Should we bring back the death penalty?

[smelly07]

thats not how i view debates

i am against the death penalty obviously but when i join a debate i think of things from the other sides point of view and put myself in that situation - it doesnt mean i will change my mind but some people might..... - stating you wont either consider thinking of it from the other angle defeats the purpose imo.

 

[smelly07]

If my child turned into a mass murder/rapist then yes, I would still stand by my support of the death penalty.

I do not think Capital Punishment is something to be taken lightly. There needs to be actual proof, not trial by media (which happens all too frequently these days). It is something that should be reserved for only the worst offenders. It's not an easy topic, and not something that is to be taken lightly. If there is even a shadow of a doubt, then the death penalty should not be on the table.

I agree with this.

But that is nothing like how capital punishments is in the world today is it..........which is half our point.

how can you say you agree with the death penalty but then say if my child was a killer i would stand by the death penalty if it was like you stated above?

 

[RoseKitten]

If my child turned into a mass murder/rapist then yes, I would still stand by my support of the death penalty.

I do not think Capital Punishment is something to be taken lightly. There needs to be actual proof, not trial by media (which happens all too frequently these days). It is something that should be reserved for only the worst offenders. It's not an easy topic, and not something that is to be taken lightly. If there is even a shadow of a doubt, then the death penalty should not be on the table.

I agree with this.

But that is nothing like how capital punishments is in the world today is it..........which is half our point.

how can you say you agree with the death penalty but then say if my child was a killer i would stand by the death penalty if it was like you stated above?

Everything I stated is how I feel capital punishment should be. If it is not done in that way (no shadow of a doubt, etc.) then it shouldn't be considered. Period. That is my opinion. The reality is that it is not always used the way it is supposed to be, and that is wrong.

As far as you final statement, I'm not sure I understand. If my child is a murder/rapist, I will stand by the death penalty. I'm not really sure what point you were trying to make.

 

[xemmax]

I have to ask (this goes back a few pages) for those who said they would be prepared to press the button to start the machine that administers a lethal injection as it is "just pressing a button" not ending someone's life, and if you would also support your child being given a death sentence should they commit a terrible crime... would you still press the button on your own child? Is the button more than just a button then?

 

[Tasha]

Moomin, you have every right to share what you think and then people have a right to quote it and offer opinions on your views, ask you questions etc.

(This next bit isnt aimed at moomin just a general thing).

What about if your child looks you square in the eyes and they tell you they didnt do it but confessed because they were made to? The court believes a confession is 100% proof, but under duress or threats it isnt, yet they believe the confession and order them to death. That has really happened to people, imagine knowing your child didnt do it and being helpless to stop it. I know that is rare but can we really allow someone who is innocent to die just because it happens rarely? Until there is a system that is 100% then surely there should be no death penalty. (IMO not even after that but )

 

[RoseKitten]

I have to ask (this goes back a few pages) for those who said they would be prepared to press the button to start the machine that administers a lethal injection as it is "just pressing a button" not ending someone's life, and if you would also support your child being given a death sentence should they commit a terrible crime... would you still press the button on your own child? Is the button more than just a button then?

See, I don't view it as "just pushing a button" but, I also don't think anyone emotionally invested needs to be part of the process at all. If it was (for some bizarre reason) the *only* way it could be done, then yes, I would do it.

 

[xemmax]

I have to ask (this goes back a few pages) for those who said they would be prepared to press the button to start the machine that administers a lethal injection as it is "just pressing a button" not ending someone's life, and if you would also support your child being given a death sentence should they commit a terrible crime... would you still press the button on your own child? Is the button more than just a button then?

See, I don't view it as "just pushing a button" but, I also don't think anyone emotionally invested needs to be part of the process at all. If it was (for some bizarre reason) the *only* way it could be done, then yes, I would do it.

But if (in that bizarre case where only you could press it) someone said you could do that, or your child could spend the rest of their life in prison, would you still press it? Do you feel that strongly that such terrible people should be killed?

I can't understand how someone can feel it is 'just a button'. In the same vein, people who shoot people don't kill them, they just pull the trigger.

