http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/12/23/cruel-and-unusual
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I think the death penalty is still an acceptable form of punishment in today's society. I do think the government needs to fix the issues with the manufactures of the drug so that there will be less errors during the execution. I do also believe that before juries sentence someone to death that there needs to be no doubt whatsoever that the accused is the one who committed the crime.
ReplyDeleteI agree that there needs to be an over haul in the death penalty. The justice system has an appeals process that is why it takes so long for inmates on death row to be executed. It is designed so that every avenue is exhausted before they execute an inmate.
DeleteI agree with you Evan to a point. The government does need to fix the issues with the drug so that there will be less errors. I also agree with you that the jury need to be absolutely sure the person is guilty. But I do not believe the death penalty should be acceptable. We are not in a position to judge whether someone loses their life or not. No matter what they've done, we can't decide what happens to kill them.
DeleteBecause there are some criminals who commit crimes of such magnitude, they do not deserve anything less than the death penalty.
DeleteI believe the death penalty is acceptable. I have been on both ends where I have been affected by someone taking the life of a loved one and also where a family member took the life of another. If a person feels like they have the right to take another persons life, then they should expect that there life is expendable as well
ReplyDeleteI agree with you and even if it was one of my family members that took another life for no reason whatsoever I would still support death penalty.
DeleteI agree and disagree with you I have never been on either side, but I know if someone from my family or a loved one was killed I would want the max punishment to be given to the murder. If it was one of my loved one it would be a harder decision just because they are my loved one and I wouldn't want to see them go through this horrible situation.
DeleteI agree with stormy because i too have been in that situation , and i believe if you think you have the right to take someone's life then you should pay the consequences but at the end only god can judge you.
DeleteI think the death penalty is acceptable in most cases, the only problem I have with it is that no one can guarantee that an innocent man won't be executed. I believe in punishment to the fullest extent of the law. As far as the medical cocktails that they use accurate and complete medications need to be used, but again IF they harmed someone they should be punished even if they have repented. You have to take your punishment like a man or woman.It is only for those truly innocent people that I wish there was some alternative
ReplyDeleteIs the Death Penalty Still Acceptable? The answer is dependent upon what you deem as being acceptable. I remember when I watched "To Kill a Mockingbird" I could "feel" the fathers pain and frustration. I could almost taste his hatred. I believe in that instance the Death Penalty would have been acceptable. Do I feel that the Death Penalty would be acceptable for Susan Smith? Yes, I do. I believe that if you admit to your guilt and are within sound mind (which is harder to prove now days because everyone has some type of mental disability during a defense) you should be put to death. I also believe that the trial should be expeditious and not drawn out. Another idea I have is for the guilty person, die in the manner that they committed the crime.
ReplyDeleteNow, on the flip side, there are 100's of people falsely incarcerated who have been in prison since the 70's. Due to technology these people are now able to prove their innocence, albeit some have been on death row for 20 years.
Although I am for the Death Penalty, a question that comes to mind is, "Isn't the doctor that is inducing death guilty of the same crime?" Basically the doctor is performing a legal crime. Is that not oxymoronic?
Living in Texas, we are an eye for an eye state...
I agree with you Anne on your part of the post "eye for an eye". If that type of law actually came in to play, I believe their would be less killing. Not that it would solve everything, but to the criminals who are contemplating it, the thought of dying in the same manner that they intended on killing someone might put it to a stop.
DeleteAnne, my reply is to your referencing the Doctor that is inducing death, Yes, I believe he is. He is the executioner. What's legal for one isn't legal for the other, its pretty ironic to me.
DeleteThe death penalty system is made for a protection of society, and indeed our nation needs the system. More than anything, the death penalty is also made to keep order in society. A very important aspect of the process is to ensure that the right person receives the death penalty. Speeding up the process would increase the possibility that mistakes or errors would be overlooked. Given that errors and mistakes have been found to have occurred, if we speed up the process, we will only increase the likelihood of executing an innocent individual. Perhaps, if we spend less of our time and limited resources on the death penalty and more on other crime prevention measures such as, added police protection or more effective anti-drug programs; we could actually reduce the rate of murder and violent crime to reduce the death penalty rates.
ReplyDeleteThe death penalty is not an acceptable form of punishment due to the fact of who are we to take someone else’s life away. We did not give it to them so why be the judge on this earth. Of course everything runs through a system that handles the specific matter but ultimately the person will be condemned and judged.
ReplyDeleteDavid,
DeleteI do not believe in the death penalty but my bible tells me to obey them that have rule over you. I believe the person should be put in a maximum security prison with plenty of hard labor.
David,
DeleteI do not believe in the death penalty but my bible tells me to obey them that have rule over you. I believe the person should be put in a maximum security prison with plenty of hard labor.
Dena I agree, maximum security and hard labor will be a alternative for those who are sentenced to the death penalty. I dont think that it is right to kill someone without knowing if that person actually committed the crime. Sometimes people will say that they committed the crime to save someone else.
DeleteDavid,
DeleteI agree with you who are we to take someone’s life. If they had decided to take someone else’s life they will have to live with that there whole life. This will just make us one of them, we will be taking their life too. They will get their punishment one way or another. What goes around comes around.
Netra I agree with you some people will take the blame for someone else just to save them, but what difference does this make. The person might think they are doing right by taking the blame but what about the person that actually commit the crime what if they commit another crime. I personally do not think the system will let this happen, but there has been cases where they have found a person not guilty of the charges they have been charged with and are set free but what about all the time they spend in jail they cannot get that back.
DeleteDena, yes which are the laws of the land, the Bible does say that. Does not mean that the death penalty should be upon them. You stated another alternative than can work just as well.
DeleteDena and David at some point agree with y'all both because the word of God stated in the bible it does say we should not kill. And we don't necessarily have to give them death penalty in order for them to be punished we can give them hard work to do.
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DeleteYesina the reason the people on death row are not able to work is because they are high risk prisoners and the last thing these murders deserve is to participate is something humane. You have to remember these individuals took a life in a cruel way and deserve to sit in solitary confinement until their execution.
