# How do you feel about the death penalty?



## Flow Ozzy (Nov 7, 2015)

Death penalty should be reserved for cold blooded murders, terrorists, mass murderers etc. especially in those cases where there is boatload of evidence against the accused otherwise life imprisonment is good enough especially in those murder cases where we don't happen to have witnesses available.


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## Salmon (Jun 2, 2017)

I elect @BlackDog as world dictator; I want these things to happen.

How much do we have to expend on keeping the trash alive? Bullets are cheap. We should bring back firing squad executions.


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## Vast Silence (Apr 23, 2014)

BlackDog said:


> Maybe if we filmed and televised their banishment we could turn a profit.


I like the way you think. 
We should start a business together.


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## Cthulhu And Coffee (Mar 8, 2012)

If not killing them would mean more people would have to die at their hands, then yes. One life isn't worth several others. But I don't believe in an eye for an eye. For example, I wouldn't rob from someone who robbed me because I still think robbing people is wrong; I'd just be angry with them.


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## shameless (Apr 21, 2014)

My problem with it is that although I won't necessarily have a bleeding heart for those with the extremely heinous crime charges. 
1. There is still a chance some people are innocent of crimes they are charged with.
2. Even for the ones who are guilty I do not consider anyone exclusively qualified to actually determine who is entitled to live or die.

While I am not particularly offended by the death penalty as it is survival of the fittest and population control in cases of guilt. Even so I do not consider anyone qualified to really make that call.


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## ponpiri (Apr 30, 2017)

I'm against it, especially for cases that are decided by a jury. Our "peers" aren't infallible and they've been proven to make mistakes - sometimes on purpose - in pursuit of some sort of justice. 

If you're one of those 'but my tax dollars bleh bleh bleh' kind of person, don't worry, prisoners provide slave labor to the State while pharma companies test new drugs on them for free. You get your tax dollars' worth and my liberal heart is assuaged of the guilt of sentencing an innocent person to death. Win/win all around.


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## crazitaco (Apr 9, 2010)

It is always unethical to take the life of someone with the will to live except for in cases of _immediate danger_ to ones own life by the hand of that person.

I agree with @*BlackDog* to isolate them from society. I'm totally down with throwing them in a hidden dungeon in the antartic. Or maybe a space dungeon. And with no chance of return unless it is later discovered that they were innocent of their crimes.

I'm okay with cruel and unusual punishment reserved for confirmed mass murderers/dictators.


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## Flow Ozzy (Nov 7, 2015)

crazitaco said:


> It is always unethical to take the life of someone with the will to live except for in cases of _immediate danger_ to ones own life by the hand of that person.
> 
> I agree with @*BlackDog* to isolate them from society. I'm totally down with throwing them in a hidden dungeon in the antartic. Or maybe a space dungeon. And with no chance of return unless it is later discovered that they were innocent of their crimes.
> 
> I'm okay with cruel and unusual punishment reserved for confirmed mass murderers/dictators.


I don't get the Antarctica bit, if you are sending someone there on their own ... you are just giving them a slow and torturous death, except if you built a facility in Antarctica for the specific purpose of keeping prisoners.


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## Handsome Dyke (Oct 4, 2012)

The way I feel about it is an extension of the way I feel about the State—it shouldn't exist because no one should have that sort of power over people.

Given that centralized authority _does_ exist, however, I'd rather have a death penalty than not have one as long as it's only applied to very violent or exploitative individuals.


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## Handsome Dyke (Oct 4, 2012)

Vast Silence said:


> In order for safe civilized society to exist, the uncivilized must die. We shouldnt have to feed, shelter, and clothe these monsters just to feel better than them.


Lazy xenophobic stereotype. The "uncivilized" are isolated tribes that are keeping to themselves and not senselessly killing a bunch of people. Civilized people are guilty of way more violence than uncivilized people are.


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## Glenda Gnome Starr (May 12, 2011)

Ugh.
Barbaric.
Capital punishment is legalized murder.
It should have been left behind with thumbscrews and the rack in the middle ages.
It assumes that the criminal justice system that authorizes murder as punishment never makes mistakes.
Amnesty International disagrees. 
https://www.amnesty.org/en/what-we-do/death-penalty/


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## crazitaco (Apr 9, 2010)

Crotch Asphyxiation said:


> I don't get the Antarctica bit, if you are sending someone there on their own ... you are just giving them a slow and torturous death, except if you built a facility in Antarctica for the specific purpose of keeping prisoners.


