The Death Penalty

[onemountain]

This FR post  got me wondering.. how do y'all feel about the death penalty here, and why? I gather this is a pretty conservative place, but in my experience that doesn't mean an opinion one way or the other on the death penalty.

Oh and two things:

1) take it easy on me, I've avoided the Politics/Religion forum until now

2) Let's try to avoid back-and-froth* on this one; I doubt anyone will be changing anyone else's mind.

*that's not a typo. It's a comment on what I don't want this to become.

[ezman604]

Two things MAY help bring the crime rate down to a more realistic level. Arming all law abiding citizens and stiff penalties, like the death penalty, for those that comit certain crimes. MIGHT put enough fear into some to make them rethink doing the unthinkable to another person. Of course, each case needs to be looked at and all circumstances taken into account.

I personally can not stand the thought of someone maliciously commiting a crime that causes the death of another, yet they are allowed to live in"corrective custody" on the taxpayers dollar. They get 3 squares a day, a place to sleep and usually some sort of entertainment. In some cases, we should follow the practices of our Middle Eastern neighbors. You steal, you lose a hand. You commitrape, you lose your tool. You get my drift.

The fear of absolute punishment should helpdeter some crimes. But, I know there are also some that are mentally defective, consequences of their actions isn't even a thought.

Good question and should bring on some interesting replies. Oh, and I AM a Christian. "Thou shall not kill" just does not apply to every circumstance. Just as in war. My beliefs.....

Dave

[Big_Bill]

I believe that there is a place for the death penalty,

like Pedophiles, the psychiatrists say they can't be rehabilitated, and far to often, when released, they repeat their offence or worse.

Anyone in jail for life that kills anyone other than another inmate.

And like Texas, if two or more people witnessed the crime, and can positively identify the perpetrator, off to the table !

I would like to see jails ounce again be a place of punishment. This rehabilitation centersystem seems to teach criminal how to be better criminals instead if citizens.

When the law starts sending criminals off to be punished again, crime will be reduced.

And drugs should be legal and taxed, and people that abuse them made to pay a heave price for misuse ! Nothing today seems to be working to reduce the supply on the streets. And when they are legally available, it will remove the criminal element from the equation. I believe that 80 + percent of crime evolves from drugs.

JMO

Bill

[FlyinLo]

This is how they treat child abuser and killer here in Baltimore. Less than three years in jail. Even if she had served the entire twenty year sentence it would not be enough in my opinion. I wouldn't count on any serious punishment in the liberal courts of this country.

Liberalism is a Mental Disorder

Washington Post 4/21/2010

BALTIMORE -- A woman who starved her 1-year-old son to death at the behest of a religious cult leader was given a sentence Wednesday that won't require her to serve any more jail time.

 

Ria Ramkissoon, 23, pleaded guilty last year to child abuse resulting in the death of Javon Thompson. She admitted denying food and water to the 16-month-old child when he did not say "Amen" before a meal. Javon wasted away over the course of a week before his heart stopped beating.

Baltimore Circuit Judge Timothy J. Doory suspended the balance of Ramkissoon's 20-year sentence and ordered her to report to a residential treatment facility for young women. The treatment program includes Bible study, and Ramkissoon will be required to complete the program, which doesn't have a specified length, before she can live on her own.

 Ramkissoon, who has been in jail since her August 2008 arrest, also was given five years of probation.

[geewhiz380]

the death penalty in some situations will work however i really dont agree with it cause of the authority abusing the privilage to set people up like in many situations that have occured but rapist that kill and those that get caught in the act by all means let me pull the switch .Many would get lawers and get by cause there plead is insanity so off to a state mental hospital.What was accomplished,nothing but a hard working person paying the bill for there long stay in the hospital eating and living better then they ever lived .How about the kids that commit crimes against there parents as to kill them cause of insurance purposes and visaversa. Many imigrants kill and just get sent back to there country and they cant come back 'yeh right' .Then lastly the abuse that some police officers have using there arms to shoot an unarmed person shouldnt they pay the price also or what.whats good for the goose is good for the gander....please officers or ex officers dont get offended but the nypd is very abusive and i may not know why is that but the death penalty should apply to everyone if its brought back in other states that dont have it .Even politians are MURDERS.Who do u think allow drugs to enter the coasts ,yes the politians then drop it off in major cities for control of those that use it .I have been smart enough to stay away from drugs and people involved and i was raised in the worst parts of nyc ...I hope i didnt offend anyone cause i dont mean any harm to anyone just commenting with my 2 cents and honestly i get along with many off the people here and love this forum for many reasons .....God Bless Us All ...Jorge..

[Gene_SC]

When I was in Thailand and Nationalist Chine back in the day..:) They had great laws and inforced them to the crime. Basically one who killed another person was put to death. One who stole or robbed depending on the severity would loose fingers or limbs. Rape was dealt with by removing the two male parts. Crime was very low where there was organized authority. I personally think this is a great way to deal with crime. It worked..:)

[vanish]

Here is a list of States that still use and have abolished the Death Penalty.  Kind of interesting.