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DeleteDavid the death penalty has existed for ages, it has been a way of punishment throughout our history. Also look at the world we live in, crimes have become more heinous and occur more often than before. Most of the criminals who are put on death row are monsters and a danger to our society. I agree that like every other criminal system there will be mistakes which lead to a wrongful conviction. However the criminal system has worked hard to develop forensic methods that will decrease these wrongful convictions. Many of the individuals who have been sentenced to death will sit on death row for almost twenty years before they are executed. You said that we are no one to decide who lives or dies, well they made that decision for someone else as well. We don’t know for sure if they will be condemn or judge in the next life that is just a belief not a fact.
There has always been a death penalty. An eye for an eye. I don't think crimes have become more heinous though. Evil has always existed once you think about it. I say again, if you have been convicted beyond a reasonable doubt, you should make peace with your maker. There are also a lot of confessed killers, you need to go on and leave our world because it would at least be a better place with your evil spirit removed. However, there is a Higher Power we have to answer to and give an account as to how we treated each other, the evil monsters that walked this Earth is going to have to confess then. Then that'll be justice.
DeleteI say it should be up to those who fell victim to the crime to choose whether or not the the criminal responsible should be given the death penalty. Everyone shares a different point of view on what is right and wrong, some believe that the death penalty is perfectly fine, others would rather see that the criminal live the rest of his life in prison. When it comes down to it, the criminal needs to serve some sort of punishment, but their has to be a sense of justice and consolidation for the victims who were affected. So if the victims feel that the criminal should be executed for what he did then I say let him get what is deserved. However, this sort of decision should only be allowed in the crimes that can be associated with the death penalty in order to prevent mass amounts of deaths.
DeleteAnother thing is with how long it takes for some executions to be carried out. I feel that the wait for the actual execution serves as an additional form of punishment since the criminal knows he is going to die and he has no way of knowing when he's going to be sentenced to death. This extra time gives law enforcement the chance to fix a mistake if the wrong individual was accused (which shouldn't happen anyway). However, the process for which the death penalties are carried out needs to be improved so that it is more efficient with finalizing the executions and they happen in a timely fashion. A criminal who is sitting around waiting for the execution is the same as those who are serving a life sentence. Both are going to die at some point, so in a way the death penalty is just like life in prison in these situations, only someone else takes the prisoner's life instead of the prisoner dying due to other complications.
DeleteDeath penalty is still an acceptable punishment in today’s society. There are many things to think about like what if the person is actually innocent? We have seen the department of justice make mistakes before by punishing an innocent person. In the article Cruel and Unusual, it lets us know how the country has made mistakes before by not using the right methods. In my opinion I agree on how the person should not feel pain. I believe in the near future there will be some kind of device detecting who is lying and who is saying the truth. In that case, I wouldn’t have a problem with the death penalty, as long as we are 100% sure that person is guilty.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you some people get charged with different charges and they are innocent. This person might spend a lot of time in jail while being innocent and they just release them, but what about all the time they have spent without their loved ones they will not give them that time back. Others might not even know what to do with their lives since they have been in there for so long. I strongly agree with they need some kind of device to detect who is lying and who is telling the truth.
DeleteMichelle I agree with you because innocent people are being charged with crimes they didn't do. Therefore our government needs to have sufficient evidence that the person committed the crime and not just give death penalty by their assumptions.
DeleteLadies, that is why the government should come up better methods to find out if the person is actually guilty or not. Technology's growth is going to help the department of justice in the near future.
DeleteThe death penalty is not an acceptable punishment. I believe if you give life to the defendant he or she will suffer slowly in prison. How? They will not be living life outside of their walls. They will not be able to be with their family and friends. By granting them the death penalty it shows that you can commit crime; be in jail for a few years and then receive the death penalty. If anything, I know your conscious will ultimately give one the life punishment.
ReplyDeleteAs a child of God I'm supposed to be against the death penalty, although I am not...
DeleteSeveral years ago someone I knew a young woman who stopped by a convenience store to get a few items along with some gas. Store surveillance tapes show a man approaching her and asking for a ride. After telling him "no", she got in her car to leave and he jumped in. The man jumped in with her. The next surveillance from a different business shows the same man dragging her out into the woods wrapped in a rug, then coming back for a can of gas, and finally it shows huge flames.
This same man had to be extradited from Mexico. In order for Mexico to extradite him Texas had to agree not to use the death penalty. Now this man gets a visit from his family on a weekly basis, he talks to family and friends on the phone regularly, he gets three meals a day, a roof over his head, and a daily visit outdoors.
My friend never gets to eat another meal, never gets to talk on the phone to anyone, never go outdoors, but worst of all she never gets to see to see her family again, ever.
And you call this just? My friend was 19 years old, a Red Bull model, and a student at SMU.
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DeleteIf they would of given him the death penalty will that satisfy you? I am a child of God as well. I hear where you are coming from but trust me, you and I as children of God we should leave situations like this in Gods hands. He is a God of justice. I am sorry to hear about your friend but I had an uncle that was murdered, cut in pieces and was found later in a trash bag. His murderers were not found till three years later. Several people told my dad to seek the death penalty for the murderers but the response my dad said was "I was angry at first but I have forgiven them. God sees everything and He will bring justice one day." They were sentenced life in prison. One was killed in prison and the other one is still serving his life in prison. In this life we all pass through tragedies but we have to learn to leave the hurt and try to be happy and have peace in this life. Life is too short :-)
DeleteYes I agree that God is the ultimate judge, however, in God's word he declares that man is the judge here on earth while He is the final judge in the afterlife. Also in God's word He states that man should obey and follow man's law as well as His here on earth. As it stands man's law offers the death penalty for certain heinous crimes and let's face it; some crimes are just that evil. Did you know that in some or even most cases in the state of Texas life-in-prison means a criminal gets paroled in twenty years? You call that acceptable?
DeleteHe does state that but, I believe that man sometimes feel that they are God and have taken advantage. God also has a commandment Thou shall not kill. I also believe people do deserve a second chance. How many times have you done wrong andhave been forgiving? If they are out on parole, they can either change for the better or they will commit another crime. Most people sentenced to life in Texas do not receive parole. The current Parole board seems committed since 1995 to keep the rate of paroled inmates to 20%. There is only one Judge and I don’t think you and I would want to be the Judge or the one who condemneds. I am still against the death penalty.
