The death penalty - Page 3

Motorboat Cruiser · 03-03-2005, 01:05 AM

Here are a few quotes from Amnesty International. I'll understand if they are taken with a grain of salt.

Quote:

More than 75 men and women have been released from US death rows since 1972, after suffering the horror of being sentenced to death and incarcerated for a crime they did not commit.(7) Remedying these hideous mistakes took anywhere from two to 22 years; many of these innocent people came within hours of execution.

Quote:

For every six prisoners executed since the reinstatement of the US death penalty, one innocent person was condemned to die and later exonerated. How many equally blameless but less fortunate prisoners still await execution - or have already gone to their deaths - may never be known.

I'm just not comfortable with those numbers. I understand the human desire for vengeance and I won't deny that there are some people who a part of me says "Fry 'em!" And like NA, if someone brutally murdered a loved one, there would be a strong desire to want to send them to hell myself. I just don't think it is my decision to make, as to who lives and dies. And god forbid, if I was wrong. Like I said earlier this isn't a mistake that can be corrected. If we are going to have to death penalty, it has to be onyl in cases where guilt is absolute. I don't know that our system can guarantee that.

Not Afraid · 03-02-2005, 06:18 PM

Is that me?
I am blind. But, I di have all of my teeth. And they're in pretty good condition!

Gemini Cricket · 03-02-2005, 06:58 PM

Every life is sacred until he does something wrong and then we get to kill him. (He might have been the right guy...)

I don't understand this logic. Especially when it comes from pious supporters of Bush whom god chose.

Confused? Don't be. Just agree.

lizziebith · 03-02-2005, 07:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gemini Cricket

Every life is sacred

Isn't that "every sperm is sacred...?"

Gemini Cricket · 03-02-2005, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lizziebith

Isn't that "every sperm is sacred...?"

Great, thank you very much, lizziebith. Now the song is stuck in my head with the singing and many children and the Cleese-ing and Idle-ing...

Nephythys · 03-02-2005, 07:25 PM

GD-as I recall, given that abortion is a LEGAL Issue- and people get into such a twit about Roe V. Wade and the loss of LEGAL protections to abortion- then I would say the gov't giving us LEGAL permission to KILL the unborn is pretty much the same thing....and IMO a murderer frankly gave up their "right to life" the moment they chose to take someone else's life away.

.....and no one said a damn thing about a sperm being sacred....I made my comment non-personal and by no means snide....but I guess people who think the "right" to kill a baby they don't want is so valuable has nothing better to do than be snide to someone who feels otherwise.

We've been through the death penalty thing before- if used effectively it should be a deterrent, now all it has become is a life sentence to being a drain on the public financially, painful to the family who lost someone they loved, and a cash cow for the lawyers.

There should be a limit to the number of appeals- there should be a time limit to how long you can battle it- and it should be used quickly and efficiently.

All this lovely touchy feely stuff making yourself feel like you are more compassionate because you don't think it's right to put a killer to death (on the offhand chance that they may be innocent-which of course shows so much faith in the justice system) makes zero sense to me in the face of some of the other "values" held so dearly in this crowd.

I'm sorry- I really am..I should never never never have stepped in this thread. My apologies- please, continue feeling good about not wanting to get rid of murderers by giving them the same end they doled out so graciously to others.

I'm genuinely sorry- now I really am done. I think I'll go write a poem for CP.

lizziebith · 03-02-2005, 10:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nephythys

.....and no one said a damn thing about a sperm being sacred....I made my comment non-personal and by no means snide....but I guess people who think the "right" to kill a baby they don't want is so valuable has nothing better to do than be snide to someone who feels otherwise.

Uhh...Neph... that was a cultural reference to the song "Every Sperm is Sacred." Not a snide remark.

Deep breath, dude.

Ghoulish Delight · 03-02-2005, 10:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nephythys

GD-as I recall, given that abortion is a LEGAL Issue- and people get into such a twit about Roe V. Wade and the loss of LEGAL protections to abortion- then I would say the gov't giving us LEGAL permission to KILL the unborn is pretty much the same thing....

You call it "giving legal permission" I call it staying the heck out of it.

lizziebith · 03-02-2005, 10:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nephythys

then I would say the gov't giving us LEGAL permission to KILL the unborn is pretty much the same thing

As a woman who has had a miscarraige, an abortion, and a wonderful birth (of my 11-year-old son) I just wonder WHO THE HELL ARE YOU TO JUDGE. My boy would not be here if it were not for the hard decisions I made earlier in my life. I will never equate abortion with murder because I HAVE BEEN THERE. Have you?

Motorboat Cruiser · 03-03-2005, 01:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nephythys

There should be a limit to the number of appeals- there should be a time limit to how long you can battle it- and it should be used quickly and efficiently.

I fear that speeding up the process would increase the error rate. I'm not comfortable with that.

Here's a question for those of you that are pro-death penalty. How about in regards to minors? Some of them have commited some pretty brutal crimes. At what age do we determine that all hope is lost and they should be written off as a lost cause. 18? 15? 12? Where would you draw the line?

03-02-2005, 06:18 PM	#2
Not Afraid HI! Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 17,108	Is that me? I am blind. But, I di have all of my teeth. And they're in pretty good condition!
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03-02-2005, 06:58 PM	#3
Gemini Cricket ... Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 13,244	Every life is sacred until he does something wrong and then we get to kill him. (He might have been the right guy...) I don't understand this logic. Especially when it comes from pious supporters of Bush whom god chose. Confused? Don't be. Just agree.
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03-02-2005, 07:25 PM	#6
Nephythys Yeah, that's about it- Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: In a state of constant crap to get done Posts: 2,688	GD-as I recall, given that abortion is a LEGAL Issue- and people get into such a twit about Roe V. Wade and the loss of LEGAL protections to abortion- then I would say the gov't giving us LEGAL permission to KILL the unborn is pretty much the same thing....and IMO a murderer frankly gave up their "right to life" the moment they chose to take someone else's life away. .....and no one said a damn thing about a sperm being sacred....I made my comment non-personal and by no means snide....but I guess people who think the "right" to kill a baby they don't want is so valuable has nothing better to do than be snide to someone who feels otherwise. We've been through the death penalty thing before- if used effectively it should be a deterrent, now all it has become is a life sentence to being a drain on the public financially, painful to the family who lost someone they loved, and a cash cow for the lawyers. There should be a limit to the number of appeals- there should be a time limit to how long you can battle it- and it should be used quickly and efficiently. All this lovely touchy feely stuff making yourself feel like you are more compassionate because you don't think it's right to put a killer to death (on the offhand chance that they may be innocent-which of course shows so much faith in the justice system) makes zero sense to me in the face of some of the other "values" held so dearly in this crowd. I'm sorry- I really am..I should never never never have stepped in this thread. My apologies- please, continue feeling good about not wanting to get rid of murderers by giving them the same end they doled out so graciously to others. I'm genuinely sorry- now I really am done. I think I'll go write a poem for CP.
	Submit to Quotes