Are you in favor of the death penalty?

[Laura PourMeADrink]

165 votes, 1 pass | Time left: Unlimited
	Yes
	24 (15%)
	No
	130 (79%)
	Other
	11 (7%)
	1 DU member did not wish to select any of the options provided.
Show usernames Disclaimer: This is an Internet poll

[Demsrule86]

1. I consider it state murder. My husband and I told our kids should we be murdered we do not want

the death penalty for the guilty party.

[Walleye]

4. I agree it is a cold-blooded killing. It's being done in the name of the people.

I would never commit a cold blooded killing myself, and I don’t want to state doing it in my name

[Demsrule86]

27. That is how I feel and considering the injustices in our judicial system...it is just barbaric.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

44. Exactly!

[Hortensis]

134. No. But above all because we can't reverse it and we make mistakes

and even do wrong deliberately...

[Walleye]

2. I remember writing an essay in junior high,my first firm political position, anti-death penalty

[Laura PourMeADrink]

7. +1. I haven't looked it up but there was a period when it was illegal.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. I sure am NOT.

Too many innocent people have lost their lives.

It's barbaric!

It's not justice. It is vengeance.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

8. +1

[WVGal1963]

25. Exactly!

Justice is a word that I struggle with…….it equates to revenge, I fear. And I am absolutely opposed to the death penalty.

[AleksS]

5. Putting an irrevocable result in the hands of the

very fallible US Justice system is a mistake.

Innocent people have been murdered by the state; that is unconscionable.

[qazplm135]

26. Having done a capital appeal

It's this for me.

IF I thought the system were flawless in getting proper convictions AND in deciding who was eligible for the death penalty without bias AND who received it without bias AND I thought everyone got appropriate representation then maybe.

But none of that is remotely true so no.

Obviously your Hitlers and Stalins and cannibal serial killers are situations that make you stretch your convictions but they are exceptions not the rule.

[Deuxcents]

6. Some very heinous acts rock my beliefs regarding this issue but I am against it

[Laura PourMeADrink]

10. I hear you.

[AZSkiffyGeek]

15. I'm 99% against, but there are a few so heinous that I don't object

[rubbersole]

68. I'm against it because it doesn't 'deter' anything...

..a workmate asked "What do you do with Ted Bundy?" and I didn't know. That was way before the now commonplace mass shootings.

[OnionPatch]

100. I feel the same.

There would have to be absolutely no shadow of a doubt that they were totally guilty, and the crime would have to be so heinous that the risk of that person ever escaping would be horrifying and unthinkable.

[roamer65]

20. I would like to see it HIGHLY restricted as well.

Only for the most UTTERLY heinous IRON CLAD cases.

I have NO problem with states doing away with it, altogether. I would rather see them ban it than make mistakes with it.

Former Gov. George Ryan of IL, for instance, made the right choice.

https://news.wttw.com/2020/09/24/former-illinois-gov-george-ryan-we-gotta-do-away-death-penalty

[Blue_playwright]

38. Ditto. BTK needs to be in the ground

But there is zero doubt he did it. I just worry about innocent people getting trapped in an unfair system.

[Laffy Kat]

43. I think about how many times Ted Bundy escaped from jail...

And every time a half dozen women/girls disappeared before he was recaptured. But then I decided they simply need to build more-secure jails. We know that innocent people have been killed by the state. It needs to be outlawed once and for all.

[electric_blue68]

54. I don't pay much attention to serial killers bc too scary, so I had No Idea he'd Escaped! Woah!

[Laffy Kat]

64. Yep, both times from Colorado jails.

Pipkin and Garfield counties. I think there was even a song about him escaping. He was something of a folk hero for a while. Sick.

[electric_blue68]

118. Gah!

[poli-junkie]

9. Sends wrong message:

“Don’t kill or we’ll kill you.”

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

11. State sanctioned murder

is still murder.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

12. +1

[Bleacher Creature]

13. No

Nobody should have the ability to end another person's life on their own accord. Building a formal process to do that and dressing it up as a state action doesn't change anything.

