What are your views on governments' death penalties? Can anyone assume the role of condemning people to death? This thread will cover the whole aspect of capital punishment, whether it is right or wrong.

If there's already a thread about this somewhere, disregard the old one.

It's more cost effective than a life sentence and unsures that the criminal will not strike again if released back into the public. On the downside, mistakes happen.

i dont believe anyone has the right to take a life. and i dont believe the majority of us actually could anyway.

there will be a lot of replies in this thread saying yeah in some cases kill the bastards- but if you were actually in a position where your opinion meant anything i doubt you'd be so quick to pass sentence.

Those same laws deny us the right to take our own lives. UK has no death penalty as far as I know and as a result we have over crowded prisons/jails and so this results is shorter sentences which in turn leads to a lesser deterent to commit the crimes.

I think the UK has the death penalty for treason, although I'm not 100% sure about that. I'm against the death penalty personally, because nobody has the right to take another's life. And for some people it would be an easy escape too. I'd rather see them rot in prison.

I think the UK has the death penalty for treason, although I'm not 100% sure about that. I'm against the death penalty personally, because nobody has the right to take another's life. And for some people it would be an easy escape too. I'd rather see them rot in prison.

Yes, but an easy escape to where?

While the laws supporting capital punishment may be in black and white, for instance, if you rape and murder a 14-year-old child, then you should be executed. This is wrong on so many levels, but the main problem lies within our justice system. Every country's system differs, but they all have this in common; They are flawed. Countless of people have been wrongly executed in every country which holds the death penalty.

Moreover, I'm going to agree with some of the above posters about the immorality of it.

Yes, but an easy escape to where?

Real punishment. You won't notice it once you're dead.

Well, Australia doesn't have the death penalty, but we DID have the subject as our AST (big end of school exam) essay topic, so I expect that the other Canberrans will be popping up in here as well, at some point.

I don't like Capital Punishment, because I don't think that an eye for an eye is any way to deal with things in this day and age, but I do agree that in some cases, it could be justified. For instance, someone who has murdered many people, and shows absolutely no repentence for it, and in fact would be most likely to continue to commit that sort of crime if they ever managed to be released. But I think that many countries are too fast to put people onto death row.

There was huge controversy here last year, when an Aussie was exectued in Singapore for smuggling heroin. There was huge outcry, and people trying to get him brought back to Australia, where he would have faced maybe a 10 year jail sentence. In cases like this, people know the risk they're taking when they commit the crime, so I think it was his own fault for trying it in the first place. Same goes for 10 Aussies who are currently locked up in Bali - some of them on death row - for smuggling drugs, but in THEIR case, it was marajuana. Which quite frankly, I don't think they deserve to die for - if there's going to be a death penalty, it can't be black and white, because every case is different, and killing someone should always be a last resort, when there ARE no other options that could turn the situation for the better.

That's my views, anyway.

I don't think that an eye for an eye is any way to deal with things in this day and age, but I do agree that in some cases, it could be justified.
I believe it was Gandhi who said, "Eye for an eye will make the whole world blind".

The fact ramains that the countries who stand for a whole 91% of all the world's executions are China, Iran, Pakistan, Iraq, Sudan and USA. In my honest opinion, the last mentioned seems a bit misplaced, doesn't it? Especially while considering their law system, which often revolves around antics rather than evidence, to convict potentially innocent people. Or at least charge them with a much more severe crime.

Almost every year in the US people walk free from their previous convictions because of newly found evidence which contradicted with their prosecutions. Imagine if these shreds of evidence were never found -- then they would have not lived today.

The legal system, ANYWHERE, is flawed. There is no guarantee that you're prosecuting an innocent man, hence no one should ever recieve capital punishment.

The death penalty is flawed in my opinion. Even if it's a completely heinous crime, you never know, and there are just too many exceptions to use the death penalty if it was started. And even so, if they "Deserve death" so to speak, it's not as bad as spending your life forever in prison. I mean death is relatively quick than 35 to life in jail. And what's the problem with overcrowding anyway? Since when was the point of prison to make prisoners feel comfortable? The more crowded the better, I say.

The more crowded the better, I say.Battery prisons are the way forward to a more civilised future.

You know at some point people can commit suicide... they're not going to repent or anything while in prison. 10 years is fine before killing them =/
We really don't need more homosexual activity in prison than out of it. Where would all of our fashion designers and male models go?

I'm against the death penalty personally, because nobody has the right to take another's life. And for some people it would be an easy escape too. I'd rather see them rot in prison.

I'm very agreed with angelic. It's like you're using death penalty as some sort of "excuses" in order to revenge on other people! Like Noir7 said, "An eye for an eye will make the whole world blind". Death penalty for me is no different from killing people. And it involves a lot of issues too like more rich people are sent to prison and more poor people are sentenced to death when they commit a crime. Is that fair?

In my opinion, everyone should be given a chance to change themselves.

