The Death Penalty
April 16th 2008 23:00
The way society deals with criminals should not be about punishment but about protection. Punishing someone in itself has absolutely no positive effects for society except possibly the satisfaction of vengeance (not a nice emotion in my opinion). The consequences of a crime should be based on two simple factors, protecting society from someone who is likely to offend again and acting as a deterrent to anyone who might be considering committing a similar crime.
It seems apparent that the death penalty is not necessary to protect society from someone who might offend again, the alternative of life in prison is adequate this respect and has the added advantage of being reversible if it turns out the courts got it wrong. Perhaps then the death penalty is justified for it's status as a deterrent, if the idea of being put to death for murder is a factor in reducing murder rates then it could definitely be argued that this is a justification. On a personal level the idea that an internal thought process along the lines of deciding you don't mind going to prison for the rest of your life but definitely do not want to have your life taken away seems quite baffling. Surely murder is only carried out in either the heat of the moment or when you think that you can get away with it, does the difference between life in prison or the death penalty play a big part in either of these situations. It is also seems to be the case that statistics don't back up the case for the death penalty as a deterrent, however i don't want to go into this as i really hate statistics.
Very bad argument probably, i will add to it.
It seems apparent that the death penalty is not necessary to protect society from someone who might offend again, the alternative of life in prison is adequate this respect and has the added advantage of being reversible if it turns out the courts got it wrong. Perhaps then the death penalty is justified for it's status as a deterrent, if the idea of being put to death for murder is a factor in reducing murder rates then it could definitely be argued that this is a justification. On a personal level the idea that an internal thought process along the lines of deciding you don't mind going to prison for the rest of your life but definitely do not want to have your life taken away seems quite baffling. Surely murder is only carried out in either the heat of the moment or when you think that you can get away with it, does the difference between life in prison or the death penalty play a big part in either of these situations. It is also seems to be the case that statistics don't back up the case for the death penalty as a deterrent, however i don't want to go into this as i really hate statistics.
Very bad argument probably, i will add to it.
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Comment by samaritan
Fringe Faith
Samaritan
www.fringefaith.com
Comment by the world of gaye
batty
Family Madness
bright lights greedy city
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Comment by Mountain Fog
Infognito
What does not compute is, the constant throng of people who are not even remotely connected to the awful event, seen baying for the killer's blood outside the court, or outside the gaol on execution day.
Those people are just as sociopathic as the killer to my mind.
However, execution only sates blood lust and revenge and as James rightly points out, cannot act as a deterrant, as most murders are done in the moment of passion/hatred.
Lock em up and chuck the key, is the only way forward, to my mind, for they took a life, then they should lose their place in society.
Many convictions in the USA, since the advent of DNA evidence, have had to be overturned, because the person did not commit the murder!
For that reason, and because I think it morally reprehensible for man to play 'god', I say the death penalty gets the axe!
cheers
fog