Why I'm against the death penalty

[Maverickx50]

My political leanings are mostly conservative. I say this so you will have a better understanding of my leanings but not because I harbor any basic Ill feelings towards any other political opinions. As much as possible I try to temper my opinions with a willingness to try to understand others opposing views and why they may feel that way.

After the recent mass killings in Colorado I again have taken time to consider my feelings about Capital punishment. As always I again conclude it is a bad solution for dealing with bad criminals. I personally would have no compunction over taking possible fatal action to protect myself or my loved ones. Try to hurt my family and I’ll respond in any way I have to including putting the BG down for good. But: After the fact where protection is no longer an option I’d be the first to ask for life without parole as opposed to a death penalty. I differentiate between killing to protect and killing as a penalty or for revenge. Let me explain why I have come to this point of view: Which I must admit I did not share with my younger self in years gone by.

First: Many/most who commit murder are temporarily or permanently mentally unbalanced. Not saying that this deserves my sympathy but it does add a cloud of grey to any decision to kill the killer.

Second: I agree that it probably costs the state more to execute a criminal than it would to house the same person for life. Not saying this is right but it is what it is.

Fourth: It doesn't seem that the death penalty has served as much of a deterrent to crime. (Probably reflects back to the mentally unbalanced argument)

Third: IMHO long term it has to be more difficult to be in prison for life than to be dead.

Finally: It concerns me as to what executing a BG does to the ones that are involved. This includes the lawyers for the state, the judge, the jury, and especially the person(s) that is/are paid to pull the switch. This has to weigh heavily on all concerned, especially the person(s) involved in the final act of carrying out the execution.

I understand the victims feeling of need for revenge. However, revenge is not a good reason to kill anybody. Revenge belongs to a higher court than we can participate in.

Bottom line is if I was voted King, (not too likely tho) I’d stop all executions and commute all to life without parole.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Cold Shot]

I don't think it costs more to execute somebody than it does keep them in prison for life.

[msgt/ret]

I respectfully disagree; there are some that deserve to have their lives ended immediately rather than having the luxury of living out the rest of their own lives. I offer examples such as Jeffery Dahmer, Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacey and I am sure there are others.

[Maverickx50]

I respectfully disagree; there are some that deserve to have their lives ended immediately rather than having the luxury of living out the rest of their own lives. I offer examples such as Jeffery Dahmer, Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacey and I am sure there are others.

I fully understand your feelings. I used to share them as well. But for the reasons I outlined above I personally had to modify my opinion.

[Gene83]

The most compelling argument for the death penalty that I ever heard was that as long as the murderer awakes each morning to a new day and draws a breath of air, he is doing something that he has denied his victim forever.

[Brad426]

The most compelling argument against it is every now and then the wrong person gets executed. Oopsy...

[sid1]

I don't think it costs more to execute somebody than it does keep them in prison for life.

Yes it actually does cost more. One would think it's the other way around but no.

And I do believe in some cases the death penalty is warranted as others said in their examples.

[Maverickx50]

It is probably best that we stay away from comments heading into comparisons of the death penalty and/or the taking of unborn life.
I started with a minor comparison, but have removed it so as NOT to get a thread going in that direction.
We all may have our ideas about either situation, but this forum is not the place to strike up that debate.
ret

Excellent point!!

[Brad426]

It is probably best that we stay away from comments heading into comparisons of the death penalty and/or the taking of unborn life.
I started with a minor comparison, but have removed it so as NOT to get a thread going in that direction.
We all may have our ideas about either situation, but this forum is not the place to strike up that debate.
ret

What if you're against both? That seems to make way more sense (all life is worth saving and all that), but I am one of the few people I know that is against both. The liberal stance is typically "pro-choice" and anti-death penalty and the conservative stance is typically pro-death penalty and anti-abortion. Both seem a little hypocritical to me. But this is a quagmire so that's my last post on this here thread.

[DoctorBob]

There are a couple of other points:
lex talionis is a morally poor constuct upon which to deprive a person of his life.
The new testament speaks storngly against it (Mathew 5:38-39)

More important, to my way of thinking, is that in the past several years, there have been about 1100 executions and about 100 people on death row have been released when DNA evidence has shown they were not the perpetrators. That's an error rate of about 1 in 9.
that's way too inaccurate for me.

Yes, there are probably some who truly deserve to be removed from the face of the earth (eventually, they will be). the problem is in knowing which of all of them in the death row category really don't belong there. To kill one out of every 9 or so when they didn't deserve it, is not worth it to get the ones who do. Jail without parole.

[bunker]

The faster the murderers are executed, the longer the time they will spend burning in hell... this is why i am all for it. We should have an "express checkout lane" for people such as the mass murderer in Colorado, not an insane asylum. bunker

[Maverickx50]

What if you're against both? That seems to make way more sense (all life is worth saving and all that), but I am one of the few people I know that is against both. The liberal stance is typically "pro-choice" and anti-death penalty and the conservative stance is typically pro-death penalty and anti-abortion. Both seem a little hypocritical to me. But this is a quagmire so that's my last post on this here thread.

Well I'm against both as well so nice to meet you!!

[retsupt99]

It is probably best that we stay away from comments heading into comparisons of the death penalty and/or the taking of unborn life.
I started with a minor comparison, but have removed it so as NOT to get a thread going in that direction.
We all may have our ideas about either situation, but this forum is not the place to strike up that debate.

[Arborigine]

It does cost more to take a death sentence to it's conclusion than to warehouse someone, mostly because of the endless litigation and appeals. A fast lane would fix that.

Death isn't much of a deterrent because it is seldom invoked. Ask someone from China about that.

[HotGuns]

This post contains some of the key words that make it political. Abortion.Death Penalty.Liberal.Conservative.

Since there will be a clash coming because of the difference of opinion,very strong opinions, and because this is political, and because this is a gun forum, I am closing it.