DeleteRebeca, after doing extensive research on this topic I have come to the conclusion that maybe you should check your sources. For many years the State of Texas has been giving 3-1 to inmates because of extensive over-crowding. As it stands, a life sentence is calculated at 60 years, therefore the majority of lifers automatically get paroled at 20 years no matter how heinous the crime.
DeleteAmy, I try to be faithful too. I don't believe in the death penalty but this guy should not be allowed to have rights to his family or any privileges because of what he done. He should only see the four walls inside of his cell. However, you never know what you would do in this situation until it happens to you.
DeleteDena, I woke up this morning to my boyfriend watching 20/20 on the ID channel. As luck would have it, they were showing the Melanie Goodwin case. I absolutely couldn't believe my eyes, I hadn't even thought of this case in several years until I started blogging for this class. Here it was, Ernesto Reyes staring into the camera with all his lies even though the evidence showed the truth. Then I saw the moment in court when his own mother realized that he really had become a monster, and yet never an ounce of remorse coming from Reyes. In my heart of hearts, I believe God put me back in that moment to show me that I am right to stand behind my beliefs; the death penalty IS an acceptable form of punishment.
DeleteAmy, I hear you and I know my believes tells me to obey the laws of the land. The Death Penalty is a law of the land but I would not want that for any person. Even with Jesus being crucified by His own people, He still asked His Heavenly Father to forgive them because they did not know what they were doing. People are cruel and can give a care about their own family and others if they are trying to get what they want. Like I said earlier, you never know what you would do until you are put in that situation. I pray that we have to never experience this. I have seen people forgive people who have killed their loved ones. The case in Jasper, the dragging of the black man, when the dad forgave his killers. Also, the Dallas Cowboy player who killed his coworker while driving drunk. His mom forgave that man. I still conclude that you never know what you would do until that predicament happens to you.
DeleteOk, so people automatically get paroled at 20 years no matter how henius the crime is and apparently you do not believe in giving people second chances. Like I have said before I believe in giving people a second chance, you never know how much they can change and accomplish in life with the right people helping them.
DeleteRebeca,
DeleteI agree with you the prisoner will eventually get their punishment one way or another. They will carry with the death of someone and it will be in there conscious and they will think about it because what else is there to do inside the walls there in. They will not be with their family and friends, some might visit, but it’s only for a little time it’s not like if they were out they can spend way more time with them. Also if we take their life doesn’t that make us one of them?
Amy,
DeleteI am more for not giving someone the death penalty mainly because this situation has not happened to me before, but in this case it’s very hard because your friend did not deserve to die no one deserves to die. I know if it would have been one of my loved ones I would want the max punishment to be given to the murder. In my opinion the prisoner should not be allowed to see or talk to his family, your friend doesn’t have the privilege to do these things anymore so why should he. He will get his punishment one way or another the death penalty will only make us the same as him. Am sorry for your lost.
Rebeca,
DeleteYou are correct, sometimes we have to forget and continue to live our lives. There will always be a situation we do not want to be in but we have to overcome them and continue living our lives. Tomorrow is never promised. I had a bad situation with one of my family members, but I have learned to forget them life is too short to stay mad at someone. We have to leave the hurt behind like you said and live life to the fullest.
Rebeca,
DeleteYou are correct, sometimes we have to forget and continue to live our lives. There will always be a situation we do not want to be in but we have to overcome them and continue living our lives. Tomorrow is never promised. I had a bad situation with one of my family members, but I have learned to forget them life is too short to stay mad at someone. We have to leave the hurt behind like you said and live life to the fullest.
Michelle I agree with you people shouldn't be consistently be thinking about a bad situation, life keeps on going no matter what the circumstances are. Like you said no one guarantees us that will be here tomorrow so we have stop holding brides even though it's hard and keep on going with our daily life routines .
DeleteThe death penalty should remain in effect. The reason being is that there are people who believe it is right to take the life away from someone innocent. These people should not be allowed to coexist with other human beings. Murderers and pedophiles are at the top of my list who deserve to be lethally injected. However, would sentencing these people to their death be just as cruel and inhumane as to what they did to their victims? Of course there would be a degree of inhumanity present in their executions, but the truth is that, for the most part, it can be overlooked as long as the sense of justice is greater than the guilt. There is no alternative to using "leather straps to restrain a human being so that the state can kill him," as the article states, so the best choice is to keep the death penalty in effect. The executioners should not be held accountable for "committing the same crime as the criminal" because he is doing us a favor by eradicating the lowest of men with the least pain possible. Now determining if a person is guilty or innocent of such crimes is a different story altogether. There should be strict investigations and a nearly flawless system to determine the innocence or condemnation of a person. The evidence must be concrete such as camera footage and DNA tests. Testimonies must be indefectible if at all possible.
ReplyDeleteWe must also remember that we are all human and that mistakes are bound to occur in the process of determining someone’s right to live.
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DeleteSergio, I disagree with have the death penalty staying in effect. However I do believe these people deserve death, but that is my emotion talking. Also who am I to choose whether or not they deserve death? No one. This being said who has the right to say whether these people deserve death? Who has the right to break the law and kill these men and women? I mean just like Toobin says in the article the Eighth Amendment says "executions have always been cruel". True? I believe so. Wrong should never be fixed with wrong. Instead of looking for an emotional action like revenge, let’s look for alternatives, where they are punished and we do not break the laws of God. Also a "nearly flawless system" will never be possible, like you said, "We must also remember that we are all human and that mistakes are bound to occur in the process of determining someone’s right to live". With this being said we cannot afford a mistake with something as valuable as life.
DeleteI could not agree with you more Sergio. I hate reading stories about individuals that were sentenced to death when in fact they were innocent. There is nothing that can be done if the person is dead. No amount of money could settle that with the family. I think that the judicial system should revise the policy and sentence the death penalty if there is absolutely 100% certainty. I know that is easier said than done but there still has to be some kind of revision made. The article stated that the death penalty has become less and less popular over the years which saddens me. God forbid someone murder a loved one in my family, but that would help my healing over time. Murderers have a chance to live in society just like you and I. If they don't abide by the law and kill someone then I have no problem with their life being taken. Restrain the human being with leather straps and give the family justice.
