Death penalty - right or wrong?

[DodgyAgent]

I am far from a socialist.

I am for fairness in our society that's all..

fairness is a weasel word with no practical meaning unless you define it

[EternalOptimist]

The problem with the death penalty is that mistakes can happen and once a mistake is made, it's too late to go back and change the decision
This leads to too many of the bastids getting away with it because you can't try them twice. bring back lynching, and tar , and feathers

[Ticktock]

The problem with the death penalty is that mistakes can happen and once a mistake is made, it's too late to go back and change the decision

Have the people who made the decision put to death.

Just hope that it isn't later revealed that they weren't at fault.

[vetran]

Death sentence is fine so long as you can be certain who, how and why they committed the crime.

until then no.

[VectraMan]

The problem with the death penalty is that mistakes can happen and once a mistake is made, it's too late to go back and change the decision

If you waste 25 years of someone's life it's also too late to go back and change the decision. "Sorry about that" doesn't really make up for it.

Is there anything to suggest the death penalty in the US has reduced murders, or that the death penalty for drug smuggling in the far east has had any effect?

So wrong, and also ineffective.

[d000hg]

Sometimes the DP might be right. But when you think it's right and it turns out to be wrong, it's REALLY wrong.

[SpontaneousOrder]

Wrong


No one person should be allowed to legally take the life of another.

Why? It doesn't mean much without any reasoning.



I say no to DP because too many mistakes are made (i.e. more than zero).

[d000hg]

Well, if you're poor, black & on trial in Texas, you're fecked before you start.

Except the odds of you getting to be executed before you die of old age aren't great, are they?

[EternalOptimist]

Well, if you're poor, black & on trial in Texas, you're fecked before you start.

Might just as well get shot by some redneck cop.

Some poor sod was shot for riding a bike in the wrong place a little while ago.

That's right.
Have the death penalty for little things, a slap on the wrist for big things.

Lets face it, if they hung you for dropping litter, you would never throw anything on the ground , ever. But hanging will never deter a terrorist, so why bother.

[SpontaneousOrder]

Is there anything to suggest the death penalty in the US has reduced murders, or that the death penalty for drug smuggling in the far east has had any effect?

That's kinda missing the point. If you lock them up you have to pay for them to be incarcerated. If you execute them you don't.

Noone generally cares about DP as a deterrent anyway. It's punnishment/vengance/justice.