Do you favor the death penalty? What should be done with the violent criminal?--Al

-- Al Schroeder (al.schroeder@nashville.com), July 17, 2000

Answers

Man, I could write so much here. Bare my soul. Bare my life. Show you what colors my life. What stops me? I don't know. So I'll keep it simple.

I do favor the death penalty - rather, I DEMAND it. Death by injection, rather than by electric chair or hanging, etc. A being that will prey upon his/her own kind should be terminated with extreme prejudice. Quickly, swifty, silently, finally.

Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe that a diagnosed sociopath cannot legally be forced to take meds of any kind. A mentally/criminally ill patient cannot be forced to take meds, seek counsel, etc. After awhile, it's no longer just the illness that makes a person kill, it's the habit. It becomes a way of life.

The violent criminal should be sequestered from all other criminals at the time of incarceration, and put to death within the first year of his/her conviction. This timeframe would provide for one appeal (and one appeal only), to be completed within the first year of original conviction.

I have no mercy, for those who show no mercy.

And for those gentle beings that hold candlelight vigils outside the prison walls to protest the death penalty - I respect their right to differing opinions. So much in fact, that I will hold their candle for them, while they take an extended, week-long tour of the facility. Get to know the inmates personally, so to speak. And if they still feel the same way a week later, more power to them. Let them light the way to hell for the next con.........

Oh dear. Well, YOU asked.........

-- Planet Earth (imagine@industrial-ideas.com), July 18, 2000.

I had the chance to meet an individual about five years ago who was set free after years of being on death row because DNA evidence proved him innocent. I can't remember the man's name or the specifics behind the crime at the moment, but I do understand how I felt after I heard him speak.

I do NOT support the death penalty. It is inconceiveable to me how a government and a society can legally execute someone for crimes which they themselves have deemed inexcusable. It is not a deterrent to those who are contemplating murdering another person, it is only a deterrent to the convicted death row felon. I did my senior research thesis on this very topic, and found that states that had the death penalty had (proportionally) significantly higher rates of murder and other violent crimes than states that did not have the death penalty. Furthermore, the chance of executing an innocent person haunts me, especially after having met someone who survived death row. Also, please, someone prove to me that the death penalty is not racist. There is a disproportionate percentage of young black males on death row than of any other race. There are very few females on death row as well. Does anyone see a problem here? I'm not advocating women going out and murdering a bunch of people to get the percentages up, but when one looks at the numbers, it's astounding to see the skewered percentages. There is obviously a problem within the core of our society that results in our citizens being put on death row.

Now, I'm not saying that people who murder others should not be punished. I'm just not comfortable with the government murdering its citizens. For humanitarian reasons, I cannot and will not support the DP.

Now, as to what should be done? I think that rehabilitation is always a start. Psychotherapy is an excellent course of action as well. Education - can't go wrong here.

I think the real problem, as I alluded to earlier, is a deep problem within the very core of our society that needs to be dealt with. How can we PREVENT murderers from becoming murderers in the first place? The death penalty doesn't work. We've got to come up with viable solutions, and force our elected government representatives to do the same as well. State-sponsored murder doesn't help. We've got to find something that is helping.

OK, off of my soapbox now. Apologies for spelling or grammatical errors. I'm tired.

Lis

-- Lis (lis_beth76@yahoo.com), July 18, 2000.

As Lis was saying, people who support the DP need to try to prove that it isn't a racist system and You. Can't. Do. It. For those of you who think these people are born evil or something, just spend some time working in inner city schools where kids are born with virtually everything against them...if I was raised in that environment I can't guarantee that I wouldn't commit heinous acts. There has been good progress at treating pedafiles, at least, with behavior psycology, all while keeping them under the constant watch of law enforcers, and still allowing them to work so they can contribute to society. I don't think that's violating their rights if they have chosen to violate anothers rights, they should be required to seek any "cures" or "cures in progress" that there are. I believe Skinner was a humanist as well as a behaviorist: read "Walden II" for his idea of a utopian society.

-- AJ (joijoijoi@hotmail.com), July 18, 2000.

I was just thinking - on a somewhat related note...

I was watching yet another TLC special on crimes and how some of the toughest ones were solved. Anyway - it seems as if the most heinous murders, cases of pedophilia, and a lot of rapes and sexual assaults, are committed by white men.

I agree with AJ - people aren't born evil. Granted, some people might be genetically predisposed to evilness (like my damned 11th grade English teacher) - but it's a mix of both nature v. nurture. Someone had to have taught them the basics of life - if kids see their parents lying or drinking excessively, it is ever more likely the kids will repeat and exceed their parents' behavior!

Again, OFF my soapbox. :)

Lis (blue letters

-- Lis (lis_beth76@yahoo.com), July 18, 2000.

The death penalty is wrong. Life sentences without the chance for parole are appropriate in henious crimes.

-- Chris Hawkins (peace@clover.net), August 11, 2000.