DeleteEdgar, I do understand that you feel we should not act upon sentencing with our emotions, however , most logical decisions have an ethical or emotional basis. Since God appoints man and his laws to be true, then He gives us the right to judge. Proverbs 24:6" through wise council you will wage your war." Mathew 5:38 "You have heard the law that says the punishment must match the injury: 'An eye for eye, and a tooth for a tooth.'
DeleteEdgar, for the most part i believe that these people who broke the law already had an idea of the consequences that come with their actions. "Also who am I to choose whether or not they deserve death? No one. This being said who has the right to say whether these people deserve death? Who has the right to break the law and kill these men and women?" You are a human being and you have a right to voice your opinion if they deserve death or not. If you restrain yourself and say that you don't, so be it. I believe I do and so do many others. We, ourselves, have the right to say if these people deserve death and no one else. Why you may ask? The reason is that they broke the law in the first place to commit a malicious crime. Wrong should never be fixed with wrong. That is true in a way but it would depend on your definition of what is wrong and what is right. Wrong, to me, would be to allow these individuals who not only committed a crime in the eyes of the law in the highest regards, but against humanity itself, to live among us. You say that it is wrong for the death penalty to stay in effect so i will assume that you prefer for them to receive life in prison. However, they will not be there until they die. Many will be released with parole before their time is up unless they get sentenced to "life without the possibility of parole." I would not like for them to be walking around like everyone else, especially if they murdered someone.
DeleteTo break the laws of god would be to have a supreme god in the first place,and even so, to some people it comes down to how you interpret what you read such as Amy wrote. The commandment of "Thou shall not kill" and the appointment of men's laws to be true are clearly a contradiction left up to the individual to comprehend. We cannot afford a mistake with something as valuable as life. I agree completely. That is why i stated that the evidence must be concrete and impeccable. I also stated that mistakes can occur because every system has its flaws no matter how you look at it. Nothing is ever perfect.
Amy referring to the Bible verses continue reading from where you started Matthew 5:38-48.
DeleteSergio, I know I have the right to voice my opinion, but that doesn't mean I am going to act on that opinion simply because I and I alone believe it is right. I mean these criminal not only voiced their opinion but they acted on it, and here you are giving them the death penalty. It is not restraining myself if I choose to say God and God only has this power. It is knowing my place in this life, I am not God, so therefore I can't give these people death. I also don't want them walking around free after what they did. Let's keep them in prison for life without parole. I say this so that they can have the chance to repent for what they did and ask for forgiveness to God and the families they hurt. And if they die in prison at least we can say we gave them a chance to ask for forgiveness.
DeleteGuys i believe the that the death penal should still be in full effect because we still live in a world where it's eye for eye , and for the religious practices , you right god should be the one who decides when you should leave this world but it would never be that way , in this corrupted world.
DeleteThe death penalty is not an acceptable punishment in today’s society. Even though there’re many different ways to end someone’s life, and to make the process less painful the death penalty violates the Eighth Amendment as the article says. Although now they are unusual, I believe that there’s always the possibility that an innocent person may be put in death.
ReplyDeleteI agree. I don’t believe in the death penalty. I personally feel that it’s not for me to judge. What if the person was actually innocent? If he/she is found to be guilty of a crime then I feel that life imprisonment without the possibility of parole would be a sufficient punishment. They will have the rest of their life to reflect on the crime they committed as well as having to live out the rest of their life behind bars.
ReplyDeleteEva, you are so right. What if the person is innocent but didn't have the best lawyer to get them off. Some people have died innocent because lack of evidence to prove that they were innocent. What about all the people who are being released from prison because of their innocence. They served long terms in prison. I believe the latest one that just got out served 27 years in prison. What about the years he lost with his family? I still say no to the Death Penalty.
DeleteI agree with both of y'all, I don't think we have the right to take someone else's life. And of course what if the person was innocent? Plus, we have to keep on mind that it wouldn't only affect the person in prison, this decision would also affect their families and friends. Maybe a maximum security prison would be a better solution.
DeleteEva and Dena I agree with yalls opinion because it's not right to give death penalty without knowing whether the person is innocent or not, some people probably didn't afford a good lawyer and the consequence is death penalty because of the lack of evidence and they loose time with their family
DeleteAs the times are evolving, so should the alternatives for maximum punishment. I disagree with the death penalty still being an acceptable form of punishment. I stand by the criminal justice system using life sentence as a form of punishment. Criminals charged with more severe cases, such as first degree murder, should get the life-without parole sanction and have visitation rights taken away. This way, a prisoner guilty of a severe case would suffer consciously or subconsciously for the rest his/her life.
DeleteI do not believe the death penalty is still and acceptable form of punishment. There are many people who stand accused of crimes for which they are completely innocent. As a nurse in a correctional facility, I have encountered many individuals who have served 20 years or more in jail, prison or both only to be found innocent after being retried.
ReplyDeleteColbie, there are several people who are on death row for a crime that they did not commit, however what if it was your child or close family member that was murdered, GOD FORBID, by someone then would you still think that they should have the right to live when they took the life of someone. As for the innocent people that are on death row I pray that the system will exonerate them expeditiously.
DeleteColbie, you are right, there are many cases of innocent persons in jail that end up paying for the crimes of others. Death penalty do not only affect innocent prisoners, it also change dramatically the life of their love ones.The punishment of being in jail for the rest of their live should be more than enough.
