Circumstancial. Perhaps the death penalty has remained in those states -because- of the crime rate? It's a trivial piece of 'evidence'. ...No offense or anything. Just what I think. I don't know how it works in the UK, but in the US, murder typically leaves you in prison for life with no chance of parole. They get food, they get a bed, they get showers... the latter could be devastating to them, though. They have the basic needs of life, but will never amount to anything in there. People don't go all 'Rrrrgh, people don't like me because I smoked weed, I'm going to kill someone now!' when they get released from prison. Most ex-cons try to better their life. Or they get accustomed to the system of prison and do their best to get back there. By your logic, we should kill off every prisoner ever. Make theft a capital offense, it isn't fair that they get to sleep in a bed! They may kill someone or they may do something terrible, but they're human beings. You don't fight fire with fire. Nobody has the right to say 'This guy needs to die. c:'. Ever. The days of hanging and false trials is over. True justice is with them living that they have to live in a cage their entire life. And the world is better off. I know nobody likes paying taxes, but I'd rather my taxes go to prisons than some corrupt politician. The fact that people want to kill people for killing just to 'save tax money' is absolutely ludicrous. I am a huge fan of vigilante justice when the law doesn't touch someone it should, though.
Unfortunately, a lot of the times your tax money is going to the corrupt privatized prison system instead. ACLU story about Mississippi prisons And a nice long read about this from 2001.
So My dad gave his opinion on this while watching the news today "Man rapes and murders 5 year old child" He turned the tv off and was visibly angry. His opinion was the same as B-dog's "I wish the death penalty were here for those that deserve it." And he's right in a way. If you do something foul and worthy of death deliberately, there's very little chance that while serving a life sentence you will actually regret what you did, and normal people will be paying for that man/woman with tax money.
People should have punishment related to their crime. Someone brutally murdered? They should get the same done to them - no matter how violent. Although that could be very VERY inhumane and have devastating effects on the families, it would sure as heck put people off. And it would serve them right. ...I sounded really mean there. *shudders*
That's the problem. Someone get's the death sentence, and all of a sudden "I HAVE A RIGHT TO LIVE!!" But people forget that when you disobey your responsibilities, and do not allow someone else to have their rights, then you automatically forfeit your own. A right for a right
If this bears any weight in the situation, NYC recently had a full day of no reported serious crimes. First day in recorded history, or something,
Well that's a bit extreme, but the end result is the same as if he were put on death row... so I dunno.
Well i have a friend who hates to even kill bugs, he hates them, but still wouldnt kill them on purpose, he is a pacifist. Myself on the other hand, im joining the Army, where there is the possibility that i will be forced to defend myself, thus killing someone. The things that can draw people to kill are either pure Rage, or Pure Love........ Pure rage at someone who has done something REALLY bad, Pure Love for your family , and killing to save one of the members of your family.. then there are psycho's , but thats another story