I think the UK has the death penalty for treason, although I'm not 100% sure about that. I'm against the death penalty personally, because nobody has the right to take another's life. And for some people it would be an easy escape too. I'd rather see them rot in prison.
This post is making a few kinds of anti-sense.
First of all:

because nobody has the right to take another's life.
Says who?
Second of all:

And for some people it would be an easy escape too. I'd rather see them rot in prison.
Even assuming that your first statement makes sense, this one doesn't at all. You first say that we have no right to kill people, but then you assert that we do, however, have the right to give them what is (in your opinion), an even worse punishment, namely, life in prison. Your second statement is basically the equivalent of saying "That girl pushed you down? Don't slap her in the face - you don't have the right to. Feel free to punch her teeth out though."

So I don't see how you formulated your opinion on this matter. :heh:
I'd understand your argument if you were the religious type of person, as most religions say that taking a life is taboo, but I thought you weren't religious? (Correct me if I'm wrong; I can't completely remember what your religious views are. I just seem to remember you being not especially religious.)

I'm against capital punishment simply because mistakes are made. I saw an interview on tv once with a man who was wrongfully imprisoned for something like twenty years. That sucks hard for him, but he seemed happy to be alive. If he were executed instead of imprisoned, he wouldn't have had the chance he deserved to go out and live again.

I'm very agreed with angelic. It's like you're using death penalty as some sort of "excuses" in order to revenge on other people! Like Noir7 said, "An eye for an eye will make the whole world blind". Death penalty for me is no different from killing people. And it involves a lot of issues too like more rich people are sent to prison and more poor people are sentenced to death when they commit a crime. Is that fair?

In my opinion, everyone should be given a chance to change themselves.

in some cases, yes. Let them repent and then get back in society. Not all people kill because they are heartless bastards. however, people who kill for fun and rape or whatever while doing it can stay in jail forever. I'm sure bubba has a nice hot rod ready for them.

Battery prisons are the way forward to a more civilised future.

Better battery inside the prison instead of outside to innocent society.

Better battery inside the prison instead of outside to innocent society.Battery prisons, as in battery farms. :P

I am against capital punishment. How can you justify what crimes deserve a death penalty? Furthermore, there have been no evidence to prove the relation between capital punishment and crime rates. What is with murderers having to die? A life for a life and you get Albanian blood feuds. If it is to protect the community, I am sure present day security is good enough to keep prisoners in. Hantony is making it as if shorter sentencing means less deterrance. What about alternative punishment such as public humilation or heavier fines? Oh no, you rather support, " Hey, we need to kill some people over here to make space."

I'm gonna go ahead and say I'm against it as well.

Sure some people deserve it, but death to me is just an easy way out. And, as Ghandi (i think) said, "An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.".

Make 'em suffer, I say. Life in prison is a better punishment. And I don't mean those swanky prisons with satellite tv, fully stocked gyms and fancy food (it ticks me off that prisoners are better off than I am). I mean put them in prisons worthy of being televised as Real World: Oz. :P

(it ticks me off that prisoners are better off than I am)
Then go mug somebody or something, and join them. ;P

Battery prisons, as in battery farms. :P

>< Pardon me, I see what you mean now.

I am not support with the death penalty. No one has the right to take another's life.

There are usually two sides to this argument:
1- omg deth be crool
2- dey b wastin r mony wen we kep dem n jail

Well, for one thing, we could learn a little from what was going on in California. They were using prisoners to battle the wildfires ravaging the southern end a few months ago. I'd call that an efficient usage of a dead-weight mass of people. Of course, serial killers and other serious offenders were exempt from the duty. I think pedophiles were allowed to fight the fires, but, hrm, that's unimportant.

The thing is, by doing this, they're not completely wasting our tax dollars, we don't have to take their lives, we can avoid killing innocent people, and they get a chance to redeem themselves for the wrongs they've done (if they want to, that is). Also, I might be bullshitting a little, but I figure it lets them relieve some stress (among other things) they tend to accumulate through confinement. Besides, it's not like most other people particularily enjoy paving the roads, cleaning up trash from the side of the road, coal-mining, making glue...

I'm against capital punishment. We have no right to do anything like that, and also, what kind of punishment is it? Sorry to be sadistic, but it's like a get-out-of-jail ticket. It is no punishment.

And I personally prefer reform as a reason for punishment, not getting even. Parents usually don't punish their children just to have something to do, they do it because they want to teach you a lesson and make you a better person. If only the judicial system could take that kind of idea.

*Kicks old thread*

I'd love to die instead of rot in jail for years to to eventually come out with a bad record and nowhere to go or call my home.

You would, but who said everyone would enjoy that fate over others? An on top of it, you would be forcing that fate on others.

well i'm not one to need to be killed so surely my oppinion will be different from a criminals anyway :P

id prefer to die then spend life in prison

I think I'd want a public execution so that I could at least entertain people as I died O.o
Anyone else wierd like that?

Depends on the execution means. If it's interesting enough, it'll end up on Youtube or something in an hour anyway.

I'm for it...or rather I believe it should be an option in serious crimes. I don't think it's something to be taken lightly but for serious crimes it certainly should be considered an option as punishment. Especially if it's a repeat offender of a serious crime, sometimes it's the best way to go since it'll prevent them from committing the crime again and the state doesn't have to house, shelter, and feed them for the rest of their lives.