34 replies to this topic

[jacobstiles]

How can we know if capital punishment is right or wrong? Where do we draw the line?

Feel free to voice your opinion.

[Supersquatch]

Capital punishment should never be justified. If murder is illegal, what makes it anymore legal to execute the killer?

An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.

[jacobstiles]

I say that too... but if one day some vicious killer murder my mum no doubt i demand a life for a life
It's simply perspective

[Supersquatch]

I understand that, but, regardless, is death a suitable punishment?

[jacobstiles]

For murdering a complete stranger, i guess not. But ending the life of let's say a dearest family member,
i guess a death penalty would be an easy way out for the killer.
It's very selfish, but this is also why a lot of people can't draw a line to it

Edited by jacobstiles, 18 August 2012 - 05:35 PM.

[pallidin]

For mysel, I have a hard time with the idea of execution.
I heard somewhere that capital punishment can actually be more expensive than life in prison, depending upon mutiple appeals.
Not sure how true that is.

Anyway, I think that being in prison for life is a far greater punishment. I've watched a lot of real-life inside prison documentaries and it's horrible.

[lizzieboo]

It is a difficult question; I concede that. However...

It's an unfortunate reality that there are some very, very bad people in the world. I believe that evil exists, and that it resides in some human beings. I do not accept "insanity" as a defense for heinous crimes such as murder. I often hear people say "He must be crazy; no sane person would murder a stranger" and similar remarks. I disagree. An evil person commits murder, and I believe that such people cannot be rehabilitated, so execution is acceptable in such an instance.

Perhaps my point of view is colored by certain life experiences. I can see where it might be.

Edited by lizzieboo, 18 August 2012 - 05:54 PM.

[ZaraKitty]

Once it's their choice. Same with the disabled and the elderly. People should have the right to end their own life. Same with criminals.

[Supersquatch]

If I were to be in prison for 20 years, I might actually prefer the death penalty.

lizzieboo, on 18 August 2012 - 05:51 PM, said:

It is a difficult question; I concede that. However...

It's an unfortunate reality that there are some very, very bad people in the world. I believe that evil exists, and that it resides in some human beings. I do not accept "insanity" as a defense for heinous crimes such as murder.

I don't like how some lawyers protect their clients by admitting insanity. You need a psychiatrist to diagnose that, not the jury. However, for those that are truly mentally ill, the death penalty is definitely a cruel punishment. Schizophrenics have auditory hallucinations and a mentally retarded individual could kill out of pure accident. If mentally ill people do kill someone, they usually probably didn't even mean to.

[libstaK]

TaylorReints, on 18 August 2012 - 11:05 PM, said:

If I were to be in prison for 20 years, I might actually prefer the death penalty.



I don't like how some lawyers protect their clients by admitting insanity. You need a psychiatrist to diagnose that, not the jury. However, for those that are truly mentally ill, the death penalty is definitely a cruel punishment. Schizophrenics have auditory hallucinations and a mentally retarded individual could kill out of pure accident. If mentally ill people do kill someone, they usually probably didn't even mean to.

I agree with your first statement in this thread, if murder is illegal then the state cannot conscionably kill a person as punishment.

Most criminals who have killed will never see the world the same as the majority of society again, once that line is crossed imo it removes the "taboo" permanently for most of them and they are conceivably permanently insane by socially acceptable standards.

[Supersquatch]

libstaK, on 19 August 2012 - 12:42 AM, said:

I agree with your first statement in this thread, if murder is illegal then the state cannot conscionably kill a person as punishment.

Most criminals who have killed will never see the world the same as the majority of society again, once that line is crossed imo it removes the "taboo" permanently for most of them and they are conceivably permanently insane by socially acceptable standards.

I wish some would redefine "insanity"; however, it has become known to be someone with a psychopathological disorder. What I don't get is that, in legal cases, personality disorders are not considered insanity. Someone could have killed as a totally different persona, but that doesn't count in court.

How would they become insane?

[Arbenol68]

TaylorReints, on 19 August 2012 - 02:26 AM, said:

I wish some would redefine "insanity"; however, it has become known to be someone with a psychopathological disorder. What I don't get is that, in legal cases, personality disorders are not considered insanity. Someone could have killed as a totally different persona, but that doesn't count in court.

How would they become insane?

Don't know about the US, but here and in the UK the definition of insanity is a legal one, not a medical diagnosis. Very simply, the defence must show that the perpetrator was impaired to a degree that they didn't know what they were doing was wrong. An example of this would be if someone suffered a psychotic disorder and believed they were attacking a demon or alien etc...

It doesn't include any disorders of personality.

[TheMacGuffin]

If it's justified at all, I think it should be used mainly for mass murderers, serial killers, war criminals and people like that.

[and then]

I believe murderers must be shunned from society forever.  If there is ZERO chance they will ever leave a prison cell then I can accept doing away with capital punishment.

[libstaK]

TaylorReints, on 19 August 2012 - 02:26 AM, said:

I wish some would redefine "insanity"; however, it has become known to be someone with a psychopathological disorder. What I don't get is that, in legal cases, personality disorders are not considered insanity. Someone could have killed as a totally different persona, but that doesn't count in court.

How would they become insane?

I'm not sure if that is a rhetorical question but in my mind when a person can diminish the value of another's life to the point they feel they have some "justification" for taking it then they have entered into a mindset that cannot be logical or sane.

Edit to add: if the taking of the life is to fulfill a desire or for "personal gratification" then that also supports the notion.

Of course, there is the "high functioning" psychos like the Batman Killer who can act rationally to collect all they need and plan their actions lucidly for months all for an entirely insane purpose.

Edited by libstaK, 19 August 2012 - 04:06 AM.