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Death Penalty

Started by The Skeletal Atheist, February 02, 2016, 06:50:32 PM

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The Skeletal Atheist

So my state (Georgia) is set to kill a man in a few minutes.

I don't know his case, so I won't pass judgement on his alleged crime.

He apparently murdered a gas station manager during a robbery, for those of you interested.

My query is if anyone of you support the death penalty?

For me, in this current system? No.

We're better just putting them in prison for life. Under the current system too many innocent people for die. I'd rather a thousand murderers live than one innocent die. That's why I was pleased with the Aurora shooter got life.

Sent from Hell

Some people need to be beaten with a smart stick.

Kein Mehrheit Fur Die Mitleid!

Kein Mitlied F�r Die Mehrheit!

Mermaid

Absolutely not, for a few reasons.
A cynical habit of thought and speech, a readiness to criticise work which the critic himself never tries to perform, an intellectual aloofness which will not accept contact with life’s realities â€" all these are marks, not as the possessor would fain to think, of superiority but of weakness. -TR

Nonsensei

This is a tough one for me, because I actually think life in prison is a life not worth living.
And on the wings of a dream so far beyond reality
All alone in desperation now the time has come
Lost inside you\'ll never find, lost within my own mind
Day after day this misery must go on

TomFoolery

In theory, yes, but in practice, no. I think there are some people who are just bad. They were born that way with psychoses that can't be cured or really treated, they don't want to be cured or treated, and they don't think there's anything wrong with the fact that they commit awful crimes like the rape and murder of children. It might not be their fault that they are that way and I'll be the first to say that I think very few criminals are beyond redemption, but I really do believe that a few are.

I don't think eliminating those individuals from our population is the worst thing we could do. The problem is that we don't execute people like that when they commit truly heinous crimes: in practice the majority of people we execute are poor, poorly educated, black, and male.

The problem is how to apply such a punishment. Like I said, the amount of people I think are worthy of actually being executed is probably really, really small, but I imagine everyone has their own standard of what it is that makes a person "bad." I can't expect everyone to agree with my personal line of decency regarding making society a better place by removing a few disgusting individuals from it, therefore, I don't know that I could ever realistically support the death penalty in practice because it has too great a potential for abuse.
How can you be sure my refusal to agree with your claim a symptom of my ignorance and not yours?

Mike Cl

Some people  simply need to die!  That said, I cannot support the death penalty as the US applies it.  There are too many cases that later show up to have been in error.  That is unacceptable.  Charles Manson did not deserve to live; especially as he was housed in prison.  He should have been put into a cell with a bed and toilet and that's it.  Anyway, no death penalty.   
Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able?<br />Then he is not omnipotent,<br />Is he able but not willing?<br />Then whence cometh evil?<br />Is he neither able or willing?<br />Then why call him god?

stromboli

We are erratic in how we apply the death penalty from state to state. I read somewhere it was actually cheaper to give someone life in prison versus the death penalty, but I don't know how that would work. My opinion is that yes, there are some people that ought to die like Ted Bundy or Gary Ridgway the Green River Killer, or John Wayne Gacy. But only if there is no doubt beyond question that they have committed the deeds.

If there is ever any doubt or even the remotest possibility at some point the decision could be reversed, no.

Baruch

Everyone gets the death penalty one way or another.  The question is should there be a State, and what powers should it have.  For myself I support the State, because I support criminality.  We are only talking here of the largest gang eliminating members of smaller gangs or lone thugs.  But my feelings are mixed ... not all criminal activity is created equal, some is better than others.
Ha’át’íísh baa naniná?
Azee’ Å,a’ish nanídį́į́h?
Táadoo ánít’iní.
What are you doing?
Are you taking any medications?
Don't do that.

aitm

Perfect the methodology of conviction and I am all for it. There are indeed some pieces of shit that if I was allowed would indeed be allowed to live. But I would render them a blob with a perfectly good mind, all alone in the quiet, no sound, no smell, no sight, no taste, just blackness and a perfect mind….
A humans desire to live is exceeded only by their willingness to die for another. Even god cannot equal this magnificent sacrifice. No god has the right to judge them.-first tenant of the Panotheust

Baruch

Quote from: aitm on February 02, 2016, 07:47:42 PM
Perfect the methodology of conviction and I am all for it. There are indeed some pieces of shit that if I was allowed would indeed be allowed to live. But I would render them a blob with a perfectly good mind, all alone in the quiet, no sound, no smell, no sight, no taste, just blackness and a perfect mind….

