Debate: Capital punishment

[bky]

I don't approve.
I'd like to see a justice system overhaul. It seems so hard to get it right. There is rarely, IMO, the right type of focus on horrible crimes that aren't necessarily murder. I feel NZ has gotten it much better than the US (though still far from ideal) in that it's more focused on rehabilitation, but I also know that NZ has some dreadful issues with youth offenders (how they are housed, treatment issues, etc) and the sentences here seem really short to me in a lot of cases.
As an aside to that last bit, my boss' husband is a prison guard and recently had to escort someone somewhere who had been in prison for 30+ years. We had a bit of a gossip about what the heck this guy could have done to get a 30 year+ sentence in NZ. Generally even people that get life here are eligible for parole after 12-15 years.

 

[kiwimama]

My brother was murdered. I wouldnt want to see the return of the death penalty, but life should mean their whole natual life.

I'm so sorry hun.

 

[kiwimama]

Like the majority I don't agree with bringing back capital punishment. Although there are times I hear of horrific crimes being committed particularly against children and think they should be killed..
But really, the system needs a complete overhaul. It's just really ridiculous tbh. When you go to prison, you should only have your basic human needs met. Basic foods, basic clothing, basic shelter. Long gone are the days where prisons were self sufficient, the taxpayer pays millions housing prisoners and I don't like that. I've heard many times of people who have just been released and then commit a crime just to be put back in prison because it's easier than living on the outside! It's completely unfair really - there are good people out in the world, who struggle to clothe and feed their family while prisoners are sitting cushie watching tv and playing playstation and getting nice warm meals 3 times a day! It's just frustrating!

 

[blahblahblah]

I think there are some crimes where it would be justified. I don't care whether they suffer more by being kept alive (IMO they rarely do) - I'm more interested in how their being around (or not) affects everyone else, in various ways ranging re-offending if released to costing taxpayers a fortune if they aren't.

 

[hopeandpray]

my gut says that ending anyones life is wrong but then there are those few people, sociopaths who kill people and have no regrets that will never change. the cost of keeping people in prison is incredible and they are so far from being what we think of of people i can see how it might not be wrong to kill these people

 

[Blue_bumpkin]

I actually dont wanna say this but I think they should bring back CP with measures in place to control it and of course base it on the individual case. There are some people who cannot be rehabilitated. Would it not tbe safer for our children to not have these people back on our streets? Failing that i agree that life behind bars should mean that LIFE. Not 10 years, 5 years for 'good behaviour'. However that is not really gonna be possible is it? the cost of that would be too great financially.

The justice system makes me so mad sometimes

 

[Justagirlxx]

Everyone deserves the right to life, liberty, and property unless they impede upon anothers life, liberty, or property.

I believe that if someone has taken anothers life they have revoked the right to their own life and their own freedom.

 

[Formula77]

On December 21 1997 my cousin was brutally murdered. Stabbed 32 times in her own bed. She was 17, with her whole life ahead of her.
The person who did this was found guilty of 2nd degree murder, and sentenced to life in prison (25 years) with the chance of parole after just 7 YEARS. His defense was that he was drunk, and looking to get money for drugs.
Am I in favor of the death sentence, Yes. But with limitations. 1st degree murder with credible witnesses. If you take someones life, with planned intent. You should forfeit your own.

Thankfully this thread is not about the justice system in whole. That could cause some long rants.

 

[NicoleLJ]

I have not read everyones responses but here is my view. I believe in capital punishment for many reasons. First it should be for the worst crimes. Murder, rape(of children and adults), sever torture (war crimes type things).

Being a rape victim to me there is no justice for the victim. Sure they are in jail. So what. They get free housing, food, money(if they chose to work) to purchase what ever they want, schooling and so on. They can get everything from drugs to other items also. Why should I as the victim have to struggle to live in society after the rapist destroyed me and took from me something I will never get back(innocence, sense of safety, trust in men, ect....) and they get to live with so much. Sorry.

Bring back capital punishement. Why should my taxes go to pay for my rapist to live off of? Should they be able to continue to take from me the rest of my life? And if they get out the chances of them doing it agian is high. So why should another person have to suffer at their hands? We can stop it. I could then sleep at night never wondering any more if I will run into my rapist.

Yes my view is that of a rape victim. For the family or friends of someone who died at the hands of a murder I can imagine many feel the same way.

 

[Blah11]

IF I was to support capital punishment then it def wouldn't be for rape. Although rape is terrible, I don't think it warrents the rapist to be murdered by the state... that isn't just to me. It's not even an eye for an eye.

I think part of the problem is we let our personal feelings get in the way of it. This is exactly why we have courts and a complex justice system. I know if anyone ever hurt my family I'd want to kill them no questions asked but we cant go round seeking revenge on people and doing what we think its fair justice IYKWIM?


p.s. sorry for what youve been through

 

[NicoleLJ]

Revenge is one thing. Justice is another. The person who raped me had been doing the same to hiw own younger sister since she was very young. To me someone who is a repeat offender for raping someone is someone who deserves the death penalty. Esppecially when it it agianst children. I was 13 when I was raped. And trust me a part of me died that I will never gat back. He on the other hand is walking around free now like nothing ever happened to him.

