I would be really interested to know what people's stances on capital punishment are. In england it is 100% illegal, but i know in the states it is still carried out (in some areas).
What do people think?

My opinion is that death is more of a release than a punishment; the families of murdered people have to live the rest of their lives in grief and heartache. The murderer is allowed to repent, have a nice last meal, and be killed in a humane and quick way.

I recently read an article that in Japan they are developing a new piece of technology. It is an artificial reality helmet with electrodes wired to the body. It re-enacts the physical pain and fear felt by the victim in the manner that he/she was killed. The murderer donns this helmet and is made to live the experience him/herself.

I think this is a very good idea because its disgusting that someone like that is allowed to die in a comfortable and painless way, whereas their victim probably was tortured and terrified and left to die outside in the cold.

I see no problem with capital punishment if:

1. You can be absolutely sure that you have the right person.
2. You are absolutely sure that person has no mental disability or treatable illness that may have caused his/her behavior.
3. The cost of capital punishment is cheaper than life in prison.

However:

since we are human and cannot answer any of the above stipulations with a honest YES - I believe capital punishment should be left to a higher power.

[ March 11, 2003, 06:01 AM: Message edited by: Connie ]

I believe that in some cases, capital punishment is justified. When people have committed really awful, attrocious crimes, in most cases they cannot be rehabilitated. However, it does need to be proven beyond a shadow of a doubt.
There have been a lot of death penalty cases here in Texas that I have strongly disagreed with, and others that I feel were let off with too light a sentence who probably should have been put to death. (Texas leads the nation in the number of inmates put to death).
It is an interesting subject, and one with a lot of different sides. I would never want to serve on a jury where someone's life was in the balance.

Sorry, I can't give you a straight answer on this one.
I understand both arguements. There are good reasons for both.
Many times, in cases I've learned about I wanted to be the guy who gives the injection, pulls the lever, however. Some people are downright sick and the world would be better off if they never existed. Sorry to say that.

But most of the time I stand against capital punishment. The person who has taken life is wrong. Yet we take life and call it right. It's not so simple as that I know. But as Connie said, we can never know exactly what the truth is.
Many people deserve to die for the horrible things they have done. But if you put them to death they loose the chance to change. To learn, become aware and grow. All their chances are gone.
Some people never repent or ever will. Some people realize what they did, regret it and hope to do something to make amends in some way.
How do you tell the difference?
Another question with no easy answer.

It seems we live in a world that has death and suffering that may never be without it yet we always struggle for a world where we live in peace.
Is capital punishment a shortcut that only produces more suffering? Like war? Or a necessity?
We are all born to die. Is putting someone to death bad when they prove that they are harmful and show that they will continue to do harm?
We hold that justice should be blind. But we know that isn't true either.

It's a difficult question and a difficult subject. My feelings are mixed.

On the part of execution being a humane release I don't completely agree. As far as I know all states with capital punishment to now use lethal injection, however that was not always the case, both the gas chamber and electric chair were used and that certainly caused a great deal of suffering, as well as hanging. I do believe that leathal injection is a much more humane method without the physical pain, but still there is a great deal of emotional pain. I cannot imagine knowing that you will die and waiting year after year for it with hope at every appeal and dispair at every denial.

I can't honestly tell you whether or not I believe it's right. Like Nakis I also see both sides. Life is precious but it's treated with disrespect every day. Lives are carelessly discarded every day, just look at the thousands of pets that are euthanized for no other crime than the fact that they aren't wanted. I don't see any one life worth more than another and sometimes I feel that militant anti capital punishment people are putting a higher value on the life of someone who has done evil things. Yet, any kind of punishment won't undo a wrong, execution can't bring back a life that was lost. I don't believe in 'an eye for an eye', but if the death of a killer brings relief to the loved ones of victims how can I say that they shouldn't have that relief? I believe in remorse and redemption but who is to judge that? The only person that knows your heart is yourself.

People have been put death that were innocent and some that are guilty are never convicted. Our system is imperfect, if a person is to be put to death there should be proof beyond a shadow of a doubt but that's not always the case.

If I was forced to declare my beliefs on this I would say that I don't believe in it because if I was on a jury I don't think that I could condemn a person to death. But saying I don't believe in it isn't entirely true because there have been some with crimes so hideous that I thought deserved it. I also know that if a loved one were takem from me I truly don't know what my oppinion would be. Would I be able to hang on to my ideals that 'an eye for an eye' won't bring them back? I don't know and I hope to god that I never have to find out.

[ March 11, 2003, 04:50 PM: Message edited by: Renee ]