But see who are we really punishing here? Sure the prisoners don't live as well off as I do, but they live better off then a lot of the poor people.

If I recall correctly (which I might not be, I have a bad memory and no access to the article I read) everytime a person gets sentenced with life in prison that's another 30 thousand a year that has to be taken from taxes.

• I'd rather my taxes were spent on life than on death.
  I'm glad it doesn't exist in my state.

Originally Posted by Jennger

Also because it'd be cheaper on my taxes. I don't want to have to pay so that some guy who raped/murdered people can live till old age.

Another great point.

I work hard for my money and I don't want it to be spent on food for some sicko who killed someone.

• And I don't want my money spent killing people :?.

Originally Posted by jessyta

Another great point.

I work hard for my money and I don't want it to be spent on food for some sicko who killed someone.

Exactly! I may not work hard for my money, but my husband does. XD

Poet: So you don't believe in an eye for an eye punishment huh?

• Absolutely not; and I've said it before in this thread, as a matter of fact.

Ah I didn't read through the entire thread. I breezed through.

• I believe what I believe in :?.
  So yes, I'd say it was an appropriate punishment.
  I'm not a hypocrite.
  Of course I'd be upset, but I don't believe in killing people.

Regarding the tax remarks: the amount of murderers awaiting execution is very small compared to the amount of murderers who are not. What's the solution? Everyone simply be killed and no taxes spent on anyone? That will never happen, thank goodness.

It is simply not up to people to decide where and to whom tax money is applied.

Originally Posted by jessyta

To you motivation may not be relevant, but thankfully it IS relevant to the justice system.

If a person kills in self defense, their motivation was their own safety and therefore they should not be punished in the same way as a person who kills for financial gain or another reason.

It's irrelevant because I think killing people is wrong regardless of who does it - I can't think of anything that can be relevant where such an atrocious "punishment", one that basically allows people to cope with their revenge fantasies, is used.

Originally Posted by Jupiter

Regarding the tax remarks: the amount of murderers awaiting execution is very small compared to the amount of murderers who are not. What's the solution? Everyone simply be killed and no taxes spent on anyone? That will never happen, thank goodness.

It is simply not up to people to decide where and to whom tax money is applied.

It's irrelevant because I think killing people is wrong regardless of who does it - I can't think of anything that can be relevant where such an atrocious "punishment", one that basically allows people to cope with their revenge fantasies, is used.

So if someone was about to kill you, you wouldn't defend yourself? If someone was about to shoot your mom in the head,you wouldn't try to kill them first? You'd just watch them kill your mom and think 'Oh, well at least he is going to go to jail' :?

And as a voting taxpayer, it IS in fact my right to say where that money goes. That is why we have elections. :wink:

• Yeah, basically it's a sense of "let's get revenge" :?.
  Self defense is self defense. If staying alive means I have to end someone's life, then yes, but in no other situation is it really appropriate, let alone just for ... revenge.

If I were in danger I would do what I could to get out of danger - that has nothing to do with the application of the death penalty, though.

I've had a person close to me be murdered in a pretty horriffic way - I'm not telling you this to say "I'm more right than you are", I'm just letting you know that that event informs my opinons, so any hypotheticals (i.e. what if someone was going to shoot your mother) levelled don't mean anything to me because I have an actual experience to influence my opinion already.


You have the right to give your input on where you think your tax money should go - you don't have the right to decide where it actually does go. Do you really know exactly where all of your tax money goes, and do you constantly contact your representatives when you disagree with how they spend that money?

Originally Posted by Jupiter

If I were in danger I would do what I could to get out of danger - that has nothing to do with the application of the death penalty, though.

Actually it does. You said motivation is not relevant, and now you are admitting that it is. :wink:

Originally Posted by jessyta

Actually it does. You said motivation is not relevant, and now you are admitting that it is. :wink:

• 
  He said that regardless of motivation, the death penalty is not appropriate; not that it was completely irrelevant.

All right, now this really depends on the exact situation. It should not be something like anyone who kills someone deserves death penalty, or whatever. It really has to be based on how severe the offense is, and have all the details, records, etc brought into account. Some people just really really screw up severely bad which leads to the most horrific decision of doing something awful such as killing another. However, some people who have bad those decisions have also know made the decision to shape things out, and some of them want to but don't know how to start. In most cases, those people who are truly like that don't deserve death penality, but it can be very hard at time to filter who those people out. Also, if the offence is really severe enough such as repeat children rape, repeat killings, terrorism, definitely I am all for the death penalty. I think those true insanities that possess those people to do those things isn't worth fixing...I know that may seem inhuman but yeah, I look at them as inhuman....but that's just a generalization, I know not all are like that.

Originally Posted by poet`s playground

• 
  He said that regardless of motivation, the death penalty is not appropriate; not that it was completely irrelevant.

Maybe that's what was meant, it's not what was posted.

i'm against the death penalty for a couple reasons.

1) for those people that are wrongly accused, i would really really hate to see someone say later "oops! looks like we missed this DNA!"
2) from what i've heard, it costs more to execute the death penalty than it does to keep them alive. it takes many many many long years to finally sentence someone to death... and a lot of money too! anyone wants to pull up facts to say otherwise then that's fine. i'm too lazy at the moment ^^;;;;
3) there was a #3 but i forgot what it was O.O;;



HOWEVER i do think that each state or country should be allowed to decide for themselves what suits their particular situation.

Originally Posted by jessyta

Maybe that's what was meant, it's not what was posted.

You merely interpreted what I said incorrectly - it's not a big deal. I also think you misunderstood what I said by "defend myself". I would not defend myself in such a manner where death was on the cards. Even if my life was in serious peril, I couldn't see myself capable of using deadly force on another person. The bottom line is that I think killing is wrong in all situations - I could hardly support the discontinued use of the death penalty and then say "sure, I'd kill someone to protect myself".

depends on the crime, I believe!

Some criminals honestly should not be allowed the chance to hurt more people, and the only way to make certain that they will never hurt another person is to kill them...

the system is imperfect as is though, too many people get away with seriously harming others, and there are also too many people who are punished too harshly for their crimes!

The current system needs to be revised!

we spend lots of money on jails being built and less on colleges/students so if each in-mate is going to cost alot for a crime they've done then just kill them plus if it was like this way my brother would of died years ago :? plus if the raped,kill,or tourture, whats the point of letting them live even if its life in prison doesnt mean you still cant tourture or kill OR rape so kill em' and alot of people on death sentences live for years in jail untill the actually kill em

Originally Posted by Mary

spending life in prison doing nothing is so much worse than just dying. if a criminal did something really bad, they should spend their life thinking about how much they suck for doing that.

Amen!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antisoc...ality_disorder

While life imprisonment may be effective torture for people who actually have a conscience, there are several who are in prison for such heinous crimes that seriously just don't give a damn.

• I just don't honestly think it's right to kill people like they put down dogs for being aggressive :?.

So then it is ok to put down dogs when they're aggressive?

Originally Posted by Aerysta

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antisocial_personality_disorder

While life imprisonment may be effective torture for people who actually have a conscience, there are several who are in prison for such heinous crimes that seriously just don't give a damn.

I already brought up sociopathy. =| They don't give a damn.