[spanone]

14. So you kill someone for killing someone?

NO

[TheProle]

113. So you hold someone against their will for holding someone against their will?

Yes

[iemanja]

16. These results don't fit with articles I've posted about prisoners executed

I get multiple responses saying how the inmate deserved it, more than those in opposition to the execution. I think a lot of people may not be answering this poll.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

33. That's interesting!!!

I don't remember exactly where I learned this from but it was that we will learn someday that people who commit heinous crimes have a brain imbalance. And some day, in the future, we will be enlightened. People are not inherently evil... It's a flaw in their brain.

[Laffy Kat]

46. The 484th person Texas executed had an IQ of 61.

What did that accomplish? Shameful.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

56. Really? Wow.

[Disaffected]

66. I would say that people are not

inherently evil or, good. It's the state of the brain in either case and we have very little ultimate control over it. In fact, one can make a good argument that we have no real control over it at all i.e. we are a product of what we are born with and our subsequent environment and those two things only.

So no, definitely anti-death penalty and even more-so because of the numerous failabilities of the justice system(s).

[GenThePerservering]

110. I disagree with that

and history bears me out.

[obamanut2012]

86. I agree

MANY DUers are all for the DP, and I am including those who say, " I am anti DP EXCEPT..."

[muriel_volestrangler]

111. Or a straight question about it attracts more responses (just votes) than comments

which people may feel should say something more than "I disagree with the death penalty". While those who are in favour of the death penalty are more likely to want to expand on their reasons in the other threads, to justify their stance.

[SYFROYH]

17. In theory yes, not in practice.

There are definitely some MFers who don’t deserve to ever see the sun ever again, but we make too many mistakes when administering the DP.

[progressoid]

29. +1

[Blue_playwright]

40. +2

[Shrek]

78. +3

I could support it only in cases where there is an admission of guilt or proof beyond a conceivable doubt (not just reasonable doubt).

[obamanut2012]

87. So you are pro DP

If they were able to tighten up the system, you would be okay with it.

[SYFROYH]

97. The problem is that they can't tighten it enough to eliminate error. I'm convinced of that.

Last edited Mon Jan 9, 2023, 07:35 PM - Edit history (1)

But if it were true that in some reality we were guaranteed to be 100% correct with assessing the guilt of DP cases, yes, I would be ok with the DP in heinous cases of extreme cruelty, specific agency and intention, and a lack of mitigating circumstancs.

I know some find that galling, but some MFers don't deserve to exist, IMO.

[Dorian Gray]

108. That's why I hit "other"

I'm against it for a number of reasons. It's applied unevenly. Mistakes happen. State sanctioned death penalty is gross.

But the reality is that there are people who perform egregious crimes and I'm not sad at all when they die.

I deeply admire the woman Sister Helen Prejean. She finds humanity in the most deeply flawed human beings and fights for their dignity and life. She's a hero for it and I wish I could emulate her.

[dchill]

18. I don't like the mistakes, that's for sure.

[ProfessorGAC]

112. That's My Issue

One mistake is too many.
And, we've got people involved in justice, & people make mistakes.

[FoxNewsSucks]

19. Generally, NO

But there are some traitors that we all saw, and other rare instances of clear heinous crime, that I would favor it for.

[obamanut2012]

89. So you are pro DP

[USALiberal]

121. Lol, so you are not against the death penalty!

[jmowreader]

21. Only in certain cases is it a good thing

The crime has to be heinous.

There must be no question of guilt.

[obamanut2012]

90. So you are pro DP, and think murder is "a good thing"

In certain circumstances.

[USALiberal]

122. Why do you want that to happen it's not a deterrent at all

[Talitha]

22. Definite 'no' for the death penalty.

Instead of the death penalty, sentence them to life without ANY chance for parole. TBH, that might be the harsher punishment for them - I cannot imagine being locked up for the rest of my life.

If eventually a person is proven innocent (beyond the shadow of a doubt), they'd be set free again.

[Igel]

23. Don't like it,

but think prisons often don't rehabilitate and it's just less cruel and more efficient to eliminate the problem.

