Death Sentence- Debate

[lomeydecos]

rape accused in democracy of India given death penalty.
write your views

[anunitu]

Re: death sentence

In starting this topic,I might suggest setting the thread as Debate from the start because it looks like it might take that path on this subject.

[DanieMarie]

Re: death sentence

I'm against the death penalty, but support harsher punishments for people convicted of rape.

[FantasyWitch]

Re: death sentence

rape accused in democracy of India given death penalty.
write your views

I am moving this to the debate section. x

[Medusa]

Re: Death Sentence- Debate

I am for the death penalty in cases of rape.

[Aeran]

Re: Death Sentence- Debate

I am for the death penalty in cases of rape.

In any case in which an individual is convicted of rape? What happens when someone turns 18 and is convicted of statutory rape with their 16 year old partner?? What about cases where it's just one person's word against anothers? What about all of those teacher/student relationships where the teacher is convicted of rape despite the fact that the student was not only a willing participant but wishes to remain in a relationship with the teacher? What about false accusations resulting in the conviction of innocents?

I oppose the death penalty in all circumstances, not only because I'm fairly sure it's less expensive to just jail them for life than it is to give them due process leading up to execution (not to mention actually being a harsher punishment imo), but because it's impossible to reverse. We all know just how flawed the criminal justice system can be, especially when it comes to such an emotionally charged issue as rape, and the death penalty leaves no room to correct an error once it's been made. IMO it serves no real purpose other than to provide an outlet for the rage and indignation of society and to make people feel better, there's no evidence that it actually serves to discourage crime, it cheapens the concept of justice and even one innocent person being executed is too high a price to pay.

[Denarius]

Re: Death Sentence- Debate

I don't see the point in killing prisoners, I say just put them to work. Hard labor is punitive, but also productive. Mining spice and fighting energy spiders might do them some good.

[Ula]

Re: Death Sentence- Debate

I am not necessary for or against as I said. I think it's should be life unless it's there is an admission and a jury decides it's appropriate. I think anyone who commits a murder while incarcerated should automatically get the death penalty, especially if video is involved. Some guys are as bad in the inside as the outside and should not be giving extra chances to hurt someone. Being in prison doesn't mean you should be raped and killed anymore than outside of it.

[DanieMarie]

Re: Death Sentence- Debate

In any case in which an individual is convicted of rape? What happens when someone turns 18 and is convicted of statutory rape with their 16 year old partner?? What about cases where it's just one person's word against anothers? What about all of those teacher/student relationships where the teacher is convicted of rape despite the fact that the student was not only a willing participant but wishes to remain in a relationship with the teacher? What about false accusations resulting in the conviction of innocents?

I oppose the death penalty in all circumstances, not only because I'm fairly sure it's less expensive to just jail them for life than it is to give them due process leading up to execution (not to mention actually being a harsher punishment imo), but because it's impossible to reverse. We all know just how flawed the criminal justice system can be, especially when it comes to such an emotionally charged issue as rape, and the death penalty leaves no room to correct an error once it's been made. IMO it serves no real purpose other than to provide an outlet for the rage and indignation of society and to make people feel better, there's no evidence that it actually serves to discourage crime, it cheapens the concept of justice and even one innocent person being executed is too high a price to pay.

That's exactly why I'm against it. Even when the evidence is overwhelmingly in favor of a guilty verdict, there's always potential for some margin of error. That margin, no matter how small, makes the death penalty unethical.

I also don't believe in an eye for an eye in terms of punishment. Just because someone did something horrible doesn't mean that killing them is a fitting sentence. Prison sucks, and having to spend your life one it sucks. Most countries do put inmates to some menial task to keep riots from breaking out and to recover some of the costs of keeping them there, but overall it's pretty boring and crappy. I think it's a great punishment for people who do horrible things. It's like being in purgatory.

- - - Updated - - -

There is actually one case that I'm in favor of a death sentence, and that's in the case of a defeated dictator. I still think that killing someone is morally wrong, regardless of how many people that person killed (or ordered to be killed) and that life in prison sucks more than the death penalty, but I think it keeps other problems from creeping up. If you intern a dictator, everyone wronged will call for his head. I know that families of murder victims often do the same thing, but seriously, think of that on a scale of millions. That's a lot of unrest to deal with. There's also the issue of his supporters, who are highly likely to rally for his release or try to free him. For example, I can't think of how much of a pain in the ass it would be to have Hitler interned. If he managed to live until now (which is unlikely because he wasn't that young in 1945), it would -still- be causing problems.

[volcaniclastic]

Re: Death Sentence- Debate

I like to think I live in a kill-or-be-killed world. I personally think that victims should be able to exact their own justice.

[Ophidia]

Re: Death Sentence- Debate

I like to think I live in a kill-or-be-killed world. I personally think that victims should be able to exact their own justice.

^ This. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. If it was good enough for Hammurabi, it's good enough for me.

Seriously, though - I support the death penalty where it's warranted. Rape, murder, serious abuse. There are some people who just cannot be 'rehabilitated', and why do they deserve to sit in prison, getting food, medical care and shelter for the rest of their lives, when there are decent people out on the streets going hungry?

[thalassa]

Re: Death Sentence- Debate

I don't see the point in killing prisoners, I say just put them to work. Hard labor is punitive, but also productive. Mining spice and fighting energy spiders might do them some good.

I'm down with this.

[Aeran]

Re: Death Sentence- Debate

Seriously, though - I support the death penalty where it's warranted. Rape, murder, serious abuse. There are some people who just cannot be 'rehabilitated', and why do they deserve to sit in prison, getting food, medical care and shelter for the rest of their lives, when there are decent people out on the streets going hungry?

So it's a purely financial concern? What if those who say that the death penalty is actually more expensive than life in prison are right? And what about the innocents who end up being executed, with no chance to reverse the penalty once they're exonerated? It's all very well to say that you only support it on those who deserve it, but guilt is very rarely 100% certain, you have to assume that in any justice system, a certain amount of guilty people will go free and a certain amount of innocent people will end up being punished for crimes they didn't commit.

[Lilium of the Valley]

Re: Death Sentence- Debate

So it's a purely financial concern? What if those who say that the death penalty is actually more expensive than life in prison are right?

1 rope and the next tree...doesn't seem to be more expensive than life in prison.

[Tylluan Penry]

Re: Death Sentence- Debate

The Birmingham Six.
The Guildford Four.
Timothy Evans.
Stefan Kzisko
The Cardiff Three
Derek Bentley

Just for starters. And just in the UK.

A rope and the next tree? Fine when it's someone else. But when it's one of your own or you yourself, it's not so clever.

You know people have strange views about the death penalty. The UK's most prolific serial killer was an apparently respectable family doctor who murdered about 200 (it is thought this is a conservative estimate) of his patients.
When he was sentenced to life, people shrieked it was too easy and he should have been hanged.
When he hanged himself, people shrieked he had somehow 'cheated.'