 

[RoseKitten]

I have to ask (this goes back a few pages) for those who said they would be prepared to press the button to start the machine that administers a lethal injection as it is "just pressing a button" not ending someone's life, and if you would also support your child being given a death sentence should they commit a terrible crime... would you still press the button on your own child? Is the button more than just a button then?

See, I don't view it as "just pushing a button" but, I also don't think anyone emotionally invested needs to be part of the process at all. If it was (for some bizarre reason) the *only* way it could be done, then yes, I would do it.

But if (in that bizarre case where only you could press it) someone said you could do that, or your child could spend the rest of their life in prison, would you still press it? Do you feel that strongly that such terrible people should be killed?

I can't understand how someone can feel it is 'just a button'. In the same vein, people who shoot people don't kill them, they just pull the trigger.

I feel that there are some crimes that don't deserve to continue living after committed. So, yes, I guess I do.

I also don't understand how someone can feel it's "just a button." It doesn't make sense to me. I feel the same with my gun. It isn't "just a trigger" but a tool with which to kill someone. I handle my gun with a lot of care, and do not want to ever have to use it.

 

[xemmax]

I have to ask (this goes back a few pages) for those who said they would be prepared to press the button to start the machine that administers a lethal injection as it is "just pressing a button" not ending someone's life, and if you would also support your child being given a death sentence should they commit a terrible crime... would you still press the button on your own child? Is the button more than just a button then?

See, I don't view it as "just pushing a button" but, I also don't think anyone emotionally invested needs to be part of the process at all. If it was (for some bizarre reason) the *only* way it could be done, then yes, I would do it.

But if (in that bizarre case where only you could press it) someone said you could do that, or your child could spend the rest of their life in prison, would you still press it? Do you feel that strongly that such terrible people should be killed?

I can't understand how someone can feel it is 'just a button'. In the same vein, people who shoot people don't kill them, they just pull the trigger.

I feel that there are some crimes that don't deserve to continue living after committed. So, yes, I guess I do.

I also don't understand how someone can feel it's "just a button." It doesn't make sense to me. I feel the same with my gun. It isn't "just a trigger" but a tool with which to kill someone. I handle my gun with a lot of care, and do not want to ever have to use it.

I think that is a fundamental difference in our beliefs, as I believe the right to life should always be protected, no matter what. The idea that there are conditions on that right makes me feel uncomfortable, if not scared.

 

[smelly07]

you would kill your child because they killed someone ??? and putting myself in that situation i just dont understand it at all.

pushing a button is an emotionally detached way of dealing with it, they have still killed someone in my eyes and nothing imo justifies that.

 

[RoseKitten]

I have to ask (this goes back a few pages) for those who said they would be prepared to press the button to start the machine that administers a lethal injection as it is "just pressing a button" not ending someone's life, and if you would also support your child being given a death sentence should they commit a terrible crime... would you still press the button on your own child? Is the button more than just a button then?

See, I don't view it as "just pushing a button" but, I also don't think anyone emotionally invested needs to be part of the process at all. If it was (for some bizarre reason) the *only* way it could be done, then yes, I would do it.

But if (in that bizarre case where only you could press it) someone said you could do that, or your child could spend the rest of their life in prison, would you still press it? Do you feel that strongly that such terrible people should be killed?

I can't understand how someone can feel it is 'just a button'. In the same vein, people who shoot people don't kill them, they just pull the trigger.

I feel that there are some crimes that don't deserve to continue living after committed. So, yes, I guess I do.

I also don't understand how someone can feel it's "just a button." It doesn't make sense to me. I feel the same with my gun. It isn't "just a trigger" but a tool with which to kill someone. I handle my gun with a lot of care, and do not want to ever have to use it.

I think that is a fundamental difference in our beliefs, as I believe the right to life should always be protected, no matter what. The idea that there are conditions on that right makes me feel uncomfortable, if not scared.

See, and I feel as though a person gives up their fundamental rights when the brutally take them from another person.

