death penalty? eye for an eye?

Yes I believe in the Death Penalty, and I totally agree. I believe if you kill someone your death should be exactly as the one you took. Definitely eye for an eye to the T.

Here are some other things to consider:

The capital punishment system makes mistakes. Over 120 people have been exonerated and released from death rows on evidence of their innocence. Many of these had been on death row for years. If the process were speeded up, some would have been executed. There are 4 cases of people being put to death where strong evidence is pointing to a high probability of innocence. In one of these cases, there may not even have been a crime (murder by arson). In another, the local prosecutor has opened a new investigation of the crime, citing very serious doubts.

Human beings cannot make any system error free. DNA has made us believe that we might be able to craft a "perfect" capital punishment system. Consider that in most of the cases where people have been exonerated, the evidence of their innocence had nothing to do with DNA.

Another thing to keep in mind is that in practically every case where an execution takes place, the case is closed. If the person executed was, in fact, innocent, there is a murderer still on the loose.

The death penalty is not a deterrent. In fact, states with a death penalty have higher murder rates than those without it. In at least one state (New York) that has had a death penalty, murder rates have stayed lower in one county where the district attorney has said he will never seek it, than in another where the district attorney frequently sought it.

The cost of having a capital punishment system at all far outweighs the cost of not having one. Not only the appeals process, but requirements for pre trial investigation as to whether a crime merits seeking the death penalty, 2 stage trials (guilt, sentencing), maintaining death rows apart from the rest of the prison population help to account for this. And life without parole is not as pretty as you may think. Imagine a life without hope of ever being free with no more than 3 meals a day and a place to sleep, in a tiny cell 23 of 24 hours a day.

The system is racially biased, not so much according to the race of the defendant, but the race of the victim. Although non whites are much more likely to be murder victims than white, their murderers are far less likely to face the death penalty.

Supporters of the death penalty often focus on revenge (eye for an eye) or on retribution, the current catchword for it. But the woman who answered your question, referring to the murder of her grandmother says, very powerfully, that there is another way. She speaks for lots of murder victims’ family members.

If you want the death penalty you have to accept killing the odd innocent person by mistake. I'm sure it probably would work as a deterrent. I read that in the 1950's robbers rarely carried guns because of fear of the consequences if they killed anyone.

It would be interesting to know if more innocent people would be executed by the system, than killed by murderers who reoffend when they get off, or are let out early?

I think the main reason we don't have the death penalty is people generally appear to identify more with the living perpetrator, than the dead victim.

Well, the "eye for an eye" thing isn't biblically accurate, anyway. It's taken out of context all the time. It actually says that an eye for an eye is NOT right.

However, I never use the Bible as an argument because I'm not a Christian, although I have studied it. I DO support the death penalty. I think that like any system, it's not perfect and tragic mistakes have been made. But I think it is a necessary institution.

The problem with your comment is the without a doubt aspect.

Studies of death row inmates have at times shown a high probability that up to 50 % of those convicted of Capitol crimes are Innocent.

There have been several instances where police and FBI agents were caught making up, planting or just plain lying about evidence.

One FBI "expert" who had been instrumental in putting over a hundred criminals into prison, many on death row, was caught red handed lying in a Capitol murder case.

In checking on her past work it became clear that she was an expert because if there was no real evidence she simply made some up. Criminal wrong doing was found in the vast majority of the cases she worked on.

Judging from the hate filled comments you made I am sure you think of your self as a christian.

Jesus would be so proud.

love and blessings Don

Long question.

I do not support the death penalty. I always would respond to this question by saying "I don't support it but if a family member was murdered, I might change my mind." Unfortunately, I now know. My grandmom, 89 years old, was beaten to death in her home by 3 teenagers. It was a horrifying death and was not quick for her. And contrary to the poster above me who says that nobody EVER thinks about what the victim goes through, how dare you? Most of my family went through clinical depression over this and many of us still wake up from nightmares, imagining her agony. How dare you?

I want these people to be taken out of society. THat is the "punishment" I would chose for them. I cannot kill them. My daughter is a shining light for me. She was in the third grade at the time and she said it best "If we kill them mama, then they win." I asked her what she meant by that. She said "Then they make us as bad as they are. They turn us into killers."

Under the current prison structure it is a burden on the taxpayers, true. There are other models for prisons where they are more self-sufficient.

I loved how you put "WITHOUT A DOUBT" in big capital letters. Since our legal system, in order to convict someone, only requires proof "beyond a reasonable doubt," who can say if anyone has ever been guilty "without a doubt?" Literally hundreds of convicted killers, rapists, etc. were set free after the advent of DNA testing -- some of those people, proven innocent WITHOUT A DOUBT by science, were on death row...

We should not execute murderers for a couple of reasons. First, it breaks our own law; our law says killing is illegal, yet the state kills -- where's the logic in that? If killing is wrong, then killing is wrong -- period. No exception for the state. Governments that kill their citizens worldwide have societies that are more violent than governments that don't kill their citizens -- that's a fact. Lots of sociology professionals believe there is a causal relationship there -- that state killings desensitize the citizenry to killing, making it more psychologically acceptable for them the citizens to kill.

Second, there is no reason to execute a convicted killer except simple human revenge. It's been proven time and again not to be an effective deterrent, executions cost MORE than locking a prisoner up for life -- no deterrent, costs more, what else is left? Revenge. And that goes back to point #1 -- all this does is desensitize the citizenry to killing and revenge. That's what the state is teaching us by executions, and some of us learn that lesson a bit too well.

Why isn't punishing someone for the rest of their life the answer? You say it's not, but give no reason. That "burden on the taxpayers" thing is completely wrong -- it costs MORE to execute a prisoner than it does to lock them up for life. So why isn't that the answer? Because you want your revenge? How about we have our state set an example for people to follow, and follow its own laws, rather than have it continue to glorify and practice violence?

I completely agree with you. Being in prison isn't that bad of a punishment for what most have done. Sometimes I wonder what keeps homeless people from committing a small crime. At least that way the would have clean clothes, medical attention, good meals... It's very frustrating that my tax dollars pay for that!

The reason I'm against the death penalty, for any reason, is because I do not feel that any human being has the right to say that another man is unmoral enough to have their live taken.

I dont care if it was a triple homicide and the person raped them, caught them on fire, and hung them out the window.I dont think the death penalty is right

you're precisely best ideal. i have self belief in the "eye for a watch" concept. i have self belief that there must be a authorities workplace it truly is objective is to punish human beings by using having a similar crime performed to them. This workplace would employ human beings "some freaks would do it" to an workplace of dealing the crime that someone did to a special. in case you've been to rape a woman and then bury her alive, i have self belief so you may be raped and then buried alive. in case you've been to rob someone, you'll serve minimum time, be enable out on the streets, and would ought to stay in concern till you've been robbed of a similar quantity of money your self. it is how i have self belief the criminal justice equipment ought to paintings, and that i imagine that it is a standard flaw in present day justice.