I saw a movie once, where if you isolate yourself in an isolation tank too long, you de-evolve into a cave man ;-)
Ha’át’íísh baa naniná?
Azee’ Å,a’ish nanídį́į́h?
Táadoo ánít’iní.
What are you doing?
Are you taking any medications?
Don't do that.

TomFoolery

Quote from: stromboli on February 02, 2016, 07:42:02 PM
If there is ever any doubt or even the remotest possibility at some point the decision could be reversed, no.

I feel like short of a confession, video evidence from multiple angles, 10,000 eyewitnesses and an airtight sequence of events, there will always be some doubt.

Even when we base evidence on science which is supposedly believed foolproof we can get it wrong. We've had cases that prove that fingerprints aren't all that unique, and chimeras prove that even DNA evidence can be faulty.
How can you be sure my refusal to agree with your claim a symptom of my ignorance and not yours?

Mermaid

What is the death penalty for? Is it to remove dangers to society? Imprisonment does that. Is it about revenge? That's just morally wrong, IMO.

Killing someone for killing someone, what the hell? We are savages, a violent species.
A cynical habit of thought and speech, a readiness to criticise work which the critic himself never tries to perform, an intellectual aloofness which will not accept contact with life’s realities â€" all these are marks, not as the possessor would fain to think, of superiority but of weakness. -TR

TomFoolery

Quote from: Mermaid on February 02, 2016, 08:12:10 PM
What is the death penalty for? Is it to remove dangers to society? Imprisonment does that.

But I feel like imprisoning people the way we do isn't very humane either: we just warehouse them until we feel like they've fixed themselves. If they didn't commit a very severe crime, they get out in a a few years usually the worse for wear. The people who really do deserve to be in prison for the rest of their lives are kind of a unique population within the prison system. A lot of what we do to people in prison or at the very least, allow to happen to them in prison is akin to torture in my opinion.
How can you be sure my refusal to agree with your claim a symptom of my ignorance and not yours?

Mike Cl

Quote from: aitm on February 02, 2016, 07:47:42 PM
Perfect the methodology of conviction and I am all for it. There are indeed some pieces of shit that if I was allowed would indeed be allowed to live. But I would render them a blob with a perfectly good mind, all alone in the quiet, no sound, no smell, no sight, no taste, just blackness and a perfect mind….
Wow--and I thought I was harsh! :))  Actually, I think I like it. :)))
Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able?<br />Then he is not omnipotent,<br />Is he able but not willing?<br />Then whence cometh evil?<br />Is he neither able or willing?<br />Then why call him god?

aitm

Quote from: Mermaid on February 02, 2016, 08:12:10 PM
What is the death penalty for? Is it to remove dangers to society? Imprisonment does that.

and yet twice in the last two years 5 extremely violent killers escaped prison……….surely you at least follow the news don't you?
A humans desire to live is exceeded only by their willingness to die for another. Even god cannot equal this magnificent sacrifice. No god has the right to judge them.-first tenant of the Panotheust

Mermaid

Quote from: aitm on February 02, 2016, 08:36:07 PM
and yet twice in the last two years 5 extremely violent killers escaped prison……….surely you at least follow the news don't you?
Uh, yeah I follow the news. No need to talk down to me.
Sure, prisoners escape. How common is that? And before someone is put to death, they're in prison sometimes for decades. Killing them is not going to change that. I think this is a fallacious argument.
A cynical habit of thought and speech, a readiness to criticise work which the critic himself never tries to perform, an intellectual aloofness which will not accept contact with life’s realities â€" all these are marks, not as the possessor would fain to think, of superiority but of weakness. -TR