DeleteLet me begin by saying, God gave us life and only he can take it. When and how someone’s dies should never be a human’s choice. Yes, they did wrong but who are we to do the same to them? We are no one to give death. Five years ago my uncle was shot twice, once in the back and once behind his head, and died instantly. Two others were killed with him. The man who did this was captured the next day. My Grandma, who is a big influence in my life, said she did not want death for the man who killed her son, but she did want him to be punished and spend the rest of his life in jail. The family of the two others killed wished the same. In the article, Jeffrey Toobin says that according to the Eighth Amendment, “executions have always been cruel”. If you believe the death penalty to be right, you not only not value life but are okay with the law being broken. Instead of acting on emotion we should act civilized. If we kill those who killed why not kill ourselves. I mean we have just done the same. It could have been easy to act on emotion, but my Grandma acted on what her God and savior would want. But yes, I know keeping them in jail will bring up a lot of arguments like “it cost money to keep them in jail!”, and “if we keep them in jail the numbers of murders in jail will keep growing!”. On the money part it is true, I have not come up with an idea to better that. But the part on the number of murders growing in jail, well Toobin has proven different. He states “The national death-row population has remained essentially stable, at about three thousand, for nearly a decade”. Surprising right? Well if you don’t believe it remember these men and women are humans and humans eventually die.
ReplyDeleteI do believe the death penalty should also be left to the victims family discretion, and you are right who are we to decide who gets to live or die, but the way I see it is the victims did not have a choice either. I believe a lot of these criminals when they are brought in front of a jury and a judge the last thing they want to do is die, they plea for their lives. I have to say one reason would be that a lot of them are not new to the criminal system and know they will be provided with all they need in prison. As I said in my post the death penalty should be exclusively for those who killed with disregard and intent to purposely take someone's live in a cruel and inhumane way.
DeleteI do believe the death penalty is an acceptable form of punishment, there are some crimes that are beyond cruelty and the victims are submitted to torture and intended harm. I am unable to comprehend what drives people to cause another human being pain and death. I believe that the death penalty should be used by the criminal system to those who are found guilty of first degree murder and are proven to have caused their victims pain and suffering before their lives were taken away. Our society is dealing with poverty, mental diseases, gang violence and drug addiction and it cannot all be punished with death. I believe the death penalty should be exclusively for those who killed with disregard and intent to purposely take someone's live in a cruel and inhumane way.
ReplyDeleteLucia, the death penalty is for no one because if you give someone the death penalty wouldn't it be the "disregard and intent to purposely take someone's live in a cruel and inhumane way"?
DeleteEdgar I agree with you by agreeing to give someone death penalty you are in favor of a killing human being who we are unsure if he/she were the ones who committed the crime or not. And we are taking a human beings life
DeleteYes, the death penalty is an acceptable form of punishment. If there is 100% proof a person has committed a heinous crime that was not in self-defense then the convicted criminal should be put to death. I do not agree with a murderer spending their life in jail eating three meals a day, watching television, reading, and/or educating themselves when they have taken a life of a person who will never had those luxuries the criminal still have. The murderer did not care about cruel and unusual punishment they exacted on their victims, and being put to death by a needle is a more humane death then they are deserved. There is no such thing as cruel and unusual punishment for criminals who get executed in our society today.
ReplyDeleteMarianna i agree completely with what you wrote. If the criminal did indeed commit the crime then they should be prepared to face the consequences. In my opinion there is no justification for what they have done. To be injected is far less inhumane than to be executed in any other way. So long as the evidence adds up correctly and there is enough to sentence the criminal then it should not be a problem. These people chose to be criminals and should therefore be dealt with appropriately. There are some crimes that just cannot be forgiven with a sentence of prison.
Delete2. Is the death penalty still acceptable as punishment? The death of a person by another person is a punished crime no matter the circumstances, and wishing the death to a criminal does not make the circumstances any better. The death of a criminal will not trade the life of his victim, instead will only bring more sins to our humanity. Our justice system as good as it is, can also be very unjust. Like this article explains of all the flaws in the different systems that had been used throughout the years and how our own justice department had gone around the restrictions of the system to accomplish their purpose. The question is, why go through all that trouble only to justify to kill somebody. I understand criminals are not accepted by the society but who are we to take somebody else’s life? By doing so, we are becoming one of them. A high security prison for life will do and let God be the judge.
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DeleteI agree with you 100%, wishing the death of a criminal does not make the circumstance any better. We are like you said "becoming one of them" if we choose to take someone's life because they took one. I know I do not have the right to take a life, and like you, I believe a high security prison for life will do, and that God should be the judge.
DeleteLife in prison is not as awful as one might want to believe although, it is also not a walk in the park. Prisoners have quite a few more amenities than the "average Joe" has knowledge of. Also many lifers get paroled after 20 years. Some are not so lucky. In Texas 9031 out of 9452 will become eligible for parole after serving a 20 year sentence. That seems a bit frightful if you ask me. As far as your question as to "who are we.." you referenced God as the judge but in His word through the bible He states that man is to follow man's law as well as His on earth and He also has appointed man to judge here while He will be the ultimate judge in the ever after.
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DeleteAmy, I do understand that a life in prison for some criminal is that bad, and that some may end up getting paroled after 20yrs. Perhaps, that could be something that the law needs to change. I agree with you, it could be scary to know that a dangerous criminal is out on the streets do to parole. But the law will not allow death penalty for over 9,000 people, instead they let them free under parole. However, if the law would change to life without parole in an isolated high security prison, for all the high profile case, then the will keep those criminals away from the streets without having to kill them.
DeleteDinora, These statistics were from Texas prisons and did not include any of the other forty-nine states. Also and foremost, the stats were just prisoners serving life sentences or death row. There are over 146,000 inmates in Texas alone. I think that of the more than 9000 serving life sentences, several thousands of those cases should have been for death row. These people did not or do not even consider the harshness of their crime. Some still show no remorse, nor do they even care how much the surviving family and friends continue to suffer from the horrible offence they committed. Prison over-crowding is a reality in all fifty states, therefore, states can't afford to continue hosing more and more killers. Yes, I do believe that there are prisoners that in the heat of the moment got carried away and possibly killed someone without malice. Those people are the ones who should get life sentences. However, there are also ones who thought out their crime and did so with plenty of malice, such as the much recently publicized American Sniper case where the defendant Eddie Ray Routh has continuously been heard bragging about how he waited for the victims to empty their clips before turning and shooting them dead. This man did not deserve to live even in prison. Routh should have received the death penalty.