Do I favor it? No.

Do I support it? Reluctantly.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

34. That's an interesting thought. Life in prison without

any chance of demotion or remediation much crueler than death.

[RockRaven]

24. When answering the question remember that SCOTUS justices say you don't have a right

to not be wrongfully convicted, but rather your right is to a trial, etc not a just or reality-based verdict. The relationship between the outcome of the trial and the factual reality of the historical events in question can be zero -- and everyone can know it, and the state gets to kill you, they say.

So... Yeah... That's a helluva system to have, huh? Pretty cool and fine and normal.

[Ocelot II]

28. I am absolutely opposed. It's barbaric.

[Solly Mack]

30. Nope.

[edhopper]

31. No

And don't give me some exemption about terrible crimes and 100% sure of guilt. Because I will show you a case in that example where the person found guilty was innocent. Even a few who were executed.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

36. +1

[GP6971]

32. No. n/t

[LakeArenal]

35. No. But there are exceptions to every rule.

[Frasier Balzov]

37. With nitrogen gas and fentanyl, it can make a very humane comeback.

Last edited Mon Jan 9, 2023, 01:04 AM - Edit history (1)

And assisted suicide should be a voluntary option for every incarcerated person.

[Upthevibe]

39. Nope....not under any circumstances....n/t

[Laura PourMeADrink]

42. +1

[doc03]

41. In some cases nt

[brer cat]

45. No.

[Stinky The Clown]

47. No, under no circumstances, not for any reason.

[keithbvadu2]

48. Some criminals want the death penalty for themselves. Timothy McVeigh, Oklahoma bomber wanted to b

Some criminals want the death penalty for themselves.

Timothy McVeigh, Oklahoma bomber, wanted to be a 'martyr'. (His view)

Life without parole would have been far more punishment, to himself.

[sarisataka]

49. Many more no's

Than I would have expected based on how often I see posters calling for the death of one criminal or another.

There was a time I would have said yes, but I have evolved over the years

[JT45242]

57. Philosophical here, without the specific monstrosities of a crime

I stand against...

This documentary
[link:https://vimeo.com/83750163|

And Foucault's Discipline and Punishment had big influence on the idea. The bloodthirsty response of the Bush era DOJ guy at the end, let you know that the death penalty is not about deterrence if future crime or stopping some 'monster' from killing again it is about blood lust.

Life without parole removes the danger from society. I would argue parole eligibility after age 80 would do the same and be less of a burden on the prison system. But that is a different point.

Too many possibilities of error. Too much racial and class warfare in choosing whom to seek the death penalty and who to plead out.

[Skittles]

50. it is barbaric

no place in civilized society

[TigressDem]

51. In certain cases and only with iron clad proof of guilt.

These people going in and shooting up hundreds and are on camera, DNA evidence and crowing about it before and after. Mass murderers are not redeemable.

Serial killers when there is iron clad proof of guilt and DNA evidence.


I would never want someone who could have been defending themselves or accidentally shot into the air...
AWFUL but not as intentional as someone who goes out and does mass murder or kills over and over again.


I would never want someone to die simply for being black in the vicinity of a crime either, so it needs to be beyond a shadow of a doubt and with iron clad proof of guilt.

[electric_blue68]

52. No. And there are some henious crimes that try my patience.

Last edited Mon Jan 9, 2023, 08:37 PM - Edit history (1)

ETA
Particularly because of racial, and income level disparities.And bc down the line person (what ever take or economic status) is found innocent.


I'd say for the most heinious crimes; locked up for life, no parole.

[BigmanPigman]

53. Yes, but only if the criminal wants to live,

some want to die so life in prison is worse than a quick death for some of them. I know that if I were guilty as sin and had no chance of getting a life outside of prison I would pull a Jeffrey Epstein. I have no problem if they commit genocide, etc.

El Chapo...death penalty
Putin...death penalty
Kim...death penalty
Etc........