I do mean building an underground facility in Antarctica specifically to imprison them. The point of it being Antarctica is that its the farthest place we can isolate them, there's virtually no chance of them getting them out and it would be easier to hide the location. 

Mainly we just need a hardcore brutal dungeon for mass murderers, is what I'm saying. Throw them into the equivalent of Azkaban where they'll never see the light of day, give them something to match the heinousness of their crimes without outright killing them. The threat of life in prison is not scary enough to deter crime, it seems, and neither is death in plenty of cases.


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## Salmon (Jun 2, 2017)

Glenda Gnome Starr said:


> It should have been left behind with thumbscrews and the rack in the middle ages.


I also think we should bring back thumbscrews and racking.


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## Ttalkkugjil (Feb 1, 2017)

Glenda Gnome Starr said:


> Not all Americans are... um... that barbaric.


Didn't say all Americans are. Nevertheless. America compared to Canada is like the wild west gunslinger vs. the RCMP officer.


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## Handsome Dyke (Oct 4, 2012)

What about the safety of the people who do research in Antarctica?



Glenda Gnome Starr said:


> It assumes that the criminal justice system that authorizes murder as punishment never makes mistakes.


"It" is a concept/practice and doesn't assume anything; people are the ones who make assumptions.

I for one made no such assumption when I formed my opinion about the death penalty.


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## Glenda Gnome Starr (May 12, 2011)

Benty Fagatronicus said:


> What about the safety of the people who do research in Antarctica?
> 
> 
> "It" is a concept/practice and doesn't assume anything; people are the ones who make assumptions.
> ...


People who support capital punishment assume that their criminal justices system is infallible and that people who are punished are always guilty.


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## Glenda Gnome Starr (May 12, 2011)

Salmon said:


> I also think we should bring back thumbscrews and racking.


Me thinks this is satire.


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## Glenda Gnome Starr (May 12, 2011)

Dust Mite said:


> Didn't say all Americans are. Nevertheless. America compared to Canada is like the wild west gunslinger vs. the RCMP officer.


This pacifist has been ready to emigrate since the disaster called a presidential election. Sigh.


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## Lakigigar (Jan 4, 2016)

I'm not sure. 

1. Death is an easy way out for those people. Life inprisonment is harsher
2. You can never be certain who did it. It could be a set-up for something bigger.

Emotionally, i would say yes towards harsh sentences for serious crimes, but capital punishment, I don't know and I actually don't care that much.


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## Monadnock (May 27, 2017)

crazitaco said:


> I do mean building an underground facility in Antarctica specifically to imprison them. The point of it being Antarctica is that its the farthest place we can isolate them


You're forgetting the moon. :wink: Actually, wait no, I wouldn't want to taint that lovely celestial sphere with the still-beating hearts of mass murderers.


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## Zero11 (Feb 7, 2010)

According to Dave Johnson the Death Penalty is a Hoax.


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## Skeletalz (Feb 21, 2015)

I would support it for the absolute trash who end up with life sentences with no chances of getting out. The reasons why are purely economical, it is a lot cheaper to not have a prisoner than to have one, thats also one of the reasons why I support legalization of all drugs and replacing the sentences with rehab.


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## The red spirit (Sep 29, 2015)

Red Mange said:


> IMO if a person is found guilty of something like multiple murders, rape, pedophilia or some other shit they should be executed. There are already way too many people in this world, lets take all the shitty people and kill em.
> 
> I also believe a lot of politicians should be put to death for crimes against humanity.


For sure I wouldn't want to live in country, which you would control.


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## BenjiMac (Aug 7, 2017)

Shiver said:


> I'd put them to the sword myself. Too much armchair philosophy in this place.


Say what you like about 'armchair philosophy' but it's often wholly, or in part, responsible for many of the rights and safeguards you enjoy today.

I admire your commitment to action and the fact you at least appear to be willing to dispense the consequences of your morality personally - though frankly, I've always believed anyone happy to carry out an execution should not be within a million miles of a process that decides who receives such a punishment.

It all comes down to internal justification. You feel this way because you internally believe in the principle - but are you more or less qualified than anybody else to wield such power? Your support, in part, is based on the notion that nobody who objects to you for any reason would ever wield that power over you. Or that you could never be wrongly convicted of a crime that warrants the death penalty.

Point is, what you subjectively believe to be worthy of the death penalty and what a future leader may believe very well may come into conflict. Is it not far better to say, as a society, 'we do not deal in the business of execution.'? Than to face the inevitable consequences of that law one day being misused?