STATES WITH THE DEATH PENALTY
Alabama
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Idaho
Indiana
Illinois
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maryland
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
North Carolina
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon Pennsylvania
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Virginia
Washington
Wyoming

ALSO
- U.S. Gov't
- U.S. Military
 
STATES WITHOUT THE DEATH PENALTY (YEAR ABOLISHED IN PARENTHESES)
 
Alaska (1957)
Hawaii (1948)
Iowa (1965)
Maine (1887)
Massachusetts (1984)
Michigan (1846)  
Minnesota (1911)
North Dakota (1973)
New Jersey (2007)
New Mexico (2009)*
New York (2007)#
Rhode Island (1984)**
Vermont (1964)
West Virginia (1965)
Wisconsin (1853)

ALSO
- Dist. of Columbia (1981)  

* In March 2009, New Mexico voted to abolish the death penalty. However, the repeal was not retroactive, leaving two people on the state's death row.

** In 1979, the Supreme Court of Rhode Island held that a statute making a death sentence mandatory for someone who killed a fellow prisoner was unconstitutional. The legislature removed the statute in 1984.

# In 2004, the New York Court of Appeals held that a portion of the state's death penalty law was unconstitutional.  In 2007, they ruled that their prior holding applied to the last remaining person on the state's death row.  The legislature has voted down attempts to restore the statute.

[geiger]

Gene_SC - 4/24/2010  11:16 AM

When I was in Thailand and Nationalist Chine back in the day..:) They had great laws and inforced them to the crime. Basically one who killed another person was put to death. One who stole or robbed depending on the severity would loose fingers or limbs. Rape was dealt with by removing the two male parts. Crime was very low where there was organized authority. I personally think this is a great way to deal with crime. It worked..:)

I dunno, what if someone was mistakenly accused and lost his arm because of a lousy neighbor. At least in the "civilized" world you can get out and live if you're innocent.

The root of the problem is the violent society one lives in. However i'd say that jails today are improperly run. It might be more fantasy than reality but i like the idea of sending the guilty (those that were really proven to commit a serious crime) to a remote island and leave them to fend for themselves. I think it's the only "moral" way for these things. They can live outside a society and if they don't make it, their fault, we've been nice enough not to treat them worse than what they got.
Everything has it's faults, but with this way you get less blood on your hands.

Also in less overpopulated areas there is also less serious crime. That's why in the city it is much different that in a village. In the city everybody is is nobody to everybody.

[Gene_SC]

Not a bad idea Geiger to let them kill off each other on a romote island..:) But you would have to have several Islands. One for rapist and malestors, one for muderers, one for theives and so on and so on..:)

[11BRAVO]

My opinion is the death penalty is the only way to rid ourselfs of this type of person,they will kill in prison & on the street again if released,you don't kill a wild creature because it killed,you do it so theydon't kill again, same for people of this sick way. The commandment is really thou shall not commit MURDER not kill & a eye for eye a injustice for a injustice, but it should be up too the family to decide the person's fate of life inpisonment or death. I know I would pull the trigger on some sicko who hurt mine. as the saying goes not killing them, just arrainging a meeting with GOD & only if no guestion of guilt.

[geiger]

Gene_SC - 4/24/2010  6:50 PM

Not a bad idea Geiger to let them kill off each other on a romote island..:) But you would have to have several Islands. One for rapist and malestors, one for muderers, one for theives and so on and so on..:)

That's true to some extent. But i think it would be enough to separate the murderers and non-murderers. I see no problem why wouldn't thieves, rapists and molesters go together? And it's not that there are too few islands ;)

I think it would be much more demoralizing if instead of knowing you go to jail where you'd get food, shelter and visits, to be sent of to an island where there are no rules and nobody is gonna care for you.
Let them kill each other as much as they like and we can go on living happily in the rest of the world. However i'd still keep some sort of jail for the minor offenses that really wouldn't warrant you being sent butt naked to some desert island. Maybe even sent them to the island for a specified amount of time and if they really learned a lesson (and survived) would be sent back to society. Right now they go to jail where they just stay there and stare at the wall.

Forced labor would also be an option but that means huge logistic and security issues.

[geewhiz380]

In puerto rico if u got caught raping a person especially women or children u wont need the death penalty cause the prisoners will kill u them selves and then flush u down in the toliet.There r no rules when the door closes behind you thats it until your time is up but majority of the times you will have a short stay ,cause rape will not be tolerated at all and dont think that the system cares cause they dont .Inmates run the prison not the co,s.thats good enough for me .Rapist and molestors should not get a chance or even parole ,just let them rot in jail cause they walk in fear everyday they r there not knowing when there time will come that there throat would be cut .I agree will sending them to a deserted island with nothing but knives and spears and let them kill each other like you guys said ...