[LeftInTX]

107. El Chapo won't get it, but I feel he is one of the rare ones who deserves it.

None of the Mexican citizen cartel members will be eligible

Putin deserves it, but he isn't behind bars.

[bottomofthehill]

55. I am not proud of my answer but, yes, there are those who deserve to have the state end their lives

After seeing the carnage at the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City I concluded that there was an evil that should no longer have the right to live. I don’t know exactly what the line is in my mind but, there is a line and I saw it on April 21 when I got to Oklahoma City. The smell still remains with me over 25 years later when I think of it. There is a point, for me I think it was the recovery of children from the daycare that led me to believe that those who did that no longer deserved to live in a civilized society.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

58. You are a very kind person and you make an extraodinarily

strong case!

[bottomofthehill]

59. Maybe it was just too close to home, maybe because of the random nature of those who died

Maybe because I worked in a federal building, maybe because I had a child in a federal daycare, maybe because of the death count, I don’t know. I am not generally in favor of the death penalty, but every once in a while, I see something that so offends me, that so traumatized society, that is so awful, that I don’t think that incarceration does any good. They are rare instances but every once in a while, like I said, I am not proud of my answer, but yes

[grantcart]

60. Understandable response

One other exception I would consider is someone who kills in prison on the basis that there are people who would continue to murder and eliminating them would save lives

[Maru Kitteh]

61. Never. Even when they deserve it. Just not a power the state should hold.

[myohmy2]

62. no...

...but as much as I'd like to say 'yes', I can't...

...better a guilty person lives incarcerated than an innocent person be put to death...

...nothing us humans do is 100% fool-proof or perfect including killing each other for a good reason...

...

[mackdaddy]

63. After serving on a couple of juries, The system is not absolute enough for an absolute end.

And I know of so many guilty verdicts that have been overturned.

Spending the rest of your life in prison is a pretty awful penalty.

[3Hotdogs]

65. There are people who should be or should have been executed.... Kissinger, Rice, asshole in Idaho

stabbings, some of the Jan 06 assholes and a few others.

Beyond that of a few, I don't support it.

N.J. has no provision for death penalty and I am ok with that. My main objection is convictions based on cop and/or prosecutorial misconduct.

[claudette]

67. It's

barbaric

[flvegan]

69. No. Not in favor of revenge (that's what it is)

I'm more in favor of punishment.

[ShazzieB]

70. I am 100% opposed to the death penalty.

Do some people do things that are bad enough to deserve death? Sure, but that's beside the point. State sanctioned murder is not the answer. An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.

[nevergiveup]

71. I am still waiting to hear an argument that would sway

me and until I do I will absolutely 100% oppose the death penalty.

[Rhiannon12866]

72. No. When I hear the term "pro-life," that's what it means to me.

[Warpy]

73. Not at 16 when a family member was murdered

and not now.

[DFW]

74. No. It is state ritual murder, and without guarantee that no innocent will be executed

Would a state’s legal system consent to a law mandating that if a person executed turned out to be innocent, that the cops who investigated the case, the prosecuting attorney, the presiding judge, and the team carrying out the execution ALL get a mandatory death sentence for killing an innocent? Would there still BE a death penalty?

[Abolishinist]

75. I'm basically against it, due in large part to my feeling that

if I was the person the state asked to put an end to someone's life I would not be able to do so, therefore I cannot in good conscience ask another to do the same.

I do make an exception, however, for the telemarketers who barrage my home landline daily. I could pull the lever for them without remorse.

[philly_bob]

76. I'm against Capital Punishment, but that' not the banner I want to march behind.

Pretty soon there'll be a despicable murder and the right wing will appeal to popular anger and you'll have to defend paying lifetime prison costs for some despicable murderer.

Pick your battles, Democrats. Social Security, Medicare, economy, democracy -- not these hot-button issues.

