sentenced to 'life' are out within 5 or 6 years because of corruption, overflowing jails etc.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Murderers sent to jail for life are not let out of jail in 5 or 6 years. It's ridiculous that you could even think that.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

In Ireland they are.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Idk where you're getting your info, but I have 3 imidiate family members that work in different prisons. Prison inmates have access to more than people outside have. Its sad, but the truth. And actually maybe it may be different in other states, I'm talking california though and that's how it is. I also have a bf that's been in and out of JAIL where they don't get those luxeries. When you're sentenced to prison you serve a minimum of 2 years. Jail has no minimum but whatever your actual sentence you only serve 2/3 of that time. I have a lot of personal experience with this stuff. :/

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I really don't mean to butt in, but you're stupid as hell or not dumping his ass the first time he went to jail -_-

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Oh something else prison inmates(even ones on death row or serving life) have is visits from their wife. I know the word but can't spell it lol but anyways it gives them 2-5 days out of their cell and in a house on prison grounds with their wife where they can do whatever. (Obvs there's some restrictions)

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Don't assume. He was in the passenger seat of his friends car when they wrecked. The friend in the back seat died. The guy that was driving (whose car it was) took off and said my bf stole the car. So. Grand theft auto. vehicular manslaughter. charges were dropped. But he still was in and out because of the retarded ness of the court systems.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

No offense, but you should have used the reply button...

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Maybe you should do some research. It costs more for lethal injection than life in prison for one person. Dipshit.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

My opinion is'nt rock solid, it can lean one way or the other, but I don't think anyone anywhere has the right to dictate wether or not someone lives or dies.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

My phone doesn't let me use the reply button. Thanks.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

All of them dumbass democrats should get these death penalty in my opinin. Then America can be great agin

by Anonymous 13 years ago

(Ashie Triss): yeah, because your "opinin" means so much.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

i will never condone killing any living person, regardless the reason

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Hitler when he was alive? How about Osama Bin Laden? If we sat around during WWII not killing or fighting back, which side do you think would have won?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I don't agree with war

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I don't agree with war either, but do you at least support the troops?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

i don't really know, because on the one hand they knew they were going to have to take lives when they joined the military, but on the other hand they probably weren't aware the extent of their duties when they signed up, and a lot of them are probably very good people. but still they are murdering people, sometimes even innocent lives. i just don't know

by Anonymous 13 years ago

The way I see it, the walruses in suits in the government basically say "Alright, we're too arrogant to talk out our problems with other countries, so who wants to risk their life, endure living hell for possibly the next few years, take innocent lives, and join the military? If we don't get enough volunteers, we're just gonna draft your asses..." So that's why I stick firmly to my belief that if you don't stand behind our troops, you can go stand in front of them.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

But still, soldiers KILL people, they take their lives away from them, when it's not their choice to do it. Its nobody's choice to decide if someone else should die. I just can't get over that fact. Regardless how bad the people are who they are killing, its still murder. Thats just how i see it.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Killing a person is never the answer. There's 2 paths a person could take. Revenge, or rehabilitation. Revenge: A killer is made to suffer. Solitary confinement. 3 meals. Little to no excersise. Perhaps a journal to write in to prevent total mental breakdown. There could be worse, but that would raise costs, which seems to be your concern. Rehabilitation: A much longer, much harder, much more expensive path. This means it will almost never be truly implemented fully because frankly the government wants to save as much money as they can. So, instead, they have what system they have now. And this is just for normal cases. Bring insanity plees(spelling?) and mental health cases into the equation and we've got a big mess of money.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

If your killing the killers, no matter what they did, you're saying that it's okay to kill people no matter what the circumstance. So aren't we being just as bad as them?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Its absolutley rediculous that there's cable in jail.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

In my opnion, 1st degree murders should be put to death, but only if it is without a doubt true that they murdered someone.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I disagree. Death penalties cost more than life in prison because you have to pay for all those lawyers and everything. Death penalties are bad. Killing a murderer is like when a child hits you and you say "DON'T HIT!" and then you hit them back.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Why can't you just put a bullet through the murderer's head instead of lethal injection?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Because that would be "inhumane"... my ass... Then again, I guess it makes cleaning up a lot easier.

by Anonymous 13 years ago