DeleteAmy,
DeleteYes, God does say that man must follow man's law as well as his, but you're telling me if you were to ask God, if he was okay with his children killing each other for any reason (law or revenge or just to hurt)? He would say if is for law its okay but if it is for revenge or just to hurt it's not okay?
Edgar I agree with you're opinion we shouldn't be taking anyone's life away because we are committing a sin by killing another person. It also states in the ten commandments you shall not commit murder meaning to not kill, but giving someone death penalty you are committing a murder
DeleteTo whom it may concern, I stand behind the death penalty 100% as I stated before. I come from a deep religious family myself, but that doesn't justify why the system of the death penalty shouldn't be in place. There are many innocent people that their lives get taken away every day, and for the death penalty system to not exist and not serve some kind of justice, I frankly am not convinced. Families suffer the consequence of their loved one or loved ones getting their lives taken away and not being able to ever see them again. As for the killers/ murderers, they have the privilege of having visits, 3 meals, and a roof over their heads in jail for their rest of their lives. Now you tell me, is that justice? Still the death penalty would serve some justice.
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ReplyDeleteI believe death penalties should still be a form of punishment, of course to only the ones who deserve it and have been 100 percent proven quilty of the crime such person committed.
I agree with you're statement because if you have taken somebody's life why does the person deserve to have a chance to live, if we don't give them death penalty their is a probability for the criminal to kill for a second chance and that affects our society.
DeleteAs an individual who has been affected by several murders, I absolutely believe in the death penalty. My cousin and several of my friends where all murdered at different times during the 1990s. I feel that if you take a person's life and you where not defending your or someone else's life then you should suffer the same fate that you bestowed upon them. Although I believe in the death penalty, I also believe that our court system should prove with absolute certainty that the person being executed is the actual perpetrator. I know some you are say no one has the right to take a life, that is why I feel that a person forfeits their own life when the take someone else's.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your opinion, if one person had the right to kill someone then he should be punished. It is not fair for the victim’s family to suffer while the other family still has their love one with them. The death penalty procedures need to improve in order for it to work. Enforcing the death penalty might lower crime rate, which that is what the government aims for.
DeleteYou're right their is a possibility that if we give death penalty the crime rate will be low. I see no reason for a person to have the opportunity to be alive out their in the world killing other victims with no heart. Therefore if he doesn't have a heart to kill why should the government have a heart for not to kill them.
DeleteI know the conversation has been leaning towards if the death penalty is right or wrong, good or bad. But I did some checking, it cost about 2.3 million dollars for a death row case in Texas. That is three times more than it would take to keep a criminal locked away for 40 years. This is why many counties and even states are seeking life in prison. I don't think that money should be a factor in dishing out justice. An eye for an eye!
ReplyDeleteThat is all fine and good but I also have some numbers that might spike some interest. In the state of Texas there are 276 prisoners on death row while there are over 400 doing life-without-parole. The number of defendants getting sentenced to life-without-parole over the death penalty are on the rise 10-1 because of new Texas laws. Apparently the cost of life-without-parole is also going up because of appeals. Then we have the prisoners serving life-with-parole, 9031 of them, that come up for parole in 20 years. More than I care to think about actually get released. These too are your murders, rapists, baby killers and offenders of heinous crimes. When they do get released most, if not all, end up on our glorious welfare system since it is almost impossible to find a job with a felony record, especially one of murder. As far as financial aspect goes it seems to me that the cost never ends as long as a prisoner lives.
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DeleteI agree with you Amy. many of the prisoners who get released have no jobs and will not get a job for a very long time and I believe that us tax payers should not have to financially support anyone who decided to take the wrong turn in life.
DeleteAmy I think that your premise is unfounded and ridiculous. I know several ex- offenders that have been released and go on to have very successful and productive lives. True it is hard to find a job but not impossible, thoughts like these are why ex- offenders cannot find GOOD jobs
DeleteI do not think that we have been discussing just ex-offenders but felony offenders who had received life in prison. I do not think it is right for a person to commit murder, spend twenty years in prison, then to be allowed to go home. The murder victim cant go home neither should the person who committed the murder.
DeleteBillie,
Deletethose are some interesting facts, and I do believe if they are proven guilty that they shouldn't be able serve twenty years then be able to go home. As far as a second choice goes I think their second choice is being able to live in prison. They still committed a crime they should still pay for it, just not with death.
The death penalty is still an acceptable form of punishment. We as United States citizens, mostly, believe that there are things a person can do that will get them killed. Murder, Capital Murder and the Ponzy scheme are just a few to name. Now the real issue is not the death penalty itself but how we take a persons life as discussed in the cruel and unusual article. There should be a different way to take care of these issues besides using an electric chair or some sort of lethal injection the slows your heart rate to a dead stop. I suggest that we take this entire issue back in time and use an old fashioned rope and hang them high. We wont take ridicule or issues from Europe saying that we cannot use the drugs they create for this. As for cruel or unusual, I don't believe that it is cruel because it will get the job done. Unusual, well that right of yours went out the window as soon as you decided to kill someone else.
ReplyDeleteLaToya Browning, I certainly see your point of view. Do I believe some people should die for the crimes the have committed? Yes I certainly do. I think people should give their lives for molesting kids, killing people, and hateful crimes period. However, after taking a life, you can not just give the life back. I believe in God rendering his punishment to the wicked ones. It's just how I was taught. I think they should do hard labor all the days of their lives. I think death is too easy though.
ReplyDeleteI do not believe death is too easy. I believe the life these criminals get in prison is too easy. They have someone cook their meals, wash their clothes, pay their utilities, pay for their library, gym and cable television. If the criminals are not put to death they should be locked in a windowless room and only fed oatmeal twice a day. Death is what should be handed out to the heinous criminals, not a free holiday for life.
DeleteMarianna, if a person gets a life sentence I like your version. "should be locked in a windowless room and only fed oatmeal twice a day".
DeleteColbie,
Deletethat's another way of looking at it. I haven't looked at "death" being and easy ticket for them escape the pain and punishment for their crime. Some criminals probably go know going into the crime that if they kill and confess they will get the death penalty and not suffer pain. So maybe we'd be giving them what they want.
