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Death penalty - what are your thoughts?

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VT_scratch
Posts: 8786 - Karma: 6,254
Whatup NS?

Im writing an essay for english that is due tuesday on the death penalty. Pretty simple format, pick a side (for it or against it) and write in the stlye of intro, con, pro pro conclusion. maybe 3 pros.

As of now I am thinking I want to write from the approach of being against it, with my pro paragraphs being:

executions cost more than life in prison

innocent people can and have been executed and later found to be innocent



So NS, what are your thoughts on the death penalty? Are you for it or against it and what are a couple major reasons you have to support your belief.

Thanks
Apr 12 2009 4:10PM
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Mr.Panda
Posts: 17711 - Karma: 564
i guess to an extent im for it.  someone like the Green River Killer from WA i think should get it but he made a deal to avoid it and because of reasons like that i think its kinda stupid someone like him can get around it. but overall, i think its a good thing, you kill, then you die.  some say that rapists and child molesters should be put to death and i disagree with that.  they usually end up getting killed by other inmates while in prison.  prisoners, for all their faults, hate women beaters and child molesters A LOT.  the ultimate problem with the death penalty is picking when you can and cant use it.  hope that helps.
Apr 12 2009 4:15PM
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WhiteBurd
Posts: 1127 - Karma: 98
i for an i
Apr 12 2009 4:17PM
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Aenigma
Posts: 11256 - Karma: 424
Also take a look at crime rates in areas where capital punishment is available vs. those where it has been abolished.  It is surprising how ineffective it is.  Another approach you could take (and write prolifically on) is that of morality.  Is an eye for an eye really a justified answer to this scenario?  Does putting a person to death rather than in life imprisonment accomplish anything?  

If you are arguing against capital punishment, things will be really easy for you.  If you are for it, you are basically going to have to be a really good liar to make yourself sound legitimate.  I honestly cannot think of a single good argument for it.  It's a really interesting topic to research though, so good luck! 
Apr 12 2009 4:17PM
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Mr.Panda
Posts: 17711 - Karma: 564
one thing to bring up in the column "for" just to think about, not trying to start anything.  is that the prison population will get cut down.  its not a big cutdown, but it does get slightly smaller

i know, im talking out my ass but im trying to show him some arguments that people use for the death penalty.
Apr 12 2009 4:19PM
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jsaya_SagStraps
Posts: 1840 - Karma: 29
I am against it, because essentially, who are we to say who lives and who dies? Doesn't that make us murderers? Then you can start saying, "Yeah, I killed him because the world doesn't need scum". I know people will argue against this, but what if you lived in a world where certain people had complete legal right to kill anyone, like say skiers? I know it doesn't work like that, but essentially, there shouldn't be a death penalty because no one, should be allowed to take a live, and if they do, they get put in prison for a long time. Maximum security prison is WAY scarier to me than a painless death.
Apr 12 2009 4:19PM
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VT_scratch
Posts: 8786 - Karma: 6,254
is this what you mean? I found this:

"Is not a deterrent; crime rates have not gone down.
In fact, the murder rate in the US is 6 times that of Britain and 5 times that of Australia. Neither country has the DP. Texas has twice the murder rate of Wisconsin, a state that doesn't have the DP. Texas and Oklahoma have historically executed the most number of DR inmates, yet in 2003 their state murder rates increased, and both have murder rates higher than the national average."
Apr 12 2009 4:21PM
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bout_it
Posts: 1233 - Karma: 17
yes sir.
Apr 12 2009 4:24PM
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VT_scratch
Posts: 8786 - Karma: 6,254
and does anyone know a specific case of someone executed who was later proven innocent? Im having trouble finding one.
Apr 12 2009 4:32PM
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MistahSmith
Posts: 153 - Karma: 37
exactly what i was gonna say, but only if they are guitly, obviously if innocent doesnt really apply
Apr 12 2009 4:36PM
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jsaya_SagStraps
Posts: 1840 - Karma: 29
Yeah, but one of the problems is that WAY too many people are charged with crimes unrightfully. The Justice System doesn't always get it right, ya know?
Apr 12 2009 4:41PM
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KarmaInitiative
Posts: 2028 - Karma: 174
Why should we (taxpayers) pay for the scum of the country. Rapists, child molestors and murderers deserve to be put to death and out of this world. If your concerned about ethics, maybe we should focus our atention on prison violence and rape.
Apr 12 2009 4:41PM
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VT_scratch
Posts: 8786 - Karma: 6,254
yea but on average it costs about $2 million to execute someone and only $500,000 to keep them in prison for life. So that point kinda seems invalid.

