Execute Them!

[Carnanc]

I feel the need to be very cautious in applying to quickly the death penalty. True, it is just punishment for many crimes. However, society does have the means of solely relying on life in prison which I believe is even cheaper than execution. It is a point of prudence. Do we really want the government to have the power of life and death in this case, when life and prison can provide an equally effective means of keeping offenders off the streets? Those in prison also have the opportunity to repent, and our also faced with death, just not death at the hands of the government.

[MichaelFilo]

They are less likely. I think that a big problem is overlooking the fact you know you are going to die. Simply being allowed to live in a different environment doesn't cause a chance, you know.

Thinking about your death and what matters, does. That isn't going to happen for "life in prison"

God bless,
Mikey

[Carnanc]

the primary purpose of punishment is to "redress the disorder caused by the offense," not to take a human life, with the intention that this might increase the chance of them coming to repentence. The only reason the death penalty should be allowed is if it is the only available option to keep society safe. Otherwise, I feel using the death penalty is not respecting life. God can work in many ways to get someone to think about what is important in life. It is not necessary for the government to have to play this role, when the governements primary duty is to keep society safe.

[MichaelFilo]

Your laizzez(sp?)-faire political ideology is conflicting with my pro-monarchy stance, so I won't go into what the role of the government is here.

The nature of laws (in recent history) is twofold:
1) To denote what is incorrect behavior.
2) To set approrpriate punishments (usually a range of them to be picked through by the judge).

The role of punishment is only really this : To cause an understanding of the error in the person that should lead to a seeking of reconciliation.

Punishment doesn't fix an offense, nor is it used to make amends for an offence (I didn't know in what way you meant redress)(not the punishments of today anyways, because life in prison doesn't make up for raping someone anymore than 10 years in prison does for robbing someone blind).

Punishment do not fix disorders. I cannot fix homosexual acts, which are disordered or stealing which is also disordered by sending someone to jail. I simply can give them time to think about it and show that those offenses will not go unpunished. Why do you think that crimes are repeated so often by people who went to jail for that very same crime? It surely isn't because jail is corrective in and of itself (in it's current state, I'd say it's counter-productive).

Jail-time as a punishment is only as effective as it is harsh. The more the realization that a crime has been committed (and the more times one is reminded) the more likely they will seek some sort of forgiveness, which will lead to an attempt to not repeat the crime. However, sometimes the punishments can sometimes be a deterent (It should be noted, jails today offere a nicer living place than some urban housing).

What is the main point? Life in jail (especially modern jails) is not effective in leading a man to reconciliation (Which is the most important thing, not some correction of a disorder, but a reunion with God, or simply a union). The death penalty is super-effective.

That is why I support it's usage when the alternative is not useful in correction of the individual.

God bless,
Mikey

[BurkeFan]

Classically, the idea of punishment, including the death penalty, had to do with justice more so than the idea of correction. Correction was included, of course, but the overriding principle was that the offender had some debt to society. It was thought that debts created by the gravest crimes could only be repaid with one's life.

[MichaelFilo]

In the modren world, we refer to jails as "corrective facilities". I suppose that notion of debt is long gone. Lawas and diplomacy have come a long way. However, punishment should be corrective in nature, since that "debt" is really only to those who were affected by the crime and so would be appropritally payed ot them in some other manner.

God bless,
Mikey

[cmotherofpirl]

The debt is owed to all of society, not simply the person or family offended.

[Winchester]

In texas, the average sex offender has forty victims.

It is not worth the gamble. At the very least, all rapists should be imprisoned untikl they curl up and die, kicking their legs in the air.

[Jaime]

[quote name='Don John of Austria' date='Apr 27 2005, 11:56 PM'] Yes includingthe 15 year old who has an abortion. [/quote]
Isn't that a bit harsh?

[cmotherofpirl]

It is.

[Q the Ninja]

I wanna know how many capital punishment cases are for the wrong reasons (such as revenge).

[cmotherofpirl]

How could you quantify that?

[Q the Ninja]

You really cannot, but the people who push such cases (for wrong reasons) are very culpable for a great malum.

[Carrie]

There have been some innocent people on death row, although this is less likely now, with DNA evidence coming into the picture. I don't think trying to determine how many innocent people have died really matters...even the loss of one innocent person is a tragedy.

[popestpiusx]

Off with their heads!

[Angel]

I think they should be locked up for life so that they cant do it to others. I dont really believe in capital punishment I dont think anyone has the right to kill another person. I think in extreme cases where they feel its necessary maybe for serial murderers but even then its tough because I'm a Christian, and just don't believe people have any right to play God. Lock them up, let God be the final judge.

[Don John of Austria]

I don't believe people have the rightto play God either, but I don't see whatthat has to do with capital punishment, someone who desides for themselves what is right or wrong instead of listening to Gods law is playing God. Capital pusishment is nothing of the kind, it is simply the State defending it's own.

[cmotherofpirl]

what Don said

[Q the Ninja]

I would just like to posit one thing...the death penalty [i]should[/i] be the state exercising the duty to protect its citizens. It's not always necessary, and quite honestly, way too over used.

The death penalty is too often used for the wrong reason.

[Don John of Austria]

[quote name='Q the Ninja' date='May 3 2005, 07:05 PM'] I would just like to posit one thing...the death penalty [i]should[/i] be the state exercising the duty to protect its citizens. It's not always necessary, and quite honestly, way too over used.

The death penalty is too often used for the wrong reason. [/quote]
It's funney because Ithink the death penalty is way under used. On the other hand I object to its use as a matter of vengence, it should be used to protect the innocent from those who would harm them, thus I think many people we concider untouchable are those who should getthis penalty first. That being said while I personally disagree with the use of the death penelty agianst those who have no demonstratable danger to people anymore ( such as those who murder as a specific crime of passion) it is important to remember that those who have murdered the innocent have Forfeited their right to live.