The death penalty has personal meaning for me. I have three family members that were brutally murdered in a hotel room in New Mexico. A beautiful woman, her five year old son and her 18 month old all shot point blank in the head. My heart aches for my family. I believe that the individual who took the life of three innocent people gave up his right to a life. He took their choice away so what gives him the right to live? If you believe that I am coming from an emotional place it might be somewhat true, however the person that took those lives was my cousin. I grew up with him and never thought he would do something like that. He was sparred as New Mexico has no death penalty, but I feel they should.
ReplyDeleteYou live by the sword, you die by the sword. The death penalty shall always be a form of punishment because let's face it, there are simply MONSTERS in this world. The only acceptable form of punishment is capital and should be carried out accordingly. If there's no doubt you committed a horrendous crime, the finality should be expected. If you are not fit to be among humans, you should be put to death. See you on the other side, maybe.
ReplyDeleteI partially agree with you Sugar, I don't think that all who have committed a horrendous crime should be given the death penalty because some people are rehabilitated, now for repeat offender, and I mean once more ABSOLUTELY
DeleteI agree with you Sugar. I know this sounds repetitive after what so many other comments have said but if you take a human life or commit a similar crime, you need to be prepared for the consequences. While it depends on the law of the state that you live in, you always have to be ready for death if you decide to take someones life away in an unjust manner. As Latoya mentioned perhaps there is a way to "save" someone from their ways, but if you do it a second or third time then you really deserve no mercy.
DeleteI do not believe in the death penalty just because who am I to take someone’s life away. I know if I was in one of this situation, it would be very hard if one of my loved one was to be killed I would want the max punishment, even if it would be the death penalty but that would just make me like them. I would have to learn to live with the hurt because losing a loved one is not easy. I have had a loved one in jail before and I have visited them and that environment is not a good place. I believe the murder will get his punishment one way or another. One of the biggest punishment is not seen their loved ones. also they will be in between four walls for a very long time they will think about what they did a lot, there conscious will never let them be in peace. If one of my loved one was to be there murder I would understand if they have to live there rest of their live in jail. if they were to be convicted and given the death penalty it would be somehow fair, but still we are nobody to take someone life away.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the death penalty is a good way to punish people that hurt other people. What I am not in favor is that the keep these people on death row for so long before they are killed. I think that if you commit a crime, and are found guilty of it then you should be killed right away and not wait years to do it. We the people are paying taxes for those criminals to still be alive.
ReplyDeleteThe reason why they keep people on death row for so long is because our judicial system allows for the appeals process. Taking someone's life is huge and has even bigger ramifications. The appeals process is there so that it can safe guard from an innocent person from having the punishment carried out.
ReplyDeleteI think if the decision for someone to be executed is absolutely indisputable then they should wait no more than one year to be put to death. That gives the family more relief than waiting 20 years for that person to be put to death. To me there is no argument in the first place to take someone's life. If the jury decides to execute someone and the evidence is not absolute then there should be a specific time that person has to wait before being executed.
ReplyDeleteSo if the death penalty is acceptable, then in the eyes of God (for those that are religious) the person/person's conducting the execution, are they not committing a sin? We are saying its okay to take a mans life, or woman's life, however a large percentage of prisoners are in prison for killing. Is this not the same as telling a child not to hit their brother or sister, but then punish them by spanking them? I see both sides of this topic, and I really could care less, but it seems to me that its a double standard. Its okay for me to kill you legally because you committed a crime, but its not okay for you to kill someone else regardless of the reason.
ReplyDeleteThere has to be a double standard when it comes to this Anne. How can someone be a serial killer and kill twenty people and not receive the death penalty? That just doesn't seem logical. As a matter of fact, I think the government should start sentencing the death penalty more frequently. This double standard should also be acceptable when disciplining kids. I do believe in spanking kids in extreme situations when they have done something unacceptable. A good parent will explain why they cannot hit other kids unless they are defending themselves or standing up to bullying, and why you are disciplining them by spanking.
DeleteLuis i agree with what you are saying. The person that is injecting the criminal is guilty of killing someone else? Of course he is. But the way society seems to see it is that it is okay for him to do so because it is for a good reason. You can't say one thing and then do another, but that is exactly what they are doing in this situation. It is wrong to kill someone, but it is right for me to kill you because you killed someone. That is just logic being drained down the toilet. But it's the type of logic that we seem to accept.
DeleteEdgar,
ReplyDeleteI think that was a superb way of voicing you opinion and I completely agree. Latoya, I don't understand how in the torture blog you voiced how you disagree with people being tortured. Do you not believe that having someone sit on death row awaiting execution is not torture?
I do not stand in favor of the death penalty, because that sounds like a revenge, instead of a punishment. It has not been proven that the death penalty has served its function of intimidation in order to decrease murder rates. If that was the case murder rates would be at zero. We are no one to judge people, giving death to another individual, will just turn us into criminals.
ReplyDeleteGuillermo I agree with you because even though they give death penalty to certain individuals that hasn't stopped people from killing in the opposite it's increasing the criminal s
DeleteI believe that , no men has the right to take someones life, but we live in a imperfect world. Murder is going to happen , we should leave the justice to God.
ReplyDeleteErin i see what it is that you are saying and i respect that. But we can not necessarily leave all the justice to god. There are the laws that we put in place to protect ourselves and our families from dangerous people that are in this world with us. And there are a lot of them. I believe that if the law states that a man may be sentenced to death for a crime he committed then he should go through the process. Of course there has to be enough evidence of the crime and it has to be one of the highest degree.
DeleteDeath penalty is against natural rights. I also think that there are other effective and acceptable alternatives to use instead of death penalty. If the goal is to punish a person as severely as possible, spending the rest of their lives in prison should be enough punishment.
ReplyDeleteFrida let me begin by saying that the death penalty is not given out to just any criminal. The prosecution must present enough evidence of the crime to obtain the death penalty. I honestly think that there are certain crimes that do deserve the death penalty Wanye Gacy and Ted Bundy if we didn’t have the penalty those two men would have served life sentences. And I don’t think all of the victim’s family members would have been content with that. I think that if the criminal system would have found a better way to punish these individuals other than the death penalty they would have utilized it by now.
