Never mind the questions about revenge or other "abstract" arguments against the death penalty. Let us look at the reality of what it is. Even if we say that justice demands death for murderers, do we really know whether or not someone is guilty? Of course, one might say, "Well, for all practical purposes..." but that is not good enough. A person wrongly imprisoned has been wronged, but can be released and start life over again. Take the case of the Birmingham Six, wrongly convicted of an IRA bombing:

Their third appeal, in 1991, was successful. New evidence of police fabrication and suppression of evidence, the discrediting of both the confessions and the 1975 forensic evidence led to the Crown withdrawing most of its case against the men. In 2001, a decade after their release, the six men were awarded compensation ranging from £840,000 to £1.2 million… The collapse of the case and other miscarriages of justice caused the Home Secretary to set up a Royal Commission on Criminal Justice in 1991. The commission reported in 1993 and led to the Criminal Appeal Act of 1995 and the establishment of the Criminal Cases Review Commission in 1997.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birmingham_Six

They are now free and have the satisfaction of knowing that their case helped prevent others from being wrongly imprisoned. But it was not so for another person in Great Britain, Timothy Evans:

Timothy Evans' wife and young daughter were killed in 1949, and Evans was convicted of killing of his daughter and hanged. It was later found that the real murderer was Reg Christie, another tenant in the same house, who eventually killed six women. Evans was first person in Britain to receive a posthumous free pardon.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miscarriage_of_justice

I don't think that the pardon made much difference to what remained of his family. No one can claim that the death penalty is a legitimate deterrent if a single innocent human life is destroyed by it. Be the abstract arguments what they may, we cannot reclaim the lives of Evans and others who have been wrongly executed, nor can we ever make a perfect justice system that is never incompetent or corrupt.

The case for the death penalty.

http://www.geocities.com/verbal_plai...-p/mcduff.html


Some people just deserve to die.

Have you seen the movie "The Silence of the Lambs"? One of the actors went to Quantico to do a little character research. He went in 100% against the death penalty. One of the agents let him listen to audiotapes confiscated from the man they believed had murdered Adam Walsh as well as several other young boys. As a matter of fact, John Walsh had to listen to these tapes at one point to see if he could recognize his son's voice (the horror). Anyway, after hearing the tapes, the actor was no longer against the death penalty. All of his arguments went right out the window.

The Bible says that those who are not punished on Earth will be punished thrice. So, really we're doing them a favor.

Some people just deserve to die.

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Do you know what it's like to fall in the mud and get kicked... in the head... with an iron boot? Of course you don't, no one does. It never happens. It's a dumb question... skip it.

Hang 'em high as Haman!

Did Timothy Evans deserve to die for allegedly killing his own daughter while the real murderer killed four other women? As for the Bible, Christ himself said:

"For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father
will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their
trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." (Matthew 6:14-15)

Sarafia Parker
Brenda Thompson 37
Colleen Reed 28
Melissa Northrup 22 (2 months pregnant)
Valencia Kay Joshua
Reginia Moore 22

Kenneth Allen McDuff's known victims after he was released from prison for the 1966 murders of three teenagers.

I don't want innocent people to die either.

__________________
Do you know what it's like to fall in the mud and get kicked... in the head... with an iron boot? Of course you don't, no one does. It never happens. It's a dumb question... skip it.

I am no Michael Dukakis. I don't support releasing murderers. First-degree murderers should be given life in prison with no chance of parole. Moreover, in today's maximum-security prisons, no one can escape. The response will be, "How do you know that they won't escape?", based on my own logic. However, that leads to this: If anyone might have committed a murder, even if the evidence is not conclusive, they should be executed, because they might commit more murders. The point is that you can't weigh "might" against the certainty of the intent and act of killing.

I'm willing to leave it up to a jury, provided they have access to all the evidence. 12 people in unanimous agreement, plus the judge is enough for me.

I've known two murder vicitms (separate incidents). In one case, they knew who did it, but did not have enough evidence to bring charges. He was convicted of a later murder (I don't know what punishment he got). In the second case, the murderer was sentenced to 40 years, he got moved to a pre-release facility after serving 17 and promptly committed suicide because he was schizophrenic.

What it boils down to is that I am far more afraid of a murderer going free than I am of an innocent man being executed.

An acquaintance of mine's 11 year old daughter was attacked last night. She got away because her big brother heard her screams. The perp got away, too. Whatever his plan was, I would be glad to pull the lever on him myself.

I enjoy the fact that you have such a strong ideology. I do expect some of your opinions to be shaped by your own experiences as you get older. I can honestly say that I hope nothing ever happens to make you change your stance on the death penalty.

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Do you know what it's like to fall in the mud and get kicked... in the head... with an iron boot? Of course you don't, no one does. It never happens. It's a dumb question... skip it.

Okay, I think that I have made my logical case. This, like abortion, is obviously too emotional a topic, so I will unsubscribe from this thread.

It's really very natural to be emotional about the killing of children, even if you aren't a parent.

__________________
Do you know what it's like to fall in the mud and get kicked... in the head... with an iron boot? Of course you don't, no one does. It never happens. It's a dumb question... skip it.