I would be cautiously in favor of the death penalty, *if* it was reserved for especially heinous cases with an unusually severe degree of proof required. The two problems with the death penalty are 1. It's entirely permanent, you can't take it back, and 2. the justice system, like any human system, is not perfect.

-- Melissa Trible (tamtri@aol.com), December 04, 2000.

I do in somewhat favor the death penalty. Although I do not believe that a teenager should face death penalty. They should be punished and know what they have done is wrong. There are other ways to punish these teenagers than death. Like Antonio Richardson, I feel for the victims family. I do not feel he should get the death penalty. Give the juvenile's life in prison and psychology testing.

-- Tina Grabeel (Tgrabeel31@aol.com), March 03, 2002.

In situations where the criminal is proven guilty beyound resonable doubt, I beleive that they should be put to death. Consider this, most of them if not all of them will commit the same crimes all over again if set free. I want even get into the horrible insane idea of pedifiles that murder, and are being set free to do the same thing all over again. This country does not value its children the way they claim they do.It makes me wonder who is really running the show, and what they are doing behind closed doors. Why the law makers are not angry enough to want to change things.

-- (denitan02@aol.com), March 17, 2002.

I strongly believe in the death penalty. The only problem in America with death row inmates is the amount of time and tax payers money that is spent supporting these dregs of society. I belive that they should be put to death within a year of conviction or sooner. I'm tired of these damn lawyers fighting to save the live of some lowlife saying things like "he's a changed man". Who gives a damn? The "changed man" still commited a crime that a jury believed that he was guilty of and should pay. Murder should be a mandatory death sentence. All of America's bleeding heat liberals are eventualy going to bring these great country down. We should have less simpaty for these criminals and more for the victims. Quite to often is the other way around and the victims end up feeling like the criminals. I guess the best qoutation would be Kill Em All and let God sort them out.

-- Christopher Gupton (chrisg279@aol.com), March 22, 2002.

I find the question hard to answer/ I do Not believe in the death sentence (BUT) what Willy Crane did to Amanda Brown in Tampa Florida In 1998 makes me hate and think maybe it is right for some. The little girl scratched him On his arms and Back as he was rapeing her.He is a vile looking Ugly man and I cant Imagine that little girls fear and Horror. I cry at the thought Of the terror She went through before he Killed her. They have never Found the little things body. She was a small child Only 6 years old Someone like him ! I would Push the botton My self for him. He dosent deserve to share the same Air on this planet as her Mother. Some others do not deserve the death sentence and I would hold a candle for them so Im confused. I think In very hyenis crimes they do not deserve to live....

-- (sharronexum117@msn.com), April 09, 2002.

Personally, To cut it short I think if you have the nerve kill someone then you deserve to be killed. Thats also if you know it was definatly that person. Then I also hate it when they make mistakes and put people away who are innocent. It's like "Get it right" Put em away if you know for sure. Dont put em away for your opinon. But sometimes there no sure way u got the guilty one.

-- Kim A (Cuttie7769@aol.com), April 22, 2002.

The death penalty should be reserved for habitual adult offenders who have committed capital offenses. the death penalty should be abolished where children are concerned. Our society has made it quite clear that children are not mature enough to drink, vote, or enter into contractual situations, therefore how can they be held accountable for an offense committed as a child. They should be punished harshly and in a way they would not soon forget. As far as people who are always making every issue a race issue, I will say to you, NOBODY MADE ANYBODY COMMITT THEIR CRIME.WHO CARES IF TWO BLACKS AND ONE WHITE ARE SITTING ON DEATH ROW. The point is they did the crime so suck it up and die. The main problem in today's society is that most people do not accept responsibility for their actions and are always to quick to blame others or society and it's so called injustices. Not everyone committs heinous crimes, but for those who do, you may pay the piper with your life.

-- ronnie miller (Mkimba@aol. co.), May 28, 2002.

What are my views on capital punishment, you ask? Well, Ill tell you. Capital Punishment is one of the best things ever to have come about, before and after sliced bread. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, they always say. You kill someone, you get killed. In several Middle Eastern countries, you steal something, you get you hand cut off. I wish they hadn’t abolished capital punishment in Canada, but in a way, I’m kind of glad they did. Take David Milguard for example. He was wrongly convicted of raping, then killing someone. If we would have had capital punishment, he would have been killed, rather than just spending 15 years of his life behind bars for no good reason. But, maybe if our judicial system wasn’t so incompetent, and they would have convicted Larry Fisher in the first place, we wouldn’t have had this problem now would we? Yes, I believe most Canadians are far too liberal minded. Everyone deserves a second chance. Let him out early; let him get involved in society. Oh, they violated parole? Well we’ll let him off with that one. I say if someone commits a crime, they pay the full penalty.

-- Aron Funk, McTaggart SK, Canada (zampson2002@hotmail.com), October 27, 2004.