Political Crossfire Forums

Nine_Enigmas · Joined: 10 Mar 2005 Posts: 2312

gavnook wrote: I support capital punishment not so much as a means of punishment, but because I don't think peaceful citizens should have to put up with murderers and rapists. This support does not exactly apply to the modern version of the death penalty in the US for the reasons given by others.

Imagine you're part of a group of 20 living in the very remote Alaskan wilderness in the winter. One in the group rapes and murders another. The rest of the group has every right to kill the bastard for their own safety and should not have to cage and feed him just to protect themselves. That is my stance.

Also, I don't understand why prisoners who commit capital offenses while in prison are not promptly sentenced to death. One should only get one chance to attempt a rape or murder in prison.

Another point is that I get bothered every time the discussion turns to how we must be absolutely sure that the one to be executed is actually guilty, as if it's no big deal to sentence an innocent person to life in prison. If I were wrongfully convicted of a capital offense, I think I'd rather be sentenced to death because I'd have more opportunities to get the conviction overturned.

As to remote alaskan wilderness: That's why we live in what's called a civilization. So we can be civilized. And not in a wilderness, where we must be wild and barbaric to survive.

As to the the last notion: The difference being finality.

A man released from prison can gain restitution (at present its a pittance, but it's still restitution), a man posthumously exonerated has no such luxury.

This is the reason why the death penalty must be abolished: we may never have perfect justice (because perfect understanding is a requisite), but our system (or any codified system of law) is useless without the pursuit of that perfect justice. Anything else, and we might as well just revert to the sort of mob rule you suggest of the Alaskan frontiersmen.

Timmytour · Joined: 07 Oct 2005 Posts: 6863

What's neede is a place where those convicted can be exported to without fear of their return. Where the capability of them surviving is not impossible but is far from easy and would involve working together with others. In the end it might lead to the creation of a type of society which makes them realise how offensive and damaging their actions were to the one they left behind.

The world needs another Australia. :lol:

That didn't turn out too bad, although they are a bit to damn good at cricket now for my liking :(

Kane · Joined: 27 Apr 2006 Posts: 10663 Location: Bay Area, CA

The most Humane method of Execution...

There's a contradiction if I ever saw one.

Not to mention the huge inefficiencies present in all death sentences through the process of appeals. Even if you support capital punishment...I doubt you'd agree with or like the current system.

gavnook · Joined: 18 Jan 2006 Posts: 1918 Location: Arizona

The point of my example was to illustrate my ethical stance on capital punishment. I find it legitimate to kill a murderer for the safety of non-murderers. I do not support it for any other reason, such as to avenge the death or "punish" the criminal. I believe that is properly the role of God or karma or whatever. This means that when it costs more to execute a murderer than it does to lock him in a box, it's not worth doing.

Numb · Joined: 02 Sep 2006 Posts: 273

Well, if I had the choice of how to be executed I would go with two bullets to the back of the head, Russian style.

LostSoul3412 · Joined: 11 Feb 2005 Posts: 7801

Firing squad. An honorable death.

The worst way to die is to hang, or be put down, like a dog.

indieinmich · Joined: 18 Oct 2006 Posts: 539 Location: michigan

Numb wrote: Well, if I had the choice of how to be executed I would go with two bullets to the back of the head, Russian style.

Here here.Cheap and quick.If it must be done this is the way to go.

LostSoul3412 · Joined: 11 Feb 2005 Posts: 7801

I also like the Chinese model.

Firing squad executions, and then charge the family for the bullets.

thundertaker · Posted: Mon Nov 27, 2006 12:34 pm Post subject:

Hanging by measured drop (aka the Marwood Method). This should apply for all death sentences. Some murders are extremely brutal, and anyone capable of killing someone in those way is a brute or a nutcase, so the idea of executing people the way they killed others is ridiculous.
This method of hanging does not cause any uneccessary suffering, but neither is it too much like a sick animal being put to sleep as in a lethal injection. I feel it is an appropriate punishment for people who have committed a crime for which they deserve to die......

The Central Scrutinizer · Posted: Mon Nov 27, 2006 1:05 pm Post subject:

Personally, I don't think that we should execute anyone,.. We have executed innocent people--that enough should be cause for at least a moratorium. State-sponsored revenge is silly, unethical, and costly--we can lock people away for the rest of their lives more cheaply than the cost of a lengthy capital trial and appeals process, and maybe put them to work making license plates and such.

If we were to have executions, they would need to be public and brutal--I say this with all honesty. The state ending a human life behind closed doors is worthless to the ends of the state. The state flaying someone on live television at the halftime of Monday Night Football would be a f*cking deterrent. If that's too much for most people, then no executions are a better road, because practically speaking, gassing people in the bowels of a prison with five witnesses serves no purpose whatsoever.

bob.appleyard · Joined: 15 Oct 2005 Posts: 7606 Location: Manchestar, innit

Either hanging or firing squad. Both can be messed up though.