So my opinion is not revenge it is justice.

 

[Blah11]

Okay, I wont argue it out with you because its understandably a touchy subject for you

 

[JASMAK]

Revenge is one thing. Justice is another. The person who raped me had been doing the same to hiw own younger sister since she was very young. To me someone who is a repeat offender for raping someone is someone who deserves the death penalty. Esppecially when it it agianst children. I was 13 when I was raped. And trust me a part of me died that I will never gat back. He on the other hand is walking around free now like nothing ever happened to him.

So my opinion is not revenge it is justice.

I am so sorry for what happened to you. I haven't been raped, but I was sexually abused as a child from when I was three years old (earliest memory anyways) until I was able to finally speak up about it when I was 11 years old. It was from an older family member and it destroyed much of our family. I would never consider CP in MY situation, but being in a somewhat similar situation, I can completely understand how you can feel that way, espesially since the person who raped you is living completely normally....same with the person who did what happened to me. It's horrible, and I don't think rape and sexual abuse is treated with the severity as it should be in the courts. Mine never even went to the courts tho...my family swept it under the rug.

 

[Formula77]

Revenge is one thing. Justice is another. The person who raped me had been doing the same to hiw own younger sister since she was very young. To me someone who is a repeat offender for raping someone is someone who deserves the death penalty. Esppecially when it it agianst children. I was 13 when I was raped. And trust me a part of me died that I will never gat back. He on the other hand is walking around free now like nothing ever happened to him.

So my opinion is not revenge it is justice.

The death penalty against rapists is defiantly a touchy subject. On one hand, there is a point with "It is not even an eye for an eye". But on the other hand, a rapist or child molester has essentially destroyed someones life. A lifetime of hurt and distrust can, and likely will result from this. Although some of these problems can be treated through years of therapy, they are also deeply ingrained. The fear may never subside.
I most definitely support the death penalty for child molesters. As a parent, and more importantly as a human being, I believe that someone who prays upon children has no place in society.

 

[NicoleLJ]

Mine never went to court either. My mother refused to report it to the police and lied when the parents called to find out what happened. When I told her what happened she told me it was my own fault. I know it went to court for the repeated rapes of his sister, esspecially since he got her pregnant(which is how everyone found out the truth).

Psychologists say that rape is not a sexual act,(hence why chemical castration rarely if ever works.) It is about power and control over another human being. These people have very little chance if any of rehabilitation. A rape changes a person for a life time. I suffer from Post Tramatic Stress Disorder because of it. I can not hold down a job because of the waking terror dreams I have. Men can not raise their voices around me or touch me. Why should he be able to continue to have his freedom and his life to do with as he pleases and yet has taken away mine. Nope Not Revenge. Justice!

 

[TattiesMum]

Capital Punishment should not be reintroduced into our legal system at all. If you kill someone or condone the killing of someone because of an act they committed, in the end you are no better than them imo. You cannot say it is okay to kill one person but wrong to kill another. It's a total contradication, murder is murder regardless of who it is and why it is done.

I agree totally - capital punishment equates to state sanctioned murder to my mind and two wrongs have never made a right

The issue of miscarriages of justice is one of the foundation stones of my holding my opinion to be honest .... when we did have capital punishment there were some quite well known miscarriages of justice - not on technicalities, but full on innocence. James Bentley and Timothy Evans are two that immediately spring to mind ... and even Crippen could well have been innocent (there was a letter proven to be from his wife, sent after his death, which was witheld by Churchill 'in the public interest' and which only came to light fairly recently).

It's just such a minefield, and once the sentence has been carried out there is no way of putting it even partially right for the innocent - a postumous pardon hardly cuts the mustard!

 

[bky]

It's just such a minefield, and once the sentence has been carried out there is no way of putting it even partially right for the innocent - a postumous pardon hardly cuts the mustard!

This is really why I disagree with it. I wouldn't be as against it on a case by case basis if it were possible to ensure that there were no miscarriages of justice.

 

[Rhi_Rhi1]

I have thought about it some more and decided that ... i am FOR capital punishment... I believe when someone commits murder... they forfeit there human rights ... you would put a dog down for biting wouldn't you ? and in my eyes murderers deserve no better treatment then an animal. Also maybe it would deter people from killing... to an extent if you thought that for one second that your life would be forfeit for taking someone elses.. instead you know you will go to jail, play xbox for seven years then come out and have a life! kill someone when you are 18... and then be free before you are 30?!?!? ... free to have a life/family/ etc .. disgusting in my opinion, I am totally in the opinion on an eye for an eye.. maybe its the only way people will learn

 

[Blah11]

How do they (and who decides it? is it a jury?) decide when it is appropriate for execution in America? I looked up people on the Texas death row and whilst they were murderers, very few committed out of the ordinary murders A lot of them were found guilty of just plain old shootings (that sounds so cold of me but im sure you know what i mean).

 

[buttonnose82]

i agree that if you commit a crime such as murder then your human rights to a certain degree should go out of the window but i still don't agree with then effectively murdering them (eye for an eye), instead they should be kept in prison in a basic space with a basic bed, food, clothing, 'working' within the prison by cleaning ect and that should be their life .... that would punish then far far more imo