thanks though
Apr 12 2009 4:44PM
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freezed
Posts: 12973 - Karma: 500
Where did you get this figure? I'm interested to know why an execution is so expensive.
Apr 12 2009 4:49PM
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fappy
Posts: 2960 - Karma: 15
i believe in the general philosophy of "an eye for an eye" but  could never support an institutionalized penalty under a justice system as sad and partial as ours.
Apr 12 2009 4:50PM
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Slinger1x1
Posts: 8853 - Karma: 66
if your a sick criminal killer, you deserve nothing but a taste of your own medicine, or maybe worse. obviously its not constitutional to torture, so we will just kill you.

now, i dont disagree with the death penalty, but it seems like an easy way out. you go to prison for a little and then your injected and killed. it also supposed to not be painful? or atleast not long. so maybe they are better of rotting in jail. maybe crack down and make their life a living hell in jail and let them die in there. its indirect torture for like many years, it might be more effective... hes out of society, his life sucks, hes going to die, and hes going to die slowly
Apr 12 2009 4:51PM
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VT_scratch
Posts: 8786 - Karma: 6,254
http://www.antideathpenalty.org/reasons.html

Obviously its probably exaggerated a bit coming from the site, but yea.

"Executions cost more than life in prison.
$2 million per person vs. $500,000 (4x as much!). "

However I'm not going to hesitate to use this figure as I am writing against the death penalty.
Apr 12 2009 4:55PM
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bailer
Posts: 2178 - Karma: 14

more arguments against the death penalty...

there is some research that linked increasedmurder rates to areas that have the death penalty. in a city where an executionwas made public violent crime actually rose the following days. its argued thatbecause people see the state justifying killing people they believe that their killingis also ok with proper justification.

Apr 12 2009 5:18PM
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sk1er
Posts: 614 - Karma: 10
I am opposed.
1. it reps being brutish for lack of a better word.  3rd world countries kill people for crimes we should be better than that by now
2. Doesnt work as a deturent
3. expense
4. wrongful convictions
Apr 12 2009 5:21PM
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KravtZ
Posts: 6637 - Karma: 2,629
def for it as long as they are proved guilty so many people shoudnt be there they now are finding becusae of dna evidence but if they do something seriously fucked up and are 100% proven then they should be killed
Apr 12 2009 5:24PM
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Slinger1x1
Posts: 8853 - Karma: 66
prove that the death penalty costs 4x as much though... that will be key

cuz when i think of it, if we were more into the death penalty, someone would be tried, found guilty, little other stuff, and then executed within that year maybe. now if you have that same person, but hes in jail for life, the expenses have to pile up to more than jail for a year and some chemicals injected into him...
Apr 12 2009 5:46PM
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VT_scratch
Posts: 8786 - Karma: 6,254
yea thats what I though too but I think it has to do something more with all the law processes you have to go through to get the execution approved. I will have to look deeper into it.
Apr 12 2009 5:50PM
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Bren-Ten
Posts: 1187 - Karma: 24
i 2nd that.
Apr 12 2009 5:50PM
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OhMyBosh
Posts: 5056 - Karma: 171
Im against it for a few reasons...


1. i dont think anyone has the right to take anyone else's life... killing someone because they killed someone else doesnt justify it.

2. id rather die an easy painless death than rot in prison getting assraped for 50 years.
Apr 12 2009 5:51PM
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Aenigma
Posts: 11256 - Karma: 424
This will be the main argument for capital punishment, but you can easily discredit it.  Someone else's actions don't justify doing the same thing, and a civilized country should be able to move past such simple-minded and barbaric practices.  An eye for an eye philosophy is self-perpetuating and pretty ridiculous if you give it some thought.  Obviously that's a pretty slimmed-down version of the explanation, but this point can be tied into a strengthened by any other moral/ethical arguments you have.
Apr 12 2009 5:55PM
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Slinger1x1
Posts: 8853 - Karma: 66
except that makes no sense... i love the english language

an EYE for an EYE
Apr 12 2009 6:12PM
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TheButterHashira
Posts: 9691 - Karma: 1,702
I think everyone who gets life should have the option of death. The death penalty is way better than a hopeless lifetime of prison. If someone I cared about was killed it wouldn't make me feel any better to know the murderer was put to death but I guess it would make some people feel better.
Death penalty>life in prison.
Apr 12 2009 6:18PM
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s_a_m
Posts: 916 - Karma: 58
tooth for a tooth
Apr 12 2009 6:20PM
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Slinger1x1
Posts: 8853 - Karma: 66
so your saying that someone that murders people should have the choice of how he wants to die (prison or executed)? i think after really weighing the pros and cons, most would choose put to death, as it is quick and gets it over with.

