I've been thinking about this theme. So, the biggest criminals suffer death penalty (in some countries), instead of going to prison. I think it shouldn't be this way. Not only because I don't agree about people killing people, but death sentence is an easy way out for them, when they haven't got anything left in their lives. They should let them in prison until they die naturally. Your opinions?
Let people rot in their cells!? Thats stupid! Some people will make friends in prison and have a relatively good life considering. I agree with the death penalty because although sometimes the wrong person may be found guilty, countries with the death penalty have a lower rate of crime than those without. Criminals become scared because they know what could happen to them.
Still, death penalty is most of times an helping hand for suicide, and guilty people must be punished.
But even so, the person probably didnt want to commit suicide. And being in jail is hardly a punsihment. What you seem to be suggesting is torture... :?
How can you say that being in prison isn't a punishment? They have no life there, neither they have if you kill them. The difference is that while they're alive they suffer long term, not short term, like being killed. I support that they must pay for what they've done.
So you think that if someone kills someone else, it is ok if they just go to prison? Prison isnt a punishment because a) they are not exactly doing something they dont want to do, they are still allowed to live normal lives, they just have a confined area in which to do so. and b) most murderers dont stay in jail for longer than 20 years anyway, so it is pointless, they then get let out to go and kill again -_-
I'm against it...Who has the right to kill someone?Isn't because of that they are in prison? Killing another human being is not a rational action... And more, death penalty is for life...what if the person that was "executed" is not guilty? Places that have death penalty laws do not have lower crime rates or murder rates than other places without such laws...see for instance the case of some states in the USA... "Massachusetts, which abolished the death penalty in 1984, has a lower rate of crime than Connecticut that still has death penalty."
I disagree, I think prison would be a suitable punishment. First off, prison life is not 'nice' at all. Even in the extreme situation that they may be living in a comfortable environment, or they make a friend or two, it plays psychological games with you to not be able to leave a room because you want to, to have to ask someone with complete authority over you when you have to even go to the bathroom sometimes. Sure it wouldn't seem that horrible if prisoners had to stay there for a week or a month, but a lifetime being kept alive with nothing to live for is not pleasant in the least.
That would be the easiest solution to stop a criminal, kill him, but then it's not moraly right, like Cris said, I think everyone deserves a second chance, even if they did something really bad. There should be something more harsh than prison to punish the worst criminals, but not execution.
I'm against the death penalty. The punishment should not be for revenge, it should be for rehability. If a person has killed another human being, what's the point of killing them? It's not like the driving force to kill is in their genes. It's their mentality that needs to be changed. And why kill them when you can try and correct the problem and hopefully make them good citizen? To me, the death penalty just doesn't make sense.
The point in killing them would be to make an example of them so that prospective murderers would think twice! I suppose everyone here who disgrees with the death penalty thinks that Saddam Hussain should have been sent to jail for 20 years or so then? :?
Many criminals were already killed before, and the example doesn't work, does it? And I think that Saddam Hussein should have been sentenced to go to one of those high security prisons until he would die.
And why shouldn't the person pulling the switch be sent to jail for it? Face it, those who have a tendancy of killing another human being for any other reason than self-defence won't be scared off anymore by the death penalty than by lifetime in prison. Just like shoplifters don't stop until they get caught. Or smokers who think that they'll never get cancer. It's just the same thing, people don't belive they will get caught, but they do. And by then the death penalty has shown that it didn't scare off people from murdering one another. And yes, I think he should have been sentenced to lifetime and not death. No matter what crimes a person has comitted, they should not be killed. Because it's a contradiction when a person gets sentenced to death for killing someone.
Apparently, in the UK, it costs an average of around £30,000 a year to keep a prisoner. So, a 50 year sentence would cost over £1.5 million. I disagree with the idea of the death penalty in principle for the plain reason that I don't think we have the right to take someone's life, regardless of the consequences. And there are always going to be mistakes made - even those who 'confess' can't be said to be 100% definitely guilty. We don't know what pressures people are put under to confess, or whether there's an underlying motive such as protected someone else. However, it's getting to the point where there isn't much of an alternative. The numbers of prisoners are increasing and we're running out of places to keep them. I know this isn't the way things should be looked at ideally, but this is far from an ideal world :?