Lethal injection is probably the least humane of the options.

thundertaker · Posted: Mon Nov 27, 2006 1:16 pm Post subject:

The Central Scrutinizer wrote:
If we were to have executions, they would need to be public and brutal--I say this with all honesty. The state ending a human life behind closed doors is worthless to the ends of the state. The state flaying someone on live television at the halftime of Monday Night Football would be a f*cking deterrent. If that's too much for most people, then no executions are a better road, because practically speaking, gassing people in the bowels of a prison with five witnesses serves no purpose whatsoever.

I don't believe that ending another human being's life should be reduced to a form of entertainment, in fact I think it is rather dangerous.
The interests of justice are served by punishing the murderer and removing him or her from our midst, not making them the star attraction in a live piece of snuff theatre......

Dookiestix · Posted: Mon Nov 27, 2006 1:36 pm Post subject:

thundertaker wrote: The Central Scrutinizer wrote:
If we were to have executions, they would need to be public and brutal--I say this with all honesty. The state ending a human life behind closed doors is worthless to the ends of the state. The state flaying someone on live television at the halftime of Monday Night Football would be a f*cking deterrent. If that's too much for most people, then no executions are a better road, because practically speaking, gassing people in the bowels of a prison with five witnesses serves no purpose whatsoever.

I don't believe that ending another human being's life should be reduced to a form of entertainment, in fact I think it is rather dangerous.
The interests of justice are served by punishing the murderer and removing him or her from our midst, not making them the star attraction in a live piece of snuff theatre......
I believe the point being made was to show the American people the true horrors of capital punishment (state sanctioned murder). Then, perhaps, they'll think again about killing another human being no matter how heinous their crimes may be.

We only promote the very violence these criminals perpetrate by showing that we aren't much better than them when it comes to killing another human being. And the question of innocence regarding some who have been put to death certainly weighs heavy on the minds of those who are against capital punishment.

superskippy · Joined: 14 Jul 2005 Posts: 8295 Location: Petah Tikva

Hanging when properly prepared is an instantanous death. So I would have to select hanging as the most humane form of Capital Punishment. But the most suitable is probably the firing squad for a country that has regular execution.

StrawHat · Joined: 07 Jul 2006 Posts: 350 Location: New York, NY

superskippy wrote: Hanging when properly prepared is an instantanous death. So I would have to select hanging as the most humane form of Capital Punishment. But the most suitable is probably the firing squad for a country that has regular execution.

Really? How is hanging instantaneous? I always thought that it was slow and painful up until a point and then you don't feel anything.

I think the most humane would be just walking up behind somebody and blowing their brains out with a pistol when they least expect it. No time to think about it like with lethal injection or when you're sitting before you get shocked in the electric chair. Short, to the point, no fanfare.

Least humane would be some of the stuff you see in Saw.

bob.appleyard · Joined: 15 Oct 2005 Posts: 7606 Location: Manchestar, innit

StrawHat wrote: Really? How is hanging instantaneous? I always thought that it was slow and painful up until a point and then you don't feel anything.

The rope snaps your neck when breaking your fall.

BigOMG · Posted: Mon Nov 27, 2006 2:40 pm Post subject:

Who cares about humane when were talking about a child rapist/murder. I say give them life sentences and use them to test drugs for future use. That might speed up the process of saving lives.

Revenant · Joined: 16 Apr 2006 Posts: 16673 Location: Bliss

BigOMG wrote: Who cares about humane when were talking about a child rapist/murder. I say give them life sentences and use them to test drugs for future use. That might speed up the process of saving lives.

I vote we shoot em in the face.

BigOMG · Posted: Mon Nov 27, 2006 2:50 pm Post subject:

Revenant wrote: BigOMG wrote: Who cares about humane when were talking about a child rapist/murder. I say give them life sentences and use them to test drugs for future use. That might speed up the process of saving lives.

I vote we shoot em in the face.

But think of the lives they could save by having drugs tested on them. Inject them with AIDS(if they don't already have it) and start testing them. If it works, maybe cut 100 years of their sentence.

Revenant · Joined: 16 Apr 2006 Posts: 16673 Location: Bliss

BigOMG wrote: Revenant wrote: BigOMG wrote: Who cares about humane when were talking about a child rapist/murder. I say give them life sentences and use them to test drugs for future use. That might speed up the process of saving lives.

I vote we shoot em in the face.

But think of the lives they could save by having drugs tested on them. Inject them with AIDS(if they don't already have it) and start testing them. If it works, maybe cut 100 years of their sentence.

No. Shoot em in the face and go "OWNED BEOTCH!"

Then pee on em.