[MicaelS]

99. Great post, exactly what I believe. n/t

[inthewind21]

101. Common misconception

Death row cost way more than life in prison

Much to the surprise of many who, logically, would assume that shortening someone's life should be cheaper than paying for it until natural expiration, it turns out that it is actually cheaper to imprison someone for life than to execute them. In fact, it is almost 10 times cheaper!

https://www.hg.org/legal-articles/which-is-cheaper-execution-or-life-in-prison-without-parole-31614#:~:text=Much%20to%20the%20surprise%20of,is%20almost%2010%20times%20cheaper!

[DenaliDemocrat]

77. Only in the rarest of cases

Like mass murderers, serial killers, etc.

[akbacchus_BC]

79. What prompted you to do this poll?

[MissMillie]

80. I'm struggling with my words here...

So, if I fumble this, I apologize.

I think that a lot of the time when a sentence of execution of levied, death is too kind of a sentence. It's a heavier sentence to lock someone up FOREVER with NO CHANCE of EVER getting out.

Let's also not forget that the sentence of "execution" is not handed out evenly/fairly.

And the standard of conviction in this country is "beyond a reasonable doubt." Juries, very often, do not consist of reasonable people. Our justice system is probably the best in the world, but that doesn't make it perfect. The finality of execution should demand perfection... which of course is not possible.

[Scrivener7]

81. Many have given the most significant reasons to oppose it above. But there is an

admittedly much less important reason that few ever list. Lifelong incarceration is MUCH cheaper for the taxpayer than the death penalty with all its appeals and special housing requirements, etc.

Again note, I am not saying it is the most important reason why I oppose the death penalty. Those important reasons have been well covered in this thread. But it is another reason that should be listed in a discussion.

[Kaleva]

82. No but I don't care about those who commit heinous crimes.

[The Grand Illuminist]

83. For all those who are against the death penalty...

Last edited Mon Jan 9, 2023, 03:58 PM - Edit history (1)

I ask this. Where is the line drawn when the person is too dangerous to be kept alive?

[WhiskeyGrinder]

88. Could you give an example? How is that status determined?

[obamanut2012]

91. That is what prison is for, Sport

[sarisataka]

93. I cannot think of anyone

Who fits that description.

[Wingus Dingus]

98. Nobody's too dangerous to be kept alive. Everyone is mere flesh and blood and can

age and rot in a prison cell. No government should be in the business of executing its own citizens.

[LeftInTX]

106. Terrorists who operate out of prison

[Wingus Dingus]

109. They'd be in the Supermax.

Keep them there for life.

[The Grand Illuminist]

119. That won't stop written communications.

Mafia bosses do this all the time in prison as well.

[inthewind21]

102. For those

in favor I ask this? What justice is done by administering the death penalty? Is the family of the murdered whole again once the murderer is dead? In murder cases, THER IS NO JUSTICE. EVER. It's a tragic no win situation. No way to make that even remotely right. The murdered will still be dead. So, does a second death make it all better?

[Polybius]

103. Besides a Sith Lord, who else fits that description?

[USALiberal]

123. Too dangerous to be kept alive??? What the hell does that mean.

[The Grand Illuminist]

126. How would you personally

define "too dangerous"?

[tenderfoot]

139. For those whom are for the DP - when has it ever deterred future heinous crimes?

eom

[The Grand Illuminist]

140. Nor has prison and jail.

Now a days, they are just 3 squares and a bed as well as a place to plan and pass along future crimes.

[tenderfoot]

141. So EVERYONE in prison is going to commit more crimes once released

Have any data to back up that assertion?

[The Grand Illuminist]

142. Never said everyone.

nt

[Doc_Technical]

84. I have been opposed to the death penalty all my life,

but after watching what unfolded at our Nation's Capital
on January 6, 2021, that belief has been sorely tested.

[obamanut2012]

85. Murder by the State is still murder

Nope, I am a Never DP. Ever.

[sir pball]

92. I have no moral compunction against it, but it must NEVER be in error and justice is not perfect.

So as a practical matter, I'm opposed to it. Sure, I could say "if there's NO DOUBT", and there are plenty of cases where there is no doubt, but there's no real way to write a black-letter law codifying that so I'm perfectly content to forego it.

I'm also not sure 50+ years in ADX Florence-type conditions is really a better option. I'd be begging for the needle after a year.

