Death penalty, is it fair?

BTW if this has been asked befor i apologize.

The site is big enough for duplicate threads.

I don't subscribe to the two wrongs don't make a right theory. When I accepted the death penalty, I pushed the notion that vengeance should play no part in executions or prison time: Executions were a surgery to remove disease from the body of humanity. Prison time should be used to actually rehabilitate, not create more polished criminals. But, the system is inherently flawed. You are often not certain that the person convicted recieved a fair trial. I have no sympathy or desire to save depraved individuals who commit monstrous acts, but, I fear the innocent and the ones whose acts are magnified by pulic opinion will be unjustly punished.

I think the death penalty is something that we as a society should be evolving beyond at some point. Right now, I guess we just aren't civilized or enlightened enough. But there are some countries where people get their hands chopped off if they steal, so I guess we aren't the worst in this regard.

I am against it for 2 reasons. #1. Too many innocent people are put to death. #2. I think it's an easy way out for those monsters who are guilty and I would rather see them rot in jail with a cell mate called big Bubba. Hard time is a hell of its own from what I hear.

Oh, and welcome to A2K :-D

What I find unfair is when innocent civilians are murdered by thugs, and the effect it has on their loved ones who are left behind.

Do I believe the death penalty is appropriate for all murder cases? Absolutely not.

But do I believe it is never appropriate? Absolutely not again.

There are certainly some cases where it is appropriate - John Wayne Gacy, Jeffery Dahlmer, and the Beltway Sniper to name just three.

But on the other hand, I hope I am never on a jury where a decision like this will be made.

Agreed Jim.
I think there are some cases where the evidence is overwhelming.
Not to mention no hope for rehabilitation.

Jim why kill someone when you can just give them life and throw in a few torture weeks? . The people who you think deserve the death penalty are so far off the edge of sanity that they probably don't care if they die or not. Like Montana said it would be a lot worse for them to rot to hell then send them first class.


Thanks for the welcome

If all defendants in capital cases had equally good representation, it might be a fair process. But this isn't the case. For that reason alone, I'm against it.

truth
D'artagnan, I agree. The main problem with executions is that we give up the chance of correcting our mistakes. I was absolutely against the death penalty, on the grounds that we as a society have not gained the right to murder someone because of his crime. It's a "right" we assume for ourselves. But when one considers the horrendous murders committed against children and other helpless persons, and when guilt is certain, then why take a chance they might murder someone in prison and why should we support the person for the length of his natural life? But I do not believe in revenge; we should end their lives as painlessly as possible.

Is it fair when you be killed,because you killed a person?

Yes and no. -----