Death Penalty - Argument for

[Super Nova]

Argument for is just bloody obvious. The only down side is when an innocent person is killed. When there is no doubt.... just terminate the scumbags.

Sometime I read the way people behave and the crimes they commit and think.... the death penalty should be introduced for crime less than murder. This is one where I immediately thought... "kill the bastard". I just cannot identify with this sort of monster.

Anthony Dean Blackwell, 24, was babysitting a 4-month-old infant when he brutally raped her.

On July 9, the baby girl’s mother noticed severe trauma after Blackwell had babysat her. It was determined by doctors that the injuries were a result of sexual abuse.

In fact, the injuries were so traumatic that the baby had to have surgery at the Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital.

This horrific crime landed him a spot on the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s Top Ten Most Wanted

Blackwell was finally caught and arrested on Friday in Huntsville, Alabama at the Voodoo Lounge.

Crime is nothing new to the alleged rapist. Blackwell has previously been arrested for public intoxication, driving under the influence, reckless driving, evading arrest, and other violations.

The accused rapist attempted to run from police at first, but was easily caught by a large team of cops. He was only on the most wanted list for 24 hours before being captured.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... rgery.html

[Chard]

The only arguments against the death penalty that actually rate a serious answer are the legal mechanics of handing our the sentence or the amount of pain and discomfort a method used to carry it out can cause. The first an be solved by making the death penalty a sentence reserved only for Federal Courts to hand out, thus massively tightening up the standards of evidence and streamlining the appeals process. The second can be solved by using a hypobaric chamber to cause death by hypoxia (absolutely painless, you have no idea you're dying and just drift off in a state of oxygen deprived bliss).

Yes, I am in favor of the penalty, but only if standards of evidence are met, the appeals process is fully carried through, and the method used is as humane as possible.

On a side note, the place that guy in the article was arrested at is about 10 miles away from where I live. It's a good bar that has a lot of local music acts play, everything from rock to jazz. They're also right across the street from the Madison County courthouse, which tells me Mr. Blackwell is probably the dumbest son of a bitch on the planet since he thought the best place to hide our from the cops is right across the street from a building full of local, country, state, and Federal law enforcement officers. That's right up there with trying to rob a gun store on the big list of Shit That Isn't A Good Idea™.

[Rorschach]

Against it...
most people are.
Even some US states are civilised these days.
You cannot in the vast majority of cases, even in some cases confessed, be certain of the guilt of the person.
Judges and juries make mistakes... they make them all the time.
I've seen the system close up and if you think I'd like my life in the hands of my so-called peers you are having a lend of yourselves.

It may save the government/taxpayer money, but in the end what does it really do... you can't bring the other person back in a murder case and state sanctified revenge is hypocrisy.

[Chard]

You cannot in the vast majority of cases, even in some cases confessed, be certain of the guilt of the person.

Hence why I support tightening evidence standards for death penalty cases. By tightened I mean multiple pieces of forensic evidence so there is an absolute certainty. If that certainty cannot be established during the trial phase then the death penalty should be removed as an option entirely during the sentencing phase of criminal proceedings. If that forensic certainly can be established, and investigative procedures were established as properly conducted, I see no reason why the death penalty should not be applied where applicable.

Judges and juries make mistakes...

Those mistakes are almost always caused by misconduct or negligence on the part of investigators and prosecutors. Even then, cases where that happens is the entire reason we have a multiple tier appeals system.

Again, tightening evidence standards and making first degree murder a Federal-level offense in all cases would largely remove the problem.

[Rorschach]

Hence my stand against it... people are not perfect.

[Chard]

Hence my stand against it... people are not perfect.

Yeah, I already addressed how to fix that.

[Rorschach]

Hence my stand against it... people are not perfect.

Yeah, I already addressed how to fix that.

Really?
You can make people perfect?
Forgive my cynicism, oh great god Chard.

So how are you going to make murder acceptable then?
Change the commandments perhaps? A new global religion? An Even Newer Testament perhaps?

Sorry... not for it... what were the benefits again?

[Black Orchid]

I have a foot in both corners. There is too much room for error and if an innocent is put to death it cannot be reversed. On the other hand, child murderers and molesters should forfeit their right to life imo. They cannot be rehabilitated.

[Neferti]

Against it. Capital punishment hasn't stopped people murdering others. There have been many on Death Row in the States found to be innocent via DNA. Who knows how many died who were innocent? Child killers and paedophiles should be castrated as those crimes are sexual. Women who helped the males should be made to watch!

[Chard]

Forgive my cynicism, oh great god Chard.

Did you even read what I posted, you stupid motherfucker?