Here in PHilippines Death Penalty is for the persons who commited Huge Crimes.. and murders. .ordinary crimes is where they put em in jail.
^^ UK has a way lower crime rate than USA even if you averaged it out and I think thats down to the fact of no guns or less at least. The death penalty is stupid it is an easy way out if you are in the frame of mind to murder someone I hardly think you care about your future or life. Prison isn't a walk in the park as some of you are suggesting it is a punishment. If you kill someone for killing someone thats hardly setting a good example. Ever heard of the expression two wrongs don't make a right.
This is a hard question for me because I see the good points in both sides. First of all, being in prison/jail isn't fun in any sense. I know this from experience. It was probably the hardest thing I've ever had to do in my life thus far. However, being confined and institutionalized doesn't seem to bother some people. Some people become very accustomed to this type of life and adapt very well. I was not one of those people, but I saw plenty that didn't seem to be bothered by it. I can understand from my experience why some people believe that life in prison would be worse than the death penalty. As I said though, it does not seem to bother some people to live their lives this way. Also, it costs the taxpayers LOTS of money to house these prisoners. This doesn't seem right to me, either. The death penalty on the other hand, seems contradicting. How is killing someone that killed someone justify anything? It seems more like revenge than justice. Although, I must admit that if someone killed someone I love, I would probably want them dead as well. But that is revenge, not justice. Even if the person were dead, I still wouldn't get my loved one back and I really don't think it would bring me any closure. So like I said... tough question. :?
I don't really feel like arguing for or against the death penalty because it is too large of an argument to say in a 500 word chat board post. But to point out a few facts for the others: 1) You can't exactly compare the death U.K. to the U.S. based on the death penalty vs. no death penalty, for a number of reasons, the main one being that each state in the U.S. has a different rule about the death penalty, they do not all practice it. 2) If a prisoner wants to kill themselves in prison they can. They are not held in straight jackets or anything to prevent that, and many prisoners do kill themselves if they go crazy, and such. So it is safe to say that if they are in prison, but haven't committed suicide, they want to be alive and would consider death worse. 3) Part of a penalty is the 'deterrent' aspect. Pointing out how a particular punishment for shop lifting doesn't stop many from committing the crime, fails to acknowledge how that penalty prevents many more from shop lifting in the first place. Maybe some of you are too young, but for example, paying taxes in the U.S. is entirely voluntary, nobody really forces you to do the accounting or pick what dollar amount to send to the government. The thing is, the government randomly audits people to make sure they have paid their taxes and in the proper amount, and if you haven't there is a stiff penalty and possibly jail time. This is why everyone pays taxes; they probably wouldn't without this deterrent unless they were doing it for the good of the country. 4) If you are against the death penalty because you think it is morally wrong to kill somebody. You ought to consider your opinions for other situations. For example, people in the military, should they be allowed to kill people? What about you in your own home defending yourself and your property in self defense, should you be able to use deadly force to combat deadly force?
^^ People in the military and people threatened in their own home have the right to kill or they are killed. Once someone is in jail and put under precautions they pose no threat to society therefore your not protecting yourself your just killing someone. So morally it's a whole different ball game. Most people wouldn't commit a murder if they thought they would get caught so the threat of the death penalty doesn't really work.
Hm I am torn on this topic For one think I am going to say... That prison here is WAY too easy for people I dont think that prison alone or being sentenced to rot in their cells is hardly a punishment. There are people living harder lives who dont get TV or 3 meals a day living on the streets and in poor houses. They dont have blankets access to a "gym" Prison is hardly a punishment... in my opinion I believe if someone commits a horrible crime like murder that they should be put to death. I think this is right. BUT At the same time... alot of people are put away for years and are innocent. And if an innocent person was framed for a crime and then given the death penalty that would be horrible. If someone confesses to their crimes.. mabey then they can be put to death. But sometimes innocent people are caught in the line of fire