Monday, November 16, 2009
Death Penalty
When I was growing up I was always taught that two wrongs don’t make a right. Whenever someone was mean to me, I was always taught to take the higher road and to not retaliate. This policy is also taught in many, many schools. If two wrongs don’t make a right then how come this country till supports the death penalty. It is true that if someone does something wrong they should be punished. But if someone murders another individual, does that give this country the right to turn around and murder the murderer? Wouldn’t that make us just as bad as the murderer themselves, or are we justified because he did the wrong doing first? Many believe that the death penalty is necessary, while others believe it is unjust and immoral. How do we determine who gets to live and who should die? In my opinion a lifetime in prison would be worse than the death penalty. Having to sit in a small cell for the rest of your life, knowing that thousands of people hate you, and that you will never get a chance to make something of your life, seems like a way worse punishment than death. Though many disagree with me, I still believe that two wrongs don’t make a right, and I know for a fact that two deaths will never make a new life.
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Heather im going to have to agree on this one. I beleive the same as you, two wrongs don't make a right. PErsonally i beleive that some o fht epeople on death row want to die and are happy to not have to spend their time severving the time for the crime they committed. I beleive that getting rid of the death pentaltly will make prisioners have to time ot think about what they did and see why it was worng and what they can do to know fix it. prision is supposed to be a "rehibilation" center. It is to teach a lesson but also to help them releize that this is not the road to ake.
ReplyDeleteIm sometimes a little unsure of my thoughts of the death penalty. I agree with both Heather and Samantha, that two wrongs don't make a right. I believe also, that giving a person life in jail is a better solution for punishing a person. A life where someone tells them when to get up & go to sleep, having to shower, eat, sleep, use the bathroom with others. Never being able to go out to enjoy a walk, your favorite food, vaction etc., IS hell in itself. So a lifetime imprisonment is certainly punishment. However, I think the feeling of many is that, why should tax payers foot the bill for a criminal to live in jail forever, where they can have an opportunity to get an education, eat three meals a day, have visits with their families, and so on, while the person whom they killed has lost opportunities to do any of those things. I cant say I have ever felt any remorse for a cold blooded killer but also, I have never not felt sorry for someone whos going to lose their life. So the death penalty I don't really agree with...but what if it were my husband, child, mother, sister, or brother who was killed by the person on dealth row? Would I really feel sorry that they were being put to death? Im not sure, therefore, I guess I have sort of mixed feelings on this issue.
ReplyDeleteI don't see a reason for the death penalty - to me, killing someone for a crime that they committed seems like the easy way out. Why do you think so many gunmen so often turn the gun on themselves after their crime? It would be hard to know that you're going to be executed for your crimes, but it would be much harder to have to know every day for the rest of your long and miserable life that you're where you are because you deserve to be caged up like an animal.
ReplyDeleteIt's also more humane, because then there are no instances of us killing an innocent man...
I see what you are saying. Also another problem is the death penalty isnt flawless so they have taken away innocent lives before. In my opinion if some committed a murder they should just rot in jail for the rest of their lives instead of getting put out their misery and sentenced to death.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with you on this one. It is not our place to take the life of another human being. Even though the murderer did something wrong it doesn’t make it right for us to repeat the same action. The murderer should be punished and taken out of society for the safety of others but it doesn’t teach the murderer or allow him to suffer the consequences if he is just murdered. Someone who has lost a loved one that has been murdered may feel differently but if it was me in that situation I would much rather see the murderer in jail for a life time with no luxuries what so ever and hopefully the murderer realizes where he/she went wrong.
ReplyDeleteI always looked at the death penalty as being much necessary. Not only do I think that it should be enforced always, but I think the murderer should be killed exactly how he or she killed their victim. When I first heard that john Edward muhummad was being put to death I was very relieved because he killed around ten innocent people. One guy was shot pumping gas and another shot while he was cutting grass. I heard he was being killed by lethal injection. I got pretty pissed when I heard this because they kill the murderer real easy and silent. Who says that he shouldn’t be shot to death.
ReplyDeleteWhoa, Taylor. I understand you upset about what he did- I am too. I also believe that for some crimes the same exact punishment should be administered to the person. But as a society do we see how there is a break down of fundamental human moral law every time you kill. Whether it’s a fetus or a serial killer; do we feel our conscience is buzzing just a bit when a life is taken? Like we gather together and make the choice to inject someone with a known fatal chemical concoction with the intent to kill that person so that he/she will die. I'm not taking away what he did. In fact what he did was hideous, but as Heather points out, we really aren’t left with much resolve when we systematically kill in retribution of a crime committed. (As a side note, if there is an award for best blogger on this thing it should be you Heather, I think I have commented on all your blogs, and I don’t even look to see who it is I’m replying to until after I read the post that I like and respond to it. So kudos to you!)
ReplyDeleteI totally agree. The death penalty is just an easy way out for mass murders. They chose to go on killing sprees and I am pretty sure they know what that entitles. Instead let us throw them in jail to rot for the rest of their lives. If someone killed a part of your family you would want revenge. You would want to have them killed or tortured to make you feel better about the loss of a loved one. Why not let them rot in jail? Make them suffer the consequences of living an eternity in a cage. Make them want so bad to get out and show them that there is no way out. I believe that that is much better than punishing by death penalty. Allowing a murderer to get out easy with a quick death.
ReplyDeleteI think the death penalty, while perhaps "cruel" in some instances, is necessary in a very small number of incidences.
ReplyDeleteWhen a person has been convicted beyond a reasonable doubt (such as with today's technology of "relatively" fool proof DNA testing) of an horrific crime (such as serial murdering, horrific rape cases, etc...) then the death penalty should be utilized. These people do not deserve the pleasure of living, even if it is in a prison cell. These people took someone else's ability to live their life, and in doing so, gave up the "right" to have their own.
Whilst their have been cases of falsely accused and convicted people being on death row falsely, these things have been straightened out for the most part with modern technology. I think the other problem with our "death row" system is the lack of swiftness in implementing it. A death row inmate shall be given their constitutional right to appeal a judgment but, ultimately if they are continually found guilty, then justice needs to be executed swiftly, not take 20 years to implement.
The death penalty shall not be abolished, but rather be utilized very sparingly only being used in extreme cases, but used none the less.
-Chris