Death Penalty Poll

[Biker Biggles]

Originally Posted by stewie

There will always be victims, but if it protects one extra child then its worth it I beleive.

And if juries were made up of people with this opinion

Originally Posted by Biker Biggles

And if juries were made up of people with this opinion

Might not have put that as I intended, basically in order to further protect children from attacks by peadoephiles when they are realeaed, and they will be released, it might be easier to sort them out in the courts, thats what I should have said, you know, so they dont come after my children or your children or anyone elses.

[Biker Biggles]

I get it.I thought you meant it doesnt matter if we top one or two innocent people if it saves a child.

I used to be against it for a long time but lets be honest who would'nt want to put this man down http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/de...d-child-killer if this is the exceptional circumstances which is refered to then yes for me.

Also any one who says no never, I would like to know if they still thought that if it was your daughter, sister, etc who was the victim, makes you think eh.

Originally Posted by bris

I used to be against it for a long time but lets be honest who would'nt want to put this man down http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/de...d-child-killer if this is the exceptional circumstances which is refered to then yes for me.

Also any one who says no never, I would like to know if they still thought that if it was your daughter, sister, etc who was the victim, makes you think eh.

I cannot stand it when people presume they know how the victims of these crimes feel. Folks, unless you have been in the position of thses victims then you cannot for a second understand their thoughts or emotions. You do not know what way you would react.

[dizzyblonde]

If they do sick bad things, and smuggle drugs so many suffer...



OFF with their heads!

Long Post Alert – it sort of grew

Voted no – not under any circumstances

That was my first reaction but reading through I have rerun the arguments that led to that opinion and on balance decided that I was absolutely right.

The overwhelming arguments are in my opinion is the three pronged
a) Is it ever possible to eliminate all risk of error
b) Is it easy way out for the guilty
c) Is execution a power that the state should ever have

I know that the original premise is that the perpetrator is guilty beyond all doubt so lets forget the first objection and concentrate on the other two.

Power of the state

For me this is a “Catch 22” argument
If the state believes that it has the need or the right to inflict the death penalty then it is not sufficiently well developed to be allowed the power.
If the state believes that it does need, or have, the right to inflict the death penalty then it is sufficiently well developed to be allowed to use it.

Under both scenarios the death penalty is not used.

“The easy way out”

I can only view this from a personal perspective.
Assuming that I was convicted of a capital crime would I prefer execution or incarceration for life?

a) If I was guilty.
There is very next to no prospect of getting out so (from this comfortable distance) I think I would prefer to end it all as soon as possible
b) If I was innocent
Then the possibility of justice and eventual release is real and I think I would prefer to keep the hope (and myself) alive.

Under both scenarios the death penalty is not the right option.

There are also the economic, punishment and protection arguments, which though less compelling in my view deserve consideration.

Punishment

This reprises the argument about “the easy way out”, but to my mind develops it as follows: At some point the cost to society of incarceration becomes greater than we are prepared to pay to punish the perpetrator.
At this point there are two options;
a) If they of no further risk – release them
b) If they continue to pose a risk – keep them locked up but the cost now falls under the heading protecting society, not punishing the perpetrator

Protection

Should we as a society be prepared to pay to protect ourselves from dangerous individuals? This is the question that I find most difficult to answer, at the limit its easy – Mass child killing terrorists, keep them locked up for our protection. At the other end of the scale, well, where is the other end of the scale?

Economic

As above when we get to the point where the punishment element has been satisfied and we are paying only to protect ourselves from the individual then I make my most controversial proposal.
The perpetrator having served the punishment portion of the sentence should have option to take assisted suicide as a way out.

Blue touch paper is lit and I am running for cover!

No, never - For many of the reasons plus this: It will degrade the executioner. I can't see how anyone, no matter how moral, stable or well-trained wouldn't be irreparably damaged by carrying out a death sentence.

It is all moot. EU citizens are protected by at least two different human rights agreements which abolish the death penalty. AU is a member of one of those. It is interesting that there is only one of the so called "civilised" western countries that still uses the death penalty.

[Bri w]

Can you pull the trigger. it's one thing voting yes, in excetional circumstances. But can you really pull the trigger? And could you speak to the convicts family and say I pulled the trigger becauce of... Could you look the children of the accused and say I killed your father/mother because of...

I know its a U-rated site, and i know we tread around the edges of some very controversial subjects, but do you really think you could pull the trigger on another human being???

So he's raped your sister!!??(1984) So another has sexually assault your wife!!??(2006)...

Do you want to wake up in the morning thinking I killed the barsteward who.... Or do you want to wake up thinking the barsteward daren't go into the showers for the next x years??

Each to their own but i'll tell you one thing. The higher moral ground when you've been wronged, as opposed to living at their level, is a nicer place to be...