why not death penalty?

[Busyman]

quite simply, there should be no plea bargain, IMO
if a state is going to employ the death penalty, then stick with it
i.e....if they fry one serial bomber, fry em all
regardless of the political, religious, or whatever, nature of the murder(s), bombing(s), etc
otherwise do away with the penalty all together

oh, and to the people who dont seem to think the death penalty is a deterent...
well....you're half right, but not for the reasons you may believe
it fails simply because it is rarely carried out
even if a prisoner is actually executed, it can take upwards of 20-30 years or so
most probably die of natural causes before they ever are executed,
or appeal until the penalty is lifted by some bleeding heart liberal

I am guessing if they sent em to the chair/chamber/etc,
say, within a few days of passing sentence.....
they may think twice about lighting the fuse on that bomb
perhaps not, but it would be interesting to see what the results would be
if they actually carried out a few more executions

-edit-
they could always hire me for the experiment
"what? you bombed a school and killed 37 kids?" ZAP!
"huh? you knifed to death, then dumped your wife into the canal because you caught her cheating?" ZAP!
"WTF? you beat your 3 month old child to death because he/she was crying too loud?" ZAP! ZAP! ZZZZZZZZZZZZAP!

and I could pull the lever all day w/o conscience
I could even sit in the courtroom, with an executioner's hood on,
so the fkrs know if they get sentenced...

To those the death penalty isn't a deterrent I say it depends on the type of criminal.

There are some that don't mind prison for the rest of their life and some that aren't afraid to die (as FKDUP said, it really does take forever).

Prisoners are coddled too much.

For many, having been in prison is a badge of honor.
Why should prisonerS have 3 meals a day while a mother struggles to feed herself and 2 kids.

Drop the prisoner on an island and leave with a conscience.

[JPaul]

Let's look at the real world.

Do countries with a death penalty have significantly lower levels of murder (or any crime which would have the potential for a death penalty) than those which do not.

Even if they do, which I doubt, does that mean that the death penalty is a good thing. Is it a good enough deterrent to justify the taking of another life.

I don't think so, but again I live in a country where the death penalty is extinct. It was fully abolished in 1999 when the last few crimes for which it was available were removed.

[Busyman]

Let's look at the real world.

Do countries with a death penalty have significantly lower levels of murder (or any crime which would have the potential for a death penalty) than those which do not.

Even if they do, which I doubt, does that mean that the death penalty is a good thing. Is it a good enough deterrent to justify the taking of another life.

I don't think so, but again I live in a country where the death penalty is extinct. It was fully abolished in 1999 when the last few crimes for which it was available were removed.

Well as FKDUP said, our death penalty means you may at the end of 20-30 years. Not a deterrent when compared to someone chopping one's head off.

[JPaul]

So if it's not a deterrent, why have it.

It serves no purpose.

[manker]

So if it's not a deterrent, why have it.

It serves no purpose.

Ah, but it does. It serves political purposes.

As mentioned it permanently silences troublesome folk but further than that, what a dramatic statement it is when an electioneer says that he's so tough on crime, he's prepared to kill. It is in our nature to want revenge when we are wronged and when this instinct is qualified by a politician advocating it, the notion seems somehow more palatable - to some. People like FCKDUP will see killing people as just and make statements containing the words 'fry' and 'zap' like it's a Batman review.

Clearly it makes more sense, morally and probably financially, to abolish the death penalty but while it serves a political purpose - ie while the public swallows the rhetoric spewed forth by the politicians - it will continue to exist in certain areas.

[bigboab]

If the death penalty was a deterrent then it would never need to be implemented.

[JPaul]

Ah, but it does. It serves political purposes.

As mentioned it permanently silences troublesome folk but further than that, what a dramatic statement it is when an electioneer says that he's so tough on crime, he's prepared to kill. It is in our nature to want revenge when we are wronged and when this instinct is qualified by a politician advocating it, the notion seems somehow more palatable - to some. People like FCKDUP will see killing people as just and make statements containing the words 'fry' and 'zap' like it's a Batman review.

Clearly it makes more sense, morally and probably financially, to abolish the death penalty but while it serves a political purpose - ie while the public swallows the rhetoric spewed forth by the politicians - it will continue to exist in certain areas.

Ah, the heady mix of politics and revenge.

What sort of way is that to run a country.

I can't see how a thinking electorate would vote someone into power based on that as a platform

[Busyman]

So if it's not a deterrent, why have it.

It serves no purpose.

How do you know it's not a deterrent?

Is the wrath of God a deterrent?

[JPaul]

How do you know it's not a deterrent?

Is the wrath of God a deterrent?

Sorry, I was replying to what you said (in the post prior to mine, where you seemed to agree with FKDUP), allied to my own belief that your level of crime for which it was a penalty was no lower than our's.

What makes you think it is a deterrent. I see nothing to support this.

[clocker]

Ah, the heady mix of politics and revenge.

What sort of way is that to run a country.

I can't see how a thinking electorate would vote someone into power based on that as a platform

Actually, for most of human history, that "platform" has been exactly what people were in favor of.
Christians of all stripes bought into it just as avidly as everyone else.

Personally, I favor capital punishment.
Not as a deterrent, I think that argument is irrelevant.
Some crimes are simply so heinous and the perpetrators so unrepentant that getting "voted off the island" is the only sane response.