[Happy Hoosier]

94. No.... but.....

I don't think giving the State the power to take a life is a good idea given how often mistakes are made. we executed FAR too many innocent people.

BUT... that's not to say I wouldn't feel a personal desire for retribution. My daughter is a victim of sexual assault/rape and I can tell you that I fantasize about killing the perpetrator. My daughter has really suffered as a result of her experience, and he gives not a shit. That peice of crap doesn't deserve to consume oxygen.

[ecstatic]

95. Not in favor of it. Our tax dollars should not be used to kill people.

Our DP system is inhumane and costs 10 times more to carry out than simple life in prison. Our justice system is filled with issues including sexism, racism, classism, and well documented police corruption. Also, what's the point of executing someone 20 or 30 years after his/her crime?

I think life in a maximum security prison is enough...

For terrorist leaders or coup plotters, isolate them or keep them with one or a few others so that they can't organize a rebellion in prison.

[Elessar Zappa]

96. I try and let my better angels rule

so I’m gonna say no. But it’s hard when considering people who murder and rape children or commit treason against the country like Trump. But ultimately no, I don’t believe that murder by the state is ever justified.

[Torchlight]

104. Not really.

I can't see any tangible differences to the safety of the community that life in prison wouldn't also cover. A life sentence can be rescinded/reevaluated if errors were made in trial while after a certain period of time has passed, a death sentence cannot be.

Reinforcing that, OR Gov. Kate Brown said a couple of years ago, “Justice is not served by the state taking a life. Its impact is inequitable... and third, it doesn’t prevent violent crimes.”

[mvd]

105. No

I don’t like it morally since it’s more killing (just by the state) on top of a killing. I consider that no better. If there’s a chance one innocent person may die, that is too many. Plus, it has always been racist and against poorer defendants. I have been completely against it almost all my adult life and never liked it much.

[Mr.Bill]

114. For me, only under very narrow and extreme circumstances

with a very high level of proof.

[USALiberal]

124. Example???

[Mr.Bill]

131. Seial Killers, child murder, solid witnesses and other proof, such as DNA,

Psych evaluation says sane, etc. You get the idea.

[PlanetBev]

115. In the case of child murderers and serial killers, yes

Ted Bundy and John Wayne Gacy had to go. Too many of them in California died a natural death.

[Xolodno]

116. Absolutely not.

Study after study has shown the death penalty is not a deterrent. On top of that, it even costs MORE than keeping them incarcerated for life. Finally, we lose valuable information. We need to study cold blooded killers in order to prevent or intervene new ones.

[GoodRaisin]

117. Not in this justice system that railroads innocent defendants.

Sorry, not supporting death sentences with a system that rewards prosecutors for number of convictions rather than in getting to the truth. One mistake is too many for me.

[tritsofme]

120. Not any more. I favor a lifetime of solitary confinement

Plenty of time to think about what they’ve done.

[Kennah]

125. I like how Washington handled it with Gary Ridgeway

They made a deal and offered him life without parole in exchange for ALL info about ALL victims. If he left something out, that could be dealt with in accordance with the law. Ridgeway himself said he could not remember all of the people he murdered or where he put all of the bodies, but he agreed. A whole lotta case get cleared, loved ones get closure, and they don't have to endure the pain and anguish of a trial.

Every single day in prison, Ridgeway likely goes to sleep and wakes up thinking, "Is today the day?" Is today the day they find another body linked to him for which he can get the death penalty? Governor Inslee issued a moratorium, but it could be revoked to execute Ridgeway.

I expect that he'll die in prison, but to me, it is the perfect execution [pun intended] of the death penalty.

Many people could have gotten closure if this had been possible with Ted Bundy.

[MurrayDelph]

127. When they're proud of it

Richard Allen Davis, when convicted of murdering Polly Klaas, used his statement to taunt the family.

Buford Furrow shoot up a Jewish daycare center in Los Angeles and killed a letter carrier attempting escape, and later bragged about it when captured.