but its a punishment, and i find that giving them the option to get out of it easy by being put to death is not effective. i would think that having to spend the rest of your life in prison is much more of a punishment
Apr 12 2009 8:12PM
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Thenowhereman42
Posts: 5682 - Karma: 65
I'm against it because if for example, someone killed my kid or something, I'd want him to rot in prison the rest of his life because I think thats probably worse than death, at least I'd rather just be killed.
Apr 12 2009 8:21PM
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VT_scratch
Posts: 8786 - Karma: 6,254
thanks for the feedback guys im brewin up this essay
Apr 12 2009 8:22PM
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LIL_WAT
Posts: 1900 - Karma: 475
PWNED
Apr 12 2009 8:41PM
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9o2mdkNamzz1_1
Posts: 2113 - Karma: 10
and the whole world goes blind...
Apr 12 2009 8:42PM
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WhiteBurd
Posts: 1127 - Karma: 98
dick for tit or how ever it is
Apr 12 2009 8:43PM
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DirtyDan
Posts: 1576 - Karma: 158
people be talkin how its mad dollars for execution, yet last i checked it was 20 cent fo a bullet!
Apr 12 2009 9:14PM
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Slinger1x1
Posts: 8853 - Karma: 66
image the money the country could be saving if we dropped this inhuman bullshit....
Apr 12 2009 9:20PM
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TheButterHashira
Posts: 9691 - Karma: 1,702
I'm pro choice and pro death.
I think the simple choice would be more cost effective than dragging out public defenders and wasting time in court. Prison is actually pretty fucked up but its the only effective way of keeping rapists and violent individuals away from innocent people. Well that and just killing them but that is almost as bad as the crime in the first place.
Apr 12 2009 9:37PM
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gbirrd
Posts: 1475 - Karma: 20
i agree with it. like if someone if mentally unstable and have done bad enough stuff to be put in a sidution to death. i think it is deserved
Apr 12 2009 9:39PM
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uni-corn
Posts: 13846 - Karma: 651
I give it.....

Click for larger image

2 THUMBS UP!
Apr 12 2009 9:42PM
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AMD_5
Posts: 745 - Karma: 15
i agree with it, but to an extent. The reason i'm for it is because I have no faith on the punishments handed down by the courts here in canada. a serial rapist gets parole after 25 years. honestly, wtf is that.

I think they should do it like If more than 3 eyewitnesses say that you murdered the person, you're ass gets the chair.

if we here in Canada would stop giving out parole to rapists and murderers like candy, I would be against the death penalty
Apr 12 2009 9:55PM
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neon1peace
Posts: 998 - Karma: -1
..
Apr 12 2009 10:21PM
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Zoro
Posts: 1253 - Karma: 37

i guess it depends how bad that thing the person did was.    sudame hussein (spelling) deserved what he got and it was right for the whole world to be able to see it happen

-treat others how you would like to be treated-

Apr 12 2009 11:38PM
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Captain-T
Posts: 855 - Karma: 47
I have no problem with it. Shit, I'll zap a bastard then go have a nice steak, medium rare.
Apr 12 2009 11:40PM
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Nicholas.
Posts: 10905 - Karma: 60
if someone kills someone unjustly they deserve to have their life taken, however a life in prison is much worse than being executed.

but in extreme cases (people who killed multiple people, or just really heinous things like babies or whatever) they should sit on death row for a while then be killed...and as for cost? firing squads fairly cheap, so is hanging. they dont deserve painless deaths when they surely didnt give that to their victims.
Apr 12 2009 11:43PM
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soulskier
Posts: 17806 - Karma: 3,841
and for every opinion, theres an opposite, for a good opinion paper, you need to "offer a concession" and then destroy it
unless thats for an argumentative paper.... i still dont understand
Apr 12 2009 11:48PM
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gmack24
Posts: 4636 - Karma: 31
The loss of even one innocent life via capital punishment makes it entirely inhumane and not worth it.
Apr 13 2009 12:01AM
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LineAddiction9
Posts: 616 - Karma: 12

people are for it till its there turn too get executed

Apr 13 2009 12:02AM
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r0dubs
Posts: 1764 - Karma: 19
you should write your paper on abortion
Apr 13 2009 12:07AM
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soulskier
Posts: 17806 - Karma: 3,841
sorry, meant to post a link

http://www.prodeathpenalty.com
Apr 13 2009 12:08AM
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cfox
Posts: 2286 - Karma: 38
JAAAAH
Apr 13 2009 12:18AM
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El_Barto.
Posts: 11661 - Karma: 24,351
totally for it, just think about the earths total population. i think the earth has already reached its REASONABLE carrying capacity for humans. do we really need to keep people alive who dont play by the rules? i say no, we need to start reducing the worlds total population and we can start by putting a glock to the back of sex offenders and other criminals heads
Apr 13 2009 12:33AM
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