 

[xemmax]

I have to ask (this goes back a few pages) for those who said they would be prepared to press the button to start the machine that administers a lethal injection as it is "just pressing a button" not ending someone's life, and if you would also support your child being given a death sentence should they commit a terrible crime... would you still press the button on your own child? Is the button more than just a button then?

See, I don't view it as "just pushing a button" but, I also don't think anyone emotionally invested needs to be part of the process at all. If it was (for some bizarre reason) the *only* way it could be done, then yes, I would do it.

But if (in that bizarre case where only you could press it) someone said you could do that, or your child could spend the rest of their life in prison, would you still press it? Do you feel that strongly that such terrible people should be killed?

I can't understand how someone can feel it is 'just a button'. In the same vein, people who shoot people don't kill them, they just pull the trigger.

I feel that there are some crimes that don't deserve to continue living after committed. So, yes, I guess I do.

I also don't understand how someone can feel it's "just a button." It doesn't make sense to me. I feel the same with my gun. It isn't "just a trigger" but a tool with which to kill someone. I handle my gun with a lot of care, and do not want to ever have to use it.

I think that is a fundamental difference in our beliefs, as I believe the right to life should always be protected, no matter what. The idea that there are conditions on that right makes me feel uncomfortable, if not scared.

See, and I feel as though a person gives up their fundamental rights when the brutally take them from another person.

I believe they give up many rights when they do that, certainly their right to freedom (which I feel is totally underestimated. The effect of having your freedom removed is profound and in my opinion, the biggest punishment of all).

I don't however believe that removing the right to life is ever justifiable, at all. The law should not have the power to decide someone's death.

 

[louandivy]

You've pretty much summed all my thoughts up there Emma! How is it that those in power suddenly have the magical ability to decide who deserves to be killed? How can anyone ever hold such authority?

 

[xemmax]

You've pretty much summed all my thoughts up there Emma! How is it that those in power suddenly have the magical ability to decide who deserves to be killed? How can anyone ever hold such authority?

Many throughout history have at the time had the authority to decide who deserves to be killed, only for them to eventually lose their power and the deaths be ruled as illegal. The law should reflect morality, not give us morals - and if our morals dictate that killing is wrong, the law should reflect that, not support the legal killing of anyone.

Of course some may feel that criminals are deserving of death so it is different, but I don't feel that anyone is ever deserving of death, regardless of their crime.

 

[Ozzieshunni]

It's not a debate if people continually put down the views of those who believe in the death penalty. It goes both ways.

 

[louandivy]

Yeah its the blatant hypocrisy of it that really confuses me.

 

[louandivy]

It's not a debate if people continually put down the views of those who believe in the death penalty. It goes both ways.

How can you debate without criticising the other side's view? I honestly don't understand why people are getting so sensitive in this thread, I don't think anyone has gotten personal at all, we are all speaking in very general terms and not targeting any one person's views.

 

[Natsku]

Yeah no one has been getting personal here but in a debate you have to be prepared to have your views criticised. Thats how debates work.

 

[Tasha]

It's not a debate if people continually put down the views of those who believe in the death penalty. It goes both ways.

I dont think anyone has put the views down. Shared their own, questioned the opposite views, yes but put down suggests to me things like 'oh it is stupid to believe in the death penalty' or the like, and I've not seen anyone do that.

 

[RoseKitten]

You've pretty much summed all my thoughts up there Emma! How is it that those in power suddenly have the magical ability to decide who deserves to be killed? How can anyone ever hold such authority?

Many throughout history have at the time had the authority to decide who deserves to be killed, only for them to eventually lose their power and the deaths be ruled as illegal. The law should reflect morality, not give us morals - and if our morals dictate that killing is wrong, the law should reflect that, not support the legal killing of anyone.

Of course some may feel that criminals are deserving of death so it is different, but I don't feel that anyone is ever deserving of death, regardless of their crime.

I can see your point, and in most cases I agree. The death penalty isn't something to be taken lightly, but monsters IMO, aren't people anymore, but rabid animals. When there is, without a doubt proof, that someone has raped, murdered, molested others... I just, I don't find that behavior to be human, because humans have some basic moral compass.