As far as I'm concerned they've used up their quota of air.

[SKKY]

128. I used to be very much in favor of it...

...but when Texas started executing criminals who were clearly and observable mentally handicapped (Marvin Lee Wilson), it became apparent to me capital punishment is NOT the answer.

[Lurker Deluxe]

129. Yes

On the local, state level, no. Example - Texas executing someone, no ... for no reason.

On the federal level, no. Example - the national government executing someone, no ... not for any reason.

On the world level, absolutely. Example - Hitler.

Usually this is the reason for war and the end result is the death of the leader of the faction causing the war crime.

But not always.

The person/s responsible for the carnage in the Rwandan genocide. Dead.

North Korea nukes Japan tomorrow morning, Kim Jong-un ... dead.

There are crimes against humanity which have no other option, even then they are rare. Sanctions and world condemnation are the normal response for most world level crimes against humanity ... however, some of those fuckers simply must die. However it is accomplished.

It will always be that way I expect. I would not condemn Israel for hunting down and exterminating all the Nazi fucks it could find even though Israel's killing of civilians does not meet the same standard.

Some people simply must be removed from the world.

[Deep State Witch]

130. In Very Extreme Circumstances, Yes

Mass murderers, like the Beltway Sniper, yes. However, in the other 90% of murderers, no.

[Whiskeytide]

132. I'm opposed to the death penalty, primarily because it is ...

… incapable of being administered without error. Better to incarcerate all than mistakenly execute one. It is irreversible.

That being said, that’s my practical answer. I have to honestly say it’s not because of a pro-life/sanctity of life position. There certainly are some people that are simply not fit to exist. I don’t feel good about that, but it’s honestly how I feel. McVeigh is one example. Leonard Lake (who killed himself when he was arrested) and his partner Charles Ng are another. Bundy - who twice escaped and took more lives - would be a third. BTK? Gacy? These were people that carried out unimaginably heinous crimes with appreciation for their acts. They were not troubled. They were evil.

And perhaps retribution has some place in the Justice system. We often claim that another killing doesn’t make up for the crime or bring back the deceased. But if it were a member of my family tortured and killed by one of these guys, perhaps I’d welcome that feeling of vengeance being served. Hope I never experience what that might be like.

[Jedi Guy]

133. I went with "Yes" though my answer is a little more nuanced than that.

As a general rule, I don't think the death penalty should be applicable, largely because the justice system is fallible. If you put someone in prison by mistake, you can at least let them out again. They can never be truly made whole, particularly if they missed a lot of time with family while they were imprisoned, but they can be freed. Not so with someone who's been wrongfully executed.

That said, for some particularly heinous crimes, if proof of guilt is absolutely incontrovertible, I won't feel all that bad if the perpetrator gets the death penalty. By "absolutely incontrovertible" I mean that there is utterly zero possibility that this person is innocent due to the totality of the evidence. This alignment of requirements would be comparatively rare, but I can tolerate the death penalty if that's the scenario.

[Caliman73]

135. No.

For various reasons that have been discussed more eloquently than I can at this time.

That is not to say that my amygdala does not propel me toward vengeance which my cerebral cortex would rationalize as "justice", but in a civilized society, I do not want "the State" to have that kind of direct power over life and death.

[The Grand Illuminist]

136. You got the only death penalty clearly stated in the constitution.

Which is treason. Makes one wonder.

[EnergizedLib]

137. I am not

I can think of specific instances in which people were on death row for crimes they did not commit, or people who were convicted of crimes they did not commit being threatened with the death penalty. No matter how much an innocent person might have their life taken from them in prison, they might still have a chance someday. Capital punishment means there is no chance.

It also costs more to execute someone to keep them imprisoned for life.

Furthermore, I do not see the death penalty as a deterrent. It may stop a specific individual from killing again, but it doesn’t deter society. Furthermore, murder rates are higher, not lower, in death penalty states.

[Silver Swan]

138. I am against the death penalty.

Nevertheless, I sometimes wish the Constitution allowed "cruel and unusual punishments," not including death, in certain cases.