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Cal33

(7,018 posts)

41. It's difficult for people in prisons to commit further crimes. Let me

Tue Jan 29, 2013, 07:36 PM

Jan 2013

bring up the case of Gov. Ryan of IL. Around the year
2000 there were 23 prisoners on death-row in IL. DNA
testing was rather new at that time, and Ryan ordered
all 23 of them to be tested.

It turned out that 12 of them were proven innocent. That's
more than half!! Ryan, who was a Republican by the way,
immediately stopped all further executions until further
study of the issue of the death sentence. Today, Illinois
is one of the states where capital punishment no longer
exists -- thanks to Gov. Ryan.

The death sentence is so final and permanent. I'm not
saying that half of all sentences are mistakes, but there
sure are many, many mistakes. Big time criminals know
how to make it look as though their crimes were committed
by someone else.

Another reason is that this form of punishment is brutal.
If the criminal has been brutal, it doesn't mean that the
government should be equally brutal with him. Two wrongs
don't make a right.

Not too long ago criminals were put to death by slow torture
and in a public place, often outside a church or cathedral.
Everybody came to watch -- the nobility as well as the
poor. And as far as the poor were concerned, it was the
only "entertainment' they had. Sadism was encouraged.

We have come away from those days, and we should stay
away!

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Highlight:

Texas to execute a woman, first in US since 2010 [View all] Judi Lynn Jan 2013 OP

Texas Murderer Kimberly McCarthy To Face Rare Female Execution On Tuesday Judi Lynn Jan 2013 #1

are there other countries on "our level" that execute people ? JI7 Jan 2013 #2

Yes, but you don't want to know what that "level" entails. Fearless Jan 2013 #5

i just checked out the World Map on Death Penalty on Wiki JI7 Jan 2013 #3

So glad you've added this. Overwhelming. A real beacon of human rights, aren't we? Thank you. n/t Judi Lynn Jan 2013 #4

I never realized Japan has the death penalty lunatica Jan 2013 #7

I think amnesty international uses the term... iandhr Jan 2013 #18

Japan has a very interesting way of dealing with the death penalty Godhumor Jan 2013 #25

Japan has executed 91 prisoners since 1993 hack89 Jan 2013 #27

They hang them, too, which I was shocked to learn. joshcryer Jan 2013 #44

Different states in Australia abolished it at different times SwissTony Jan 2013 #45

illinois abolished the death penalty madrchsod Jan 2013 #9

Well, there is a Federal death penalty. Nye Bevan Jan 2013 #16

14 US states have no death penalty iandhr Jan 2013 #17

I think the map is about countries, not states or territories within the countries lunatica Jan 2013 #29

Israel does not have the death penatly question everything Jan 2013 #21

They just assassinate them instead happyslug Jan 2013 #48

Of course there are constant stories from Israel question everything Jan 2013 #51

Mixed feelings pipoman Jan 2013 #6

I find it much easier to think that the government is committing a heinous crime lunatica Jan 2013 #8

not everything that is a crime when an individual does it should be a crime when the govt does it onenote Jan 2013 #10

Because it's against the law to do so lunatica Jan 2013 #12

But that's a simplistic approach--of course it is against the law to kill, but what about msanthrope Jan 2013 #15

I also think war is fundamentally a crime lunatica Jan 2013 #28

Perhaps not everything, but the death penalty isn't a bad place to start Major Nikon Jan 2013 #13

I view it more akin to pipoman Jan 2013 #35

That is still pandering to vengeance. Cal33 Jan 2013 #14

Do not underestimate the need for vengeance in a society. msanthrope Jan 2013 #30

I'm not underestimating the powerful urge for vengeance. The vendettas of Southern Europe and Cal33 Jan 2013 #31

Some people can never be trusted to pipoman Jan 2013 #36

It's difficult for people in prisons to commit further crimes. Let me Cal33 Jan 2013 #41

The realities pipoman Jan 2013 #42

What you say is true. At least there is a chance, however slight, of correcting the situation. But Cal33 Jan 2013 #49

She's a serial killer, up for execution. No way she gets a pardon. I don't believe in the death msanthrope Jan 2013 #11

She killed 3 women ages 71 to 85 Botany Jan 2013 #19

Indeed, she targeted friends of her mother, and her neighbor. She cut the ring off msanthrope Jan 2013 #20

Doesn't this suggest that she was crazy? Cal33 Jan 2013 #32

No. nt msanthrope Jan 2013 #33

at lest she won't have to live in Texas any longer. I would choose death over Texas. olddad56 Jan 2013 #22

Texas is a horrible state to live in, at the local level politicans are so corrupt. Sunlei Jan 2013 #26

This Texan Is Gratified By Your Choice. (nt) Paladin Jan 2013 #38

as you should be. I'm equally gratified that you don't live in the US. olddad56 Jan 2013 #46

So I Can Quit Preparing My U.S. Income Tax Return? Hey, Thanks! Paladin Jan 2013 #47

sure, why don't you do that. olddad56 Jan 2013 #50

Did Perry chuckle when denied a clemency, the way Bush did? question everything Jan 2013 #23

Perry along with Texas are angels of death. PAINT THAT ON YOUR FAMILY ROCK PERRY. Sunlei Jan 2013 #24

She was a piece of work dem in texas Jan 2013 #34

However, after wednesday she'll never feel pain again, but if she got life without Auntie Bush Jan 2013 #37

Judge delayed the execution until april Botany Jan 2013 #39

It would be Texas primavera Jan 2013 #40

UPDATE: She's gotten a reprieve until April to give the defense time to pursue an appeal on the Brickbat Jan 2013 #43