My mind is made up on the necessity of it but on the following...

Caihlem wrote:

For those who think that Capital Punishment is wrong, here are some of their views: > What if an innocent is executed? We all make mistakes > It isn't just to take human life An Eye for an Eye > It doesn't respect Human Rights Nor did the person that viciously ended someones life > That it's more expensive than life imprisonment This fact is true

Yep - 31K per year to house a prisioner. If admitted at 21 and lived to 81 he would cost the taxpayer 1.86 Million. I find it hard to believe a bolt of electricity costs that much. Sure there are legal expenses but not that much.

I dunno, when writing this up I was also not too convinced at first. But then again I live in France where Administrations are the worst you've ever seen, a real sink hole of time and money

As for the Death Penalty, I got more or less the same views as you
We all make mistakes, and in any case, you stay quite a while on death roll before being executed, gives time to avoid these mistakes
An Eye of an Eye, and a Tooth for a Tooth
Human Rights, I think that's one of the biggest jokes of the 21st Century. People accept it when it suits them, reject it when it doesn't. And besides, people who murder have lost their right to live in my book

Also, I'd agree with the fact that if people know they'll get very heavily sanctioned if caught, they might think twice before.

At the same time I'm saying this, recently in France we've had some ex-convicts get out of jail early (for good behavior, what a joke T_T ) and within the first month were already back in jail

By becoming executioners are we not lowering ourselves to the levels of murderers?

(by the way I am unable to access the gun control debate as the work computers security has blocked access - so unfortunately I cannot partake in that debate!)

No, The person that is to be executed had a choice not to be executed. The person that was murdered in the first place did not have a choice.

Over and above it all, would a criminal be more likely to kill if there was no death penalty? There have been many that do it just to get back in prision where they feel safe.

Is the murder rate lower or higher or no difference in the US states that have the Death penalty than in the ones with no Death penalty?

Is the murder rate lower in Death penalty states than in non-DP countries?

Good question. It would mostly depend on the state and it's population based on weighted averages. NJ just ousted the DP so perhaps they would be a good study to determine this.

Maybe it's because I'm young and brash or maybe because I've been single for over a year...
but I think that once you kill or do some terrible act, then you've lost your right to live - period.
If it dissuades people, then that's good
If it doesn't, well then they really merit to disappear...

It's a bit like the Anti-Smoking and Anti-Drinking (in excess) publicities we have here. It dissuades the people who think. Those who don't... well, we did warn them, if they insist on dieing we should just let them

But where do you draw the line on what terrible act deserves the DP, what if you killed someone unintentionally?

What if you did whatever you did under the influence of drugs, alcohol or mental illness or excessive stress or provocation - there are so many "What ifs"

Yeah we have manslaughter here too - but won't all murderers claim it was manslaughter to avoid the death penalty.

Manslaughter only really applies when the death of an individual was unintentional.

Example:

You shoot someone in the head = Intentional
You punch someone, they fall down hit their head and die from the head wound = Unintentional
Stab someone and they die = Intentional
So on and so on. The point is in order to get a Murder charge you would have to prove intent.

Anyone could claim Manslaughter but if intent is prooven then the Manslaughter defense goes out the door.

Hot off the press.

So the guy raped and killed a 14 and 16 year old girl. In order to understand his execution I guess one can only place themselves in the position of the girls' parents.

Peing a parent of a little girl I can only state that I would not have waited for the Justice system to figure this out.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/08/05/scotus.execution/index.html

For my views...
Drugs and stuff like that is illegal, so if you're an idiot and kill or rape in that state, then it's not an excuse but the headstone to the grave.

I don't even read the press anymore when they talk of what others have done to each other T_T

I'm with exacuting murderest and rapers, i with you on the human rights with and the eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth finally a life for a life..