How do you feel about Capital Punishment? Do you feel that it should be used much more often on criminals such as (pedophiles, serial murderers, rapists) or do you feel that it is cruel and inhumane and that it should be discarded?
Capital Punishment
- Thread starter MrDawn
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This a very complicated subject for me, sometimes i approve and sometimes i don't. It depends on the case and its motives.. but i do think that this should be a fine tool to make offenders feel a little bit more afraid of committing these kind of crimes.
I completely agree. After the trial, and if there is definite, irrefutable evidence that they are guilty, they should be immediately and publically executed by hanging. This should be reserved for murderers, rapists, and child molesters without question. I'm so sick of "life without parole".
Well, you know, we all make mistakes. Whose to say even someone deliberately evil might feel bad eventually for what they did? Also, so much is done in the heat of passion. For instance, someone with a temper could kill someone by simply striking them too hard - and maybe that temper is the result of mental illness and/or victimization from childhood or something.
Yes perhaps. But I've seen a lot of true crime shows, and 99% of the time, it's premeditated murder and the killer shows no remorse or any caring towards the victim's family. Fry that POS.
Still doesn't make it right and I'm aware no one's perfect. But I feel like you should be empathizing more with the victims who suffered from the results of the crime rather than empathizing with the perpetrator.
For. I give you a point I haven't seen in this thread yet. Did the victims have a choice in what happened to them? In cases like child molestation the victims often suffer the remainder of their lives. It never goes away and the monsters who do this never change. Serial killers will always be serial killers, what makes these people sick cannot be fixed and they will always be a danger to society. Now I believe if the death sentence is to be imposed, DNA or video evidence HAS to prove the person being convicted is 100% guilty.
I agree. And there's no such thing as "rehabilitation". Don't give me that "I found God" crap so many convicted killers come up with. You're still going to hell.
I go back and forth on this. I'm really pro-life in so many situations yet it bothers me that we're taking care of criminals for decades.
Is it cruel to suggest lobotomies for serial killers? How about chemical castration for sex offenders?
Is it cruel to suggest lobotomies for serial killers? How about chemical castration for sex offenders?
Capital punishment is barbaric and uncivilized and doesn't belong in any modern and democratic nation. Rehabilitating criminals back into productive members of society is the best approach - both for the individual and society as a whole. And you can only do that with a strong welfare state that takes care of all people's needs. High levels of violent crimes show how much a nation has failed to build a strong, healthy, and inclusive society. It's a failure of the state.
Uhm, yeah, it's cruel. Such thinking would fit perfectly in 1940's Germany...
Uhm, yeah, it's cruel. Such thinking would fit perfectly in 1940's Germany...
So rapists and murders should get away with bearing fewer costs than their victims had to bear?
At this point no. They're nothing more than a monster. Most serial killers and child molesters keep committing their atrocities until caught. It becomes a hobby or a fetish for them.
And honestly I don't have any petty sentiment towards someone who either molested a child or murdered a man's wife and children. I'd have no problem with them being put 6 feet under. The world would be a much better place without them.
No offense, but that's a narrow vision. Are you suggesting we "rehabilitate" the BTK killer, then release him back into society? Was it really wrong to execute Ted Bundy who raped and murdered dozens, if not hundreds of girls without remorse or caring? Should we have instead used hard earned tax revenue to give him a cushy life in prison? Come on.
Capital punishment is barbaric and uncivilized? What about murder and rape? You seem to be more concerned with the livelihood of the offenders rather than addressing the consequences of their actions.
Someone who murders and rapes is an animal and should be treated as such.
BTW, I'm not trying to create an argument. I'm just debating. ?
I started out writing this post with the intention of commenting on a lot of things, including three assumptions the pro-capital punishment arguments seem to build upon, but after writing for ten minutes I found out that I would probably end up writing a twenty-page paper about it. So, instead, I'll just comment on a small point in the argument above.
A little about the previous argument that "Capital punishment is barbaric? What about murder and rape?". I'd like to begin by a general logical comment that the only difference between capital punishment and murder is whether the killing is lawful or unlawful. For many, the horrible aspect of murder lies not in whether or not the killer has the law on her side, but the fact that. a life is taken. That fact remains the same whether you talk about capital punishment or murder. A second, more general and - in my opinion - more appealing point I would like to make is that the argument "Capital punishment is barbaric? What about murder and rape?" does two specific things. First, it seems to build on a childish case of whataboutism where one basically says "So what if I didn't do my homework, my classmate didn't do any of her homework a week!".We are not discussing if the punishment is less barbaric than the crime, we are discussing what punishment is fit for serious crimes. Those two discussions are not the same one. Second, it misconstrues what we are actually discussing. The "X is bad? What about Y?" structures the problem as if we have to choose between X and Y, between capital punishment on the one hand and murder and rape on the other. That is not true, murder and rape will not cease to exist with the implementation of capital punishment. Also, it is not an either/or in that one either can use capital punishment or not punish serious criminals at all. One can both say that "Yes, of course, murder and rape is horrible" (as I would), while at the same time say that "...but capital punishment is wrong as well".
A little about the previous argument that "Capital punishment is barbaric? What about murder and rape?". I'd like to begin by a general logical comment that the only difference between capital punishment and murder is whether the killing is lawful or unlawful. For many, the horrible aspect of murder lies not in whether or not the killer has the law on her side, but the fact that. a life is taken. That fact remains the same whether you talk about capital punishment or murder. A second, more general and - in my opinion - more appealing point I would like to make is that the argument "Capital punishment is barbaric? What about murder and rape?" does two specific things. First, it seems to build on a childish case of whataboutism where one basically says "So what if I didn't do my homework, my classmate didn't do any of her homework a week!".We are not discussing if the punishment is less barbaric than the crime, we are discussing what punishment is fit for serious crimes. Those two discussions are not the same one. Second, it misconstrues what we are actually discussing. The "X is bad? What about Y?" structures the problem as if we have to choose between X and Y, between capital punishment on the one hand and murder and rape on the other. That is not true, murder and rape will not cease to exist with the implementation of capital punishment. Also, it is not an either/or in that one either can use capital punishment or not punish serious criminals at all. One can both say that "Yes, of course, murder and rape is horrible" (as I would), while at the same time say that "...but capital punishment is wrong as well".
@Zap I dig what you are saying. Let me rephrase my point. Yes, murder, in any sense, is a shame. But, I'm eye for an eye. I don't think murderers should get to keep living in some prison with TV, internet, three meals a day, free room and board, etc.
Also, I was directly replying to @Simon who seems to think serial killers can simply be rehabilitated and released back into society. I totally disagree with that, and was trying to make a strong defense against it by citing examples.
Of course murder and rape is barbaric, but if someone commits these atrocities, I simply think their punishment should fit the crime....
Also, I was directly replying to @Simon who seems to think serial killers can simply be rehabilitated and released back into society. I totally disagree with that, and was trying to make a strong defense against it by citing examples.
Of course murder and rape is barbaric, but if someone commits these atrocities, I simply think their punishment should fit the crime....
Then I understand your point better! I disagree that capital punishment is justifiable, and I'll return with some arguments one day I have a bit more time on my hands! I really love a good debate, so I'm looking forward to it!
I am of the opinion that capital punishment should be used when the proof is beyond a doubt. If there is any doubt or the evidence is questionable, then capital punishment should be withheld until the person's innocence or guilt is without question or not in doubt. The problem is that a majority of our prison population here in the US is composed of small or petty criminals who were usually too stupid or easily caught. The bigger criminals or the repeat offenders who should be off the streets usually avoid capture or are killed during the arrest when they resist.
We should ban the capital punishment, it should only be used on terrorists.
I agree 100%. But none of this sitting on death row for 50 years. Take them out back after the trial, and put a bullet into the back of their head.
Yeah, I feel like if they aren't proven innocent or guilty, they should be moved to general population. And if they have good behavior, they should be allowed to volunteer or work study.
So people who can never be rehabilitated and commit heinous atrocities such as serial rape/murder shouldn't be executed?