DeleteIs the death penalty still an acceptable form of punishment? After watching the video of South Carolina Officer Slager shoot Walter Scott in the back at least six times, damn right it's acceptable. Another Black man killed at the hands of a white officer? Although it was captured on video, there's no way they'll hand down a death sentence. If this execution doesn't warrant the death penalty, I wouldn't be surprised. Now that's the American way. Go figure.
ReplyDeleteIs the death penalty still an acceptable form of punishment? After watching the video of South Carolina Officer Slager shoot Walter Scott in the back at least six times, damn right it's acceptable. Another Black man killed at the hands of a white officer? Although it was captured on video, there's no way they'll hand down a death sentence. If this execution doesn't warrant the death penalty, I wouldn't be surprised. Now that's the American way. Go figure.
ReplyDeleteI do think that was a hate crime and I also think that the officer should be put to death. I do believe that because he was a police officer he will not be issued the death penalty, but I think he will be sentenced to life in prison after everything is done. There is no doubt that he did not do. If the officer is for some reason issued the death penalty, Walter Scots family will have more closure than if he is sentenced to life.
DeleteThis has been a difficult topic for me. I was raised to think the death penalty was a proper punishment for murder and other horrible crimes. Back then I had more faith in the justice system. In church I was taught an eye for an eye but also that vengeance is for the Lord. Christianity says am to forgive. I feel compassion for the families on both sides of the crime. IF it is proven, beyond a shade of doubt, that the suspect committed murder, then he too should die.
ReplyDeleteI think that you commit a vicious crime such as murder, you should be punished as well with being murdered. For example if a person rapes and kills a child or an adult that person should not be allowed to live and should be executed. The death penalty is the correct thing to do to a person that has no mercy on a innocent child or adult when they decide to torture and hurt that person. I personally think that if a person commits a crime like this they should immediately be put to death and not be on death row for so many years, because us the citizens are paying taxes to keep these people alive and feeding them when they have killed someone. These people are vicious, heartless people that out society doesn't need alive. Maybe if people knew that if they committed a crime they would right away be killed if they are found guilty, no buts about it then maybe they would think twice before harming innocent people. Our country, Earth does not need these kind of people, they need to be punished for their crimes and not living in a prison where they eat, sleep and are still alive when the person(s) they hurt is dead.
ReplyDeleteIf an individual killed someone close to me, I would not hesitate to make sure that individual was sentenced to death row. If someone murders another human being and that human being did not do anything wrong or something that would harm the individual responsible for killing them, the individual who committed the crime should undergo the same judgement. The death penalty serves as a form of justice for those who fall victim to crimes that are committed and the victims of the crime deserve some sort of consolidation. I don't believe that life in prison truly helps to give the correct form of justice that is required. It allows criminals to live in a sort of relaxed life and merely think of what they had done instead of being punished for the injustice they committed. Even though I believe the death penalty is a proper punishment, I do not believe that prisons will be able to continue to give a humane approach to the penalty with the many restrictions on the drugs used with the process. Those in charge of death sentences need to find a humane way of dealing with criminals, but by using a more efficient method that isn't as restricted as the production of certain drugs.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your response, I don’t like the fact that they are feeling pain before they die. Death penalty has been a big controversial issue throughout the years. Governments should come up with better ways in order for prisoners not to feel pain.
DeleteThe death penalty should be done away with. I believe people use it as a way to get revenge on someone. It's as if someone says "this person killed a member of my family or a very close friend of mine. they need to die!" No matter what someone has done to us, we should not result to death. These death penalties are painful and once they are gone, that's it. You can't regret it later and bring them back. Using the death penalty because of what the criminal has done, doesn't give us the right to say whether or not they lose their life.
ReplyDeleteRegardless of how the inmate feels, I believe that the death penalty should not be done away with. If there is a way to let people know that if they commit these horrible enough crimes then they will be put to death. Why should we allow them to live. If a person takes another persons life without regards to the law then how would the U.S. show any sort of repercussions?
ReplyDeleteI believe that the death penalty is not an acceptable form of punishment. The death penalty is usually given for a very serious or grave crime. I believe that most of these crimes are ones that cannot be made even with. Say that someone kills a relative I love so dearly and they get charged with the death penalty. Personally, I would not want them to live anymore but at the same time I believe that is too easy of a solution for them. They die, and that is it. It will never make me content or ever make me feel justified. Jail time will not even make me feel great because they are just living for free. On the positive side, there is one less criminal in the streets.
ReplyDeleteOne less criminal on the street but one more monster we have to pay for for the rest of his miserable life. Death is not too easy, once dead his soul will be sent to Hell, and tax payers do not have to pay for his worthless life. Why should a murderer be able to wake up and enjoy his day? A murderer should be put to death in the way the victim was murdered. After the murderer is dead,we can all forget that parasite and live our life in peace.
DeleteIf the death penalty isn't acceptable, what form of prison overcrowding would be? Where would we get the funds to let the criminals who commit heinous crimes live a lifetime? How are we going to feed, water, bathe, give medical care, medications, counseling, studies etc to them for their entire life without being a burden on society. So, in a round about way, we are having to literally pay for their crimes? No Sir, No Way... I'm still for an eye for an eye
ReplyDeleteI agree with your statement. I believe criminals who commit a heinous crime should not be allowed to live their life in jail with all the amenities that people enjoy when they are on vacation. They should be put to death right after their trail and should not be allowed to appeal.
DeleteThis is a lot easier said than done. I am still a strong believer in the death penalty but after doing so much research on this subject I have learned that there are so many complications that come into the death penalty. I now have an open mind with the death penalty and I think some thought and research should be put into this before having a definite opinion.
DeleteI see what you are saying Anne and i have to believe in what you think as well because i do not want to be supporting a possible serial killer or child rapist. There is no easy way to solve this. The reason being that everyone sees things a different way. In order to have a solution, we need to compromise.
DeleteI see what you are saying Anne and i have to believe in what you think as well because i do not want to be supporting a possible serial killer or child rapist. There is no easy way to solve this. The reason being that everyone sees things a different way. In order to have a solution, we need to compromise.
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