forlorn (iodine) wrote in thecoffeehouse, @ 2003-08-02 08:53:00

Current mood:

contemplative

capitol punishment.
How does everyone feel about the death penalty? I am not entirely sure where my stance is on this one, but I do agree that something needs to be done for the criminals as punishment. People shouldn't get away with such horrendous crimes. I'm just not sure if capitol punishment is the way to go, people don't have any time to think about and regret what they did (if they would at all) and just dying isn't really a punishment a lot of times, especially when faced with either life in prison/solitary confinement or death. I'm thinking maybe the imprisonment and hard labor would be a better option if not for the money that goes from the tax payers to keeping these inmates in good health and spirits. If anyone has any opinions or suggestions on the matter, I'd be more than happy to read what you all think.

bridgettep 2003-08-02 12:59 (link)

I agree with the death penalty in certain cases, like murder or for a rapist that has proven he can not be rehabilitated. It costs taxpayers so much money to keep prisioners in jail for life and prisons are crowded and violent places. Also, I think it is cruel and unusual punishment to be imprisoned for life. My friend's boyfriend works in a prison and he says the inmates are tortured by other prisoners. By keeping violent people in prision, there is always a risk they will escape or be paroled to make room for another. The families of the victims live with the fear that this person will someday be free. This is not fair to them. They didn't do anything wrong. These people have proven that they cannot be productive members of society and should be killed because, if they remain alive, they have the oppertunity to kill again. In terms of making them do hard labor to pay for their stay in jail, most murders and violent criminals are forced in their cell 23 hours a day because they are so dangerous. It is the people who are in for less severe offences that are allowed to work. In an ideal world, there would be no crime but this will probably never happen. To some extent, I think it should be "an eye for an eye", especially in terms of murder. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	No Way cutyourhair 2003-08-23 01:53 (link)
	The government should not have the right to kill anyone, period. (Reply to this) (Thread)

vynara 2003-09-05 12:32 (link)

I did this topic in class last year and boy, did it spark off a heated debate. ^-^ My stand on this is that capital punishment can be justified in certain cases, but like you said it's just isn't the best option around. To err is human, to forgive is divine. Everyone makes mistakes, just because that mistake is a "behead-able" offense doesn't mean the criminal shouldn't be offered the chance to repent. Everyone deserves a second chance, no matter what he did. I feel that capital punishment works along the "an eye for an eye" line, which is effective to a certain extent only. Two wrongs don't make a right. This is a paradox of capital punishment that I see no reconciling of. How can you condemn a man's act of muder, then send him to his death? How is justice served if it seeks to punish with an act that it condemns? So... yeah. Essentially, captial punishment should be reserved for those extreme cases whereby the criminal is so obviously determined to overstep every single boundary of society and justice repeatedly, without any signs of remorse nor acknowledgment of trangression. Which, would render him criminally insane and thus cannot be sentenced to death. It's a funny court we pass justice in, really. Do I sound confused? I think I do. Hoho. (Reply to this) (Thread)