I often find death penalty supporters give off an air of confidence in themselves, perhaps a feeling that they'll ever have to suffer execution themselves because they don't commit the crimes for which death is their preferred punishment - I remind you that what it really comes down to is what the people in power define as a crime worth of death.


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## Shiver (Nov 10, 2016)

BenjiMac said:


> blah blah blah


Didn't ask; don't care. Tell someone who does. I certainly do not need a lecture on morality and those in power from yet another pompous internet windbag and have neither the time nor patience to "debate" with you.


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## brightflashes (Oct 27, 2015)

I just see it as legalized serial killing.


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## Elear (Aug 31, 2017)

Eventhough I think that is almost impossible to change somebody, to change what they are, I do think too that death penalty is no solution at all.

Not stated by ethics (although that could be discussed to), but in relation to superiority in rational terms. You are superior to them by demonstrating you don't need to kill to achieve your goals, which in the case of a serial killer, for example, will be freeing society from that danger.
Killing is one option, but one that will make the hate and death wheel continue. You have to outsmart that endless cycle.


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## Sir Kanra (Jun 27, 2017)

Death Penalty *is* a solution. Consider it like taking out the trash.


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## Introvertia (Feb 6, 2016)

I'm against it. Nobody has the right to end other person's life, and when we execute people who gave themselves that right, we also give it to ourselves as a collective. It puts us on the same line, we should be executed in return or we're hypocrites, and behold: we have a whole circle of doom for humanity complete. It's good death penalty is abolished in many places, but not good enough as long as it still exists.

This does not mean I condone criminals. I just don't think death penalty is the right way.


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## birdsintrees (Aug 20, 2012)

No

To me there is something inherently wrong about a government being able to decide your life is of no further value and as such you should die.


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## typethisperson (Feb 4, 2017)

There was another thread like this which I responded too. I don't believe people who rape while under the influence should be executed.


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## GalaxyGazer (Apr 1, 2017)

Shiver said:


> Didn't ask; don't care. Tell someone who does. I certainly do not need a lecture on morality and those in power from yet another pompous internet windbag and have neither the time nor patience to "debate" with you.


Given your posts on this thread, you are not in the best position to be calling anyone pompous.


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## BenjiMac (Aug 7, 2017)

Shiver said:


> Didn't ask; don't care. Tell someone who does. I certainly do not need a lecture on morality and those in power from yet another pompous internet windbag and have neither the time nor patience to "debate" with you.


Well then, why even weigh in at all on a discussion forum if you have no intention to discuss?

You certainly have time and energy to have a lazy, unimaginative pop at me rather than offer any meaningful reply.


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## Shiver (Nov 10, 2016)

GalaxyGazer said:


> Given your posts on this thread, you are not in the best position to be calling anyone pompous.


Provide proof.



BenjiMac said:


> Well then, why even weigh in at all on a discussion forum if you have no intention to discuss?
> 
> You certainly have time and energy to have a lazy, unimaginative pop at me rather than offer any meaningful reply.


Because I felt like it. Why would I waste time debating with you? People here don't change their minds and the tone of your post was presumptuous from the start. Moreover, it took you a _week_ to respond.


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## Hero of Freedom (Nov 23, 2014)

BenjiMac said:


> It's not justice, it's revenge. It eliminates all opportunity for rehabilitation, it assumes bullet-proof guilt. Also, I take issue with the state being sanctioned to end a person's life - sure, it's easy to be okay with it when it's utilised against faceless people accused of murder and the like. But as long as it's a legal option, there's always potential that one day we end up with a government that chooses to wield that option differently. We should never be ok with the legal ability to turn up to your home, cart you away from your family and end your life.


And there is a good reason why not rewarding evil exists, punishing them(what you call retribution) tells them what they do is wrong. 

You assume that they are all rehabilitate-able which is naive, if we want to achieve a society of harmony we have to be like 'badgers' and be willing to for the sake of harmony eliminate those with predatory(naturally evil) mindsets + genes associated such as through the death penalty if they're too violent/aggressive, or atleast stop them from passing down their genetic disease which creates biological degeneracy of sub-humans that are more 'aggressive, dominant and predatory' in nature making that as deadly as the ebola virus.

Another way is we can neuter them so they can't reproduce but display them in a zoo exhibit if possible for their sub-species of animal. For people to see and study their behaviors at or their habitats etc, if any naturally pass away keep their carcasses for research on to see the differences such as the skull shapes and physiological differences? Some of them are too different biologically to live among us and have different instincts.

I've seen some of these 'criminals' with my own eyes being escorted in occasions or the ways they acted, and truely you can see some of them do not look fully human biologically as if they leaned closer to say chimpanzees/apes than typical humans in physical traits. The way they talk, teeth shapes and etc do not seem fully human either sometimes. Whats in their genes or body that makes them act in such a violent and cruel manner? Could they be descendants of human ancestors that interbred with certain species that were close enough genetically to do so or something else?

We've had a history of people reporting sightings of what could be described as 'wolf-men' in the past for example, what were they truely? Mysteries yet solved. Folktales and legends are full of them, what if some of these could be the descendants of those creatures? I've also seen some violent criminals have goblin-like features such as ear shapes that people talked about in folktale. One of them I saw on television looked almost straight like an Orc from out of LOTR.


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## Endologic (Feb 14, 2015)

Dust Mite said:


> *kill or be killed*


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## Hero of Freedom (Nov 23, 2014)

Then again what about if it comes to dealing with 'people' that are predetermined by genes to be things such as 'dominant, aggressive, violent' in nature and no matter what you try they cannot be rehabilitated? To sum it all up, trying to 'rehabilitate' somebody genetically different or is an offshoot closer to primates than an average more pure-blooded human being would be very difficult, if not almost impossible.


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## GalaxyGazer (Apr 1, 2017)

Shiver said:


> Moreover, it took you a _week_ to respond.


Did it? Did it _really?_ Or is it possible that @BenjiMac doesn't live on this site, and spends time on things other than internet arguments?

Also, debating is a waste of your time but throwing petty insults around isn't?


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## Shiver (Nov 10, 2016)

GalaxyGazer said:


> Did it? Did it _really?_ Or is it possible that @BenjiMac doesn't live on this site, and spends time on things other than internet arguments?
> 
> Also, debating is a waste of your time but throwing petty insults around isn't?


Read the time stamps for yourself.

And yes, popping on to tell someone that their opinion is meaningless to me takes very little effort. I do not, as you say, "live on this site", but it hardly takes any significant amount of time to make such a short post. If he wants to spend much longer typing up rambling arguments that nobody ever asked for, that's on him.


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## Mange (Jan 9, 2011)

You both suck. Problem solved, moving on.


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## Steelight (Mar 15, 2017)

If someone is given a life sentence or more, or accumulate any time on their sentence over 100 years, they should be killed, and quickly. Having worked in the prison system, I can tell you that a MUCH higher percentage of your tax dollars than you realize is going towards the free housing, food, healthcare, and benefits (averaging ~$35k per year per inmate) for inmates, many of whom will never see anything outside of a fence again. You're keeping people alive who will never have any quality of life due to the choices they've made. These inmates are technically making more money than probably half the people on this site, and their doing it with those peoples salaries. 

The only exception in my opinion, is if ALL evidence in a trial is circumstantial and there's room for a reasonable person to believe that they may be innocent based on lack of evidence.

People don't understand that landing in prison alone is quite difficult. I worked in a prison for several years and I've never seen ANYONE come in with less than 7 felonies on their record. Thank about that for a second...the most innocent person I've EVER seen in a prison had 7 felonies. 1 or 2 simply isn't enough to even land in prison in the first place unless it's murder or rape or something heavy like that. And I've never seen a murderer, rapist, or child molester who ONLY had that on their record. Most people don't just kill someone after living a clean life. They usually have to work their way up to something like that. But in rare cases (that have never come past me) people do end up in prison with just 1-2 felonies. 

So to get a life sentence, or worse yet, do SO many things that were bad enough to accumulate enough years to spend your life in prison...that takes a hell of a lot of serious crimes. There's no reason why your taxes should go to keeping them alive, especially with the population getting out of control in many areas as it is.

The worst people in prison are the ones who turn the relatively decent inmates into monsters who come out pf prison even worse than they went in. If you got rid of the worst influences and the inmates who make it so intolerable, prison might actually stand a chance at serving its "intended purpose", which is rehabilitation. The way prison is now, there's no such thing as rehabilitation. And it's not because of the system (although it's VERY flawed), it's because of the inmates.


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## Zeus (Oct 8, 2011)

If you take into accountability that Charles Manson has cost California millions, as well routinely engages in recidivism I think it maybe beneficial to turn the lights out on him permanently.


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## Green Onion (Nov 6, 2017)

Death penalty is cool, but only if you sure that person is 100% guilty